Faith


You cannot truely believe, if you don't have doubts. I know that this sounds contradictory. But I don't trust blind faith.
If you don't doubt your God every once in a while, something's wrong.
How can you happily keep believing, without a doubt, when a loved one dies?
How can you not doubt your God, when you see something like the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon?
If you just shrug your shoulders, and say: "Well it's Gods will" Then I will seriously start doubting your mental abilities, and even your mental state.
Blind, undoubting faith is something I connect with fanatics. No offence
If you don't question your faith, your religion, if you don't venture out, and try to learn a bit about other religions, how can you be sure, you are believing in a way most suitable to you? And how can you denounce other religions, if you don't know anything about them?
Faith is very subjective. It is a very controversial subject.
We have heard over the past few months, how no religion condones the attacks, how no religion advocates the killing of non-believers. But, and I know I'm not making myself very popular here, does our religion, which is freedom, condone the bombings on Afghanistan? Does our religion, freedom, give us the right to force the message down the throats of others?
We keep talking about respect. About how WE should be respected for believing in freedom for all. But doesn't this also mean that we believe that the Taliban has a right to exist? I never condone violence or oppression, but we have to face that there will always be people who will be attracted by an extreme religion. Whether it's the KKK, or the Taliban, whether they are Americans, Dutchmen, Africans, Arabs, or Klingons for all I care.
Should the culprits be punished for the deaths? Yes, no doubt about it. Should we make it very clear that we will never let something like this pass? Yes, again, no doubt about it.
Should we demand respect for our belief system? For our belief in freedom for all? Yes. But we should also respect the fact that there are those who do not choose the same way of life, that we have chosen.
And first and foremost, we should start listening. Without interrupting. Listening to what they are saying. And if they are saying, "mind your own business", maybe we should do just that. Maybe we will never understand what it is, that makes them tick. But if we don't stop shouting our believes, and start listening to what they are saying, we will be bombed and bombing untill the end of days. And that I do believe without a doubt.


© 2002 Bertine Centen-Nieuwenkamp