You know what a crab looks like when you disturb it on a beach, it raises up and starts snapping at you and looks all cross - woe betide you if you get too close. Well writing a public article on religion is like disturbing loads of cross crabs. All of them would happily inflict a sharp stab of pain if only they could get a good grip. Honestly! You can understand it if I was writing about hell fire and brimstone, or telling people they were wicked and doomed to hell or how they were utterly wrong and only the god-fearing saw the true way - but I'm not.But it says something about how people perceive religion as a perpetrator of something bad, not good, and who's fault is that? Probably a legacy of how badly religion has been taught for so many decades, but it is now much better. Partly because people feel threatened by faith, (but not sure why), and partly because most religions (Catholic included) are bad at portraying a face to the public that allows them to understand the very heart of what this about - which is love. All people see is the regalia, the pomp and ceremony and the conflict - which is such a pity.
If only they saw the people like Pat Clarke, or Fr Leo Dolan, who I am meeting tonight and who works with the poor and landless in a violent and lawless part of N Brazil, or Sr Dorothy Stang, who was murdered fighting for the rainforest and the poor, or the countless other men and women who are driven by love to do great things for others.
Dorothy Stang
Yes there are religious wars - but decrying all religion because of extremists who have no understanding of the heart of faith is like saying everyone who enjoys a sherry at Christmas is an abusive alcoholic.
Yes some faiths have teachings that are out of step with modern ways of thinking, and the Catholic objection to birth control is right up there with that one. But the way to tackle these is to discuss openly and with respect - not throw insults. I have a lot to say on this, but not here, but I understand that population is a massive issue and we have to all take this very seriously. By far the best way to do it is to reduce poverty, educate women and ensure a society cares for its citizens. In every instance when these things happen birth rate declines, irrespective of the religion of that country.
Come on cross crabs, put your claws down, read what I'm really saying and then tell me that urging billions of people to care for the earth, and each other is bad, but don't just see "religion" in the title and fire off without trying to understand.
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the story about my great sister Dorothy Stang. Your 9 minute u tube about Pat Clark was excellent. Such stories get little or no attention in the Public Press that is consistent to educate or draw the attention of the General Public. Poverty is vastly growing in the world due to the economic systems that both people, Pat and Dorothy are and were trying to educate us about. Slavery, prostitution, and legalized murder of the poor is rampant and a direct result of economic systems that leave out the poor or wish for the poor to be slaves of a system that is hell bent on profit. My sister
's murder is still unsolved as the two ranchers who planned my sister's murder are still free even though one, Bida was tried and found guilty. The other, Regivaldo, was arrested twice, is still now free. The other 800 murders of farmers, Union Leaders, in the Amazon have no one in jail for these murders.
David Stang
Thank you David, your sister was a truly remarkable woman who is held in great affection and revered for her courage all round the world. Her sense of love and duty has inspired so many people. I met the sisters of her order in January, what extraordinary women! When people say religion just brings disharmony into the world, I ask them to learn about Dorothy and then come back and talk about it.
ReplyDeleteMary