I have no problem with people following their beliefs until they start to force it upon others.but I have experienced the stares of Americans from having my hair covered
I also understand that islam does teach about human rights etc.
However, I find it it difficult to marry this with the idea that women must cover themselves. If men had to as well, that would put it in a different context.
Mind you, Islam is not the only one. Catholic women should cover their hair in church. certain Jewish women cover their hair by wearing a wig, which is quite absurd.(it is also stated in the New Testament that women should be quiet in church too whcih certainly counts out female envangelsts etc but little deatils like that never did get in the way of fundy thinking)
All three faiths, Xtian, Muslim and Jewish have killed(and still do) in the name of their God, the irony of which seems to escape all of them. Although, when one reads the bible at least, it is not surprising people(who floow that system) think it is okay to kill for their God.
It is sick, to say the least, that these fundy types are so eager to see Armageddon, to have their sick fantasies and visions fulfilled. Only a twisted human could have such an idea of God, made in their image. For truly the God they speak of is but their idea, based on the negative of man's nature-vengeance, jealousy, vanity, cruelty, conditional love (which is an oxymoron). Although I would argue that these things are not really man's nature but the result of fear.
I think we as human beings are capable of so much more, have far more power than we believe we have, and in fact are afraid of it. So we abidicate our repsonsibilty, instill fear into our children(that is where the rot starts) and blame God or the devil for our ills.
I believe what Jesus is supposed to have said: 'the kingdom of heaven is within' and that god dwells within us, not without us. It follows that we can never be separate from god, except in our thinking. The only 'unforgivebale sin' is that of a closed mind. A closed mind cannot be changed.
The world is such a mess today because we all look outside of ourselves to find the answers. We think that education will solve everything. We even think we know how to solve the problems-by getting others to chnage! We really have not evolved in our thinking despite all the evidence that shows our thinking is crap!
And those puffed with pride(and inwardly shaking with fear) sneer at those who offer peace and not killing as an alternative.
The meek really will inherit the earth. And no meek does not mean doormat, nor does it mean the firghtened ones who let the enemy walk over them. It means those who are free in their minds, who have open minds, who do not succomb to fear and pride and passion, who do not grasp tightly to their inflated ideas of themselves and what they think The Truth is. Meekness is a virute, not a weakness. it is the ability to think without prejudice, without pride, without fear. the ability to change. Those of us that are always right are condemed to suffer the consequences.
The world needs more meek people. As it is it is in a mess ebcause of those who think they are right beyond doubt and because the rest of us are too scared or self involved to do anything about it.
If we really want peace, then we will bring it about within ourselves first. if we reallyt want peace, we will let go of the need to be right. It seems being right is worht more to most of us than peace.
I belive we as human beings have what it takes to live in peace, to always have postive regard for eachother, to truly love oneanother.
I believe we can conquer our fear.
we either live in love or in fear. the choice is ours.
bw
colin
