Sin vs Ignorance: Which is worse?
The concept in the "modern" world today, at least in religious circles (though whether you could call these circles modern or not is in question), is that the major problem with most of the world's inhabitants are believed to be "sinful" people. The Christians, Jews, and Muslims all feel this way about each other.
The Jews, the most oppressed of the three currently, feel that those who do not follow the Torah (literally, "the Law") are all doomed to feel Yahweh's wrath.
The Muslims, the fastest growing faith, feel that anyone who has not proclaimed that "Allah is the one true God and that Muhammed is his prophet" will go to populate the bowels of hell.
The Christians, the largest group, are just as stern in their response that you must "accept Christ and your Lord and Savior, and believe that he died on the cross to save you from...sins."
What kind of modern world is this? All three faiths are equally intollerable of each other, yet they all are "born" of the same Abrahamic descent. "No, that's not what he meant. You should die now." This is crazy.
What defines "sin?" Who knows? It seems to change with the seasons. It use to be hell-worthy to shave your beard. Some won't let you eat a pork chop. Whatever.
All these "sins" arise out of ignorance. Ignorance sets guidelines by which to live your day to day lives. Ignorance holds you to these beliefs, and sets you apart from your neighbors. The only real sin is to embrace ignorance.
It is then that you have really "missed the mark." Which, by the way, is the exact translation of the word "sin."
Embrace knowledge, patience, love, and kindness...for everyone. You then will be saved of "sin." That is the only way.
posted by Joe Daher @ Sunday, June 11, 2006
4 comments
4 Comments:
That is the only way.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!
How hard is it to get it through people's heads that 'THERE IS NO ONLY way'?'
This kind of thinking swiftly leads to 'I'm better than you. I'm more compassionate than those radical christians with their signs yelling at women having abortions!'
Even knowledge, compassion, whatever, as the 'only way', leads to a trap! Sometimes, you need to act in ignorance, for you haven't enough information. Sometimes, you need severity, for compassion has failed. Sometimes, impetuousness serves better than patience.
Can you not envision a time when inquisitors compassionately torture people, for their own good?
There is no ONLY way. Each way is individual, and it must be followed to the end.
While to a certain extent, this might be true, one cannot sit idly by and say that "everyone has their own way."
Do you think the followers of Marshall Applewhite and the Heaven's Gate group had to just "follow their own way?" Do you not think that at some point you must say, "this is NOT the right way"?
You cannot leave absolutely everyone to find their own path without first guiding them into the right direction.
For instance: Osama Bin Laden is a rich Saudi with powerful ties all over the world. So why do you think he strives to create pain? Because HE BELIEVES HIS MESSAGE. He BELIEVES he must kill the infidels. He BELIEVES he must charge others to do so.
Warren Jeffs, a powerful religous leader (and also wanted felon) of a polygamist group in Nevada does not hold any "power" over people. They follow him because they BELIEVE he is God's prophet.
Love, knowledge, compassion...these are not devices to wave a stick at. You cannot COMPASSIONATELY torture someone. Inquistors then thought they were not doing those tortured souls a favor, they believed they were doing THEMSELVES a favor...by ridding Satan's followers.
While there is not "an only way" there is certainly a correct direction.
Do you think the followers of Marshall Applewhite and the Heaven's Gate group had to just "follow their own way?" Do you not think that at some point you must say, "this is NOT the right way"?
Why not? Why should I not let them follow their own way? Did they ask me? What right do I have to meddle in their pursuit of the gnosis, in their own way? Perhaps their surrendering of control was the catalyst they needed?
You cannot leave absolutely everyone to find their own path without first guiding them into the right direction.
But can you be sure that your direction is correct for this individual? Where do we start with that standard? It's obvious to you, charging down your own path. How do you communciate that to someone who's had a totally foreign upbringing from you? Or who's on a different place on the path?
If we are truly gnostic, we know that 'right' and 'wrong' are flip sides of the same coin, as are 'good' and 'evil'. To say that someone is on an incorrect path seems... judgemental.
Now, that's entirely different from ASKING someone about their path, and making them think about it. That gives us both something to think about. We learn something about our own preconceptions, as well as what they're working on. Hopefully, if we ask the correct quesitons, we make them think about their path, too.
Ah, but you must also see that non-action - or better, not acting towards the problem - isn't a route we can take either.
Being open-minded is great, and it is truly a blessing. But you can be too open-minded, and when that happens it tends to lead to gullibility. Should we just sit back and watch as our brothers and sisters fall victim to someone else's vices?
I'm not for a moment saying that we should lay down arms and flog those people who disagree with us. But I do suggest that keeping quiet on matters such as these is wrong too.
Of course we don't rush into someone's church and start kicking over the podium. But when we recognize that there are fallicies with their perceptions, we can definitely offer a helping hand. One does not have to take it, but at least we will have tried. To offer no assistance to such individuals is a great disservice, and an opposite approach to praxis.
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