Stop and Listen

"I may not have any design upon my neighbor as to this faith, which I must honor even as I honor my own. For I regard all the great religions of the world as true, at any rate for the people professing them, as mine is true for me." Mahatma Gandhi

Today's quote from my Oriental Wisdom calendar needs to be taught everywhere. Too often people get caught up in their own faith and fail to realize that someone else's faith is just as valid as their own. I know so many people whose religious beliefs are different from my own everyone from Druids to Evangelicals to Jews to Buddhists to Taoists to Protestants of many denominations as well as my own Catholics and even Atheists which is a conscious choice not to believe in God.

Humans have a tendency to lump other humans into categories. This is especially true when it comes to religion. I would like to see more tolerance of other religions and a more ecumenical approach to religion. It is great when a person has a religion and follows it, however mankind has a tendency towards intolerance towards beliefs that are different then their own. If someone's beliefs don't dovetail with theirs many people immediately go on the offensive towards the religion of the one who is different.

Spirituality comes in many different shapes and forms. The New Age beliefs of many of my friends is a case in point. While much of it seems to be pretty far out as far as I am concerned still there is an element of spirituality and a oneness with the universe that does resonate with me. I find that many of these people act in a more "Christian" manner then some so called Christians. They are more tolerant of others beliefs.

The God we worship is the same one regardless of how we look at him/her. I wish that when people encounter a religion that is not their own that they would look on it with an open mind and see that it is an affirmation of the same God just seen from a different perspective. If there were more tolerance in the world towards people's religious beliefs there would be more peace.

The picture is called "Hazy Shade of Winter" because this snow falling here in the Midwest doesn't care what religion you are. You still need to shovel out that driveway.