I have a question about getting along

[fadded blue jeans]

Many Muslims live in the state of Michigan so do many confessional
Lutherans.. as well as liberal lutherans do you feel your treated with respect by the conservative bible believing lutheran pastors? or do you feel the liberal Lutheran pastors have more respect or do both groups mostly want nothing to do with you ? if one of you were hurt would you
think you could trust them to do their best to help you ? or are you not sure?
how many of you have Lutheran friends AND do you dare talk about your different faiths with each other?

thanks for any answers

 

[fadded blue jeans]

Muslim Population In The USA

 

[radarmark]

The link is merely a discussion of the Muslim population in the U.S. I do not really see a connection between it and what your question is.

Nor do I really understand what the question is. So let me answer with some questions about what I think you meant. "Can Muslims and liberal Lutherans and literalist Lutherans get along?" Why wouldn't they? Especially if one realizes Muslim A (say a member of Nation of Islam) does not believe the same way Muslim B (say a Whahhabi) who does not believe as Muslim C (say an Alevi)... well, you get the idea.

There really is nothing in general that prevents Jews, Christians, and Muslims (and for that matter Hindus and Bahais and Sikhs...ad infinitum) from living together. They did quite well in Medieval Spain and not too badly in the Holy Land before and after the Crusades.

The question of "why can't we all just get along" has more to do with the exclusivity and trumphalism of the particular individuals and groups who profess a religion. The more we look down on and emphacise the differences and hate the belief of another, the more we fuel the animosity. That is the legacy of both Shoah and 9/11 IMHO.

Pax et amore omnia vincunt. Radarmark

 

[wil]

Namaste FBJ,

This thread allows me for the first time to see some light in you. I'm thinking that is more a fault of mine than yours and am glad to be moving forward.

A thread on 'getting along' is entirely appropriate in an interfaith sense and much needed.

In the Seven Habits for Highly Effective People, Steven Covey posits that in one to "Seek to understand before seeking to be understood" I find if you seek to understand, oft times you lose the need to be understood.

In regards to your specific question. Do I know any Lutherans, yes, plenty. A church was just around the block from my house for over 20 years, I attended with friends, I participated in some of their events, we had CubScout and BoyScout families from this church and used their halls occasionally.

Our most recent prayer chaplain mentor in scouts was/is Lutheran. She is incredible with the kids, awesome working in ecumenical and interfaith aspects. You see Boy Scouts request that a scout be reverent....but doesn't specify a religion. In that regard the prayer chaplain mentor is to teach the prayer chaplains to pray in a way that any boy there will be comfortable listening to and participating in that prayer.

Gandhi asks us to be the change we wish to see in the world. If you wish more peace and harmony and 'getting along' seek to be the one that instigates that..seek to get along. Contemplate you and your friends going to a mosque, for discussion, to learn, to listen, to see first hand what the five pillars mean to Moslems, and allow them to see by your actions what Jesus's unconditional love means to you.

Next challenge....want to learn how to hug? To really hug, to be able to hug women heart to heart, belly to belly just contemplating oneness and without sexual tension? And the same with men, just open reverence for their being without having the proximity of your bodies feel uncomforatble? Hug a gay guy, stretch your boundaries, walk the talk.

 

[Amica]

Peace--

I think people can get along if they want to, if there is an effort among the people. The basic islamic teachings, for instance, teach respect of other--the people who do not attack you for your believes and who live with you in peace. Even during the first decade of Islam, when Muslims were attacked by pagans in the Mecca/Medina region, Allah (God) SWT still instructed Muslims to abide by the peace agreements with those pagans who did not attack them.

In terms of Christians and Jews, they are referred to in Islam as "People of the Book" or People of the Bible. It is a highly respected title, as Islam teaches that the Holy Bible is earlier Revelation of Allah SWT. Muslims are to believe in the Bible, but to follow the Holy Qur'an.

Allah (God) SWT states in the Qur'an that the humanity's diversity is one of the signs of His Might. Since we are not divine, but simply His creation, we do not know the purpose of such diversity. Another purpose for our diversity, according to the Revelation of Qur'an is to compete in doing good. If you look at the history, every nation/community (with diverse races, religions, etc) have contributed some good. Pagan Greeks gave us concepts of democracy. The Jews gave us many of the Prophets, scientists and artistic figures (actors, producers, etc.). The Arabs helped with mathematics. Ancients who built pyramids and such perhaps gave us something to think about in structure buildings. Ancient pagans were good in astrology and maybe in astronomy. Etc. Many cultures have done good and are still doing some good. Perhaps much of it has been tainted with wars, but we must see the good too.

When there is a strong law in the land guaranteeing equal representation of communities and shared responsibility for the good of the country, anyone can get along if they trully want to.

Several decades ago, a question might have been: can white and black people get along? Well, the more the years are going by we see that the good in people has won and people of these races are getting along much, much better.

Of course, there is always room for improvement.

 

[radarmark]

Amica, well said. I beleive that morality and politics are (in the final analysis) best left as personal (hence legal and community-based) and that greater community (be it the USA or personkind) needs to honor those as rights, insofar as possible.

So, all things being equal, all people can get along within some context of what is acceptable behavior.

Can, in this case, conservative Lutherans get along with liberal Lutherans and consevative Muslims and liberal Muslims (and all the permutations therein)? If rights to believe as one wishes are adhered to, yes. The problem becomes what happens if some majority or powerful minority imposes their beliefs on the rest (and of course this depends on what is meant by impose). Let the body politic decide (as long as it is not in violation of the Constitution or laws).