Isaac Agree Synagogue

For years, I've wanted to visit a synagogue. I can't really tell you why I hadn't until now...

Isaac Agree Synagogue Sanctuary in Detroit, Mi

Walking into the synagogue, I was greeted by a man just a few years younger than myself. I asked if they had a head covering I might borrow, and he showed me the bin where they lay. I put one on and followed him upstairs.

I walked into a room where a small group of people were joined together in song. The group was multi-racial when men, women and their children sitting together in the pews. A child played with toys in the aisle a bit while the older attendees sang. It reminded me of every place I'd ever been that wasn't Christian. In the mosques, in the Hindu temples, and elsewhere, they let the children be children while the adults worship. They aren't made to be quiet, they aren't sent off to nurseries. And yet the adults worship paying the children no mind.

The group sang in Hebrew. I was almost completely lost. My friend came over several times to help me relocate myself within the hymnal, which contained Hebrew, English and Hebrew transliterated into English. By the end of the service, I was almost able to follow along.

A woman lit these candles
before the service started.

Normally, there is some kind of short homily or discussion concerning the books of Moses. I got the impression that they treated the Books of Moses much like the Christians who follow the liturgical calendar treat the Gospels. They read a portion of one each week. I'm not sure whether or not they delve into the Writings on a regular basis. Being somewhat out of practice with my writing here, I didn't think to ask. 

When the service ended, we were all invited downstairs to a fellowship hall where we drank a communion cup of wine and broke bread. When I saw this, I immediately thought of the Christian's communion. How old is this tradition? How have the traditions of both communities evolved over time? How does the meaning of the breaking of bread differ for the Jews? Obviously, they aren't celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I need to understand this.

After this brief ritual, we sat down for a small vegetarian meal and chatted about religion and other things. I was told that this particular synagogue was heavily influenced by a few different Jewish traditions. I didn't know enough about them for the names to mean anything to me. The group seemed to take pride in their eclecticism and open-mindedness. For them, the Jewish tradition was a gathering place. Their canon was a conversation piece. They didn't claim that any one perspective had all the answers. Rather, they believe that in we find truth and meaning by engaging one another and the tradition. It reminded me of my friend David and Canonical Theism. More than that, it reminded me that we find truth in the difficult conversations we have with one another. 

Glen Bernie Church of Christ (Non-Institutional)

For years, I've wanted to attend a non-institutional Church of Christ.  I finally made the time.  This was different from visiting other religious groups, I knew what to expect more than I knew how to behave.  I wanted to ask honest questions without starting a debate.  Even now, I'm not sure if I succeeded.

As I pulled into the building I noticed a sign saying just "CHURCH of CHRIST."  Notably, it didn't say Glen Bernie Church of Christ.  I walked into a small foyer that wasn't exactly meant for socialization.  There was enough room for coat racks, entrances to restrooms and a few billboards, but it was clear that the building wasn't a social area.  I didn't see classrooms or a fellowship hall while I was there.  I don't think they have them, but I could be mistaken.

In the foyer, I noticed plenty of literature.  Most of it was what I would have typically expected in a Church of Christ.  There were pamphlets concerning the errors of other churches' doctrines.  There were some about instruments, others about Mary.  The literature generally carried this theme, "we're the right church because we believe the right things which we get only from the Bible."

The Churches of Christ distinguish themselves from other Christian denominations by claiming that they everything they do is sanctioned by the New Testament.  They claim that this isn't true of other churches.  Many of their members believe that the only way to be a true Christian is to organize their beliefs and practices around verses that come straight from the Bible.

They had pictures of their members - this is a common thing in the Churches of Christ.  I couldn't tell you where the tradition comes from.  They also had a missions board.  There was a time when missions boards were common in Churches of Christ.  I remember seeing them all the time as a child, but I hadn't seen one like this in years.  The church supported more than 15 missionaries around the globe.  They could afford to do this because their pulpit minister didn't take a salary, "he has enough money," one of their elders explained.  Another member told me that they preferred not to pay their ministers.  My guess is that both statements are true.

The service was like most Church of Christ services.  They sang acapella (without instruments).  The men led the service while the women sat quietly.  In most Churches of Christ, women aren't even allowed to pay offering plates or communion trays.  During the offering, they announced the visitors were not expected to donate.  During communion, which the Churches of Christ share weekly, they read a lot of scripture.  I'm not used to seeing this in mainstream Churches of Christ, but their message was similar to the one I'm used to, "Do this in Remembrance of me."

Throughout the service, I couldn't help but notice the diversity in the congregation.  The congregation was about 1/3 black and the black members of the church led the service as much as the white members.  I've never seen this in a Church of Christ; they are usually somewhat segregated owing mostly to history.

After a few more songs, there was a scripture reading.  The whole congregation read together.  This is the second time I've seen something like this in a congregation with a large number of black Christians.  Is this a part of their tradition?  Is this something one sees more frequently on this side of the country?  Or is it an odd coincidence?  I have no idea.

Eventually, one of the elders began to preach.  His preaching style was different from anything I've ever seen.  More than anything, he read scripture.  He must have read 3 or more chapters of scripture total during his sermon, commenting on a particular topic here and there.  He didn't jump around from one verse to another, which is what I'm used to seeing in Churches of Christ.  Instead, he read large swaths from each section he chose.  He was a good reader.  The overhead projector helped the audience follow along.

The service ended like most Churches that grew up in the 1800s revivalist traditions do.  There was a call for people who believed to be baptized.  The elder didn't threaten hell, but warned of the possibility of hell for those who left the building without being baptized.

I didn't get to socialize the way I normally do after a service.  I was in such a rush I forgot to get pictures.  I talked with the elder who'd spoken for a few minutes, but it wasn't the sort of engagement I usually experience at a church.  I couldn't tell you why.  Was it me?  Was it them?  Was it the structure of the building itself.  Architecture shapes the personality of a community.

One of the few things that really stuck out in the conversations that I did have was their pride in not having a pantry for the poor.  This particular issue came up several times when I asked them what was special about their church.  "We don't have a pantry."  It was explained that Christians were supposed to do good in the world, but that the Church's job was simply to preach the Gospel.  It's difficult for me to understand a theological position that allows for purchasing several projectors or flat screen TVs, but does not allow for a pantry for the poor.  I'm also uncertain how allowing members to collaborate by donating to a pantry is a bad thing.  I wouldn't even bother to mention it, but aside from being biblical based, it was the one thing that was mentioned to me at least three times during my few conversations.  They were proud of their lack of a pantry.  They were proud of the fact that, as a congregation, they are do not help the poor.  

Ethiopian Orthodox Church: Part 1

I walked into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church filled with excitement.  My experience with the Orthodox tradition is limited and here I was meeting with a Church that could trace its roots back to the earliest Christians.  Their history diverges from Roman Christian early enough that their Bible looks slightly different from ours, with several books that Churches which grew out of Roman Christianity don't use.

You may wonder what I mean by "Roman Christianity."  I mean to say that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church split from other churches before Rome had completely fallen, long before the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox had split from one another.  They split before the New Testament canon was completely closed - although they do have all 27 of our books.

I was also curious because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was supposedly started by Ethiopian Jews.  The Kingdom of Ethiopia had a relationship with Israel and Judaism from ancient times.  The Ethiopians continue to claim that they hold the original Ark of the Covenant.  The place they claim to keep it is well guarded.  These claims are not without their critics.  It is, nevertheless, clear that Ethiopia and Jerusalem had some kind of relationship that goes back further than historians can quite validate.  It's does not seem impossible that their claims are true.

I had no idea what to expect at the service.

As I struggled to find a place to park, I noticed a number of people walking towards the building.  A significant portion of them were wearing white, but not all of them.  The women had the tops of their heads covered.  I wonder if most Americans looking at them would have confused them for Muslims.

I walked into a small crowded foyer.  I waited at the back for a moment.  The service, according to the website, wasn't supposed to begin for another 15 minutes, but it had already begun.  I guessed it had something to do with Lent.

After standing at the back of the foyer for a minute, I determined that it would be fine for me to work my way through the crowd, so I did.  A kind woman asked me if I would like to head into the service.  I answered in the affirmative and she found a young man to lead me into the service.  Noticing that everyone in the service had taken their shoes off, I took mine off too.

The young man took me to the front of the auditorium where I sat shoulder to shoulder with the men sitting on either side of me.  The men and women sat separately.  The men sat in the aisle on the left.  The women sat on the right.

So much of what I saw reflected Eastern Culture: covering the head, removing the shoes, separating men and women.  It reminded me of the Mosque and of the Sikh Temple.  I don't think most of the members there would have said that these things were necessary for salvation.  The people I talked to seemed to understand the difference between culture and religion (to a degree that shocked me).  Still, these are the ways that people from these cultures recognize sacred spaces and sacred moments.  What do Westerners do to remind themselves that the time their spending is sacred?  Do we value that?  I suppose it varies from religion to religion and perhaps from person to person.

Church of Christ Scientists: How Honesty Gains Respect

In my early 20s, I had the opportunity to stop by the Church of Christ Scientist in Rochester, MI.  Here's what I remember.

I walked into an auditorium.  There were two aisles on either side of the auditorium.  Upon the stage in the front of the room stood two podiums, one on the left and one on the right.  The congregation was mostly elderly.  This is true in many churches, but it was more profoundly true here than in most churches.  There were probably about 70 people in attendance.

The church service was predominantly led by women who read from two books.  One was the Bible.  I think the other was Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy.  Up to this point, I've not taken the time to read the other book.  Aside from the additional text and strong female leadership the service didn't strike me as anything particularly out of the ordinary.  I remember enjoying it in a dull sort of way.

Mary Baker Eddy "Discovered" Christian Science

When it was over, I found myself talking to a woman in her mid fifties.  She wore a red dress.  We introduced ourselves and chatted politely about the service.  I explained that I was a theology student from Rochester College down the street.  Eventually, we got around to discussing the Church of Christ Scientist doctrine concerning faith and health.  It went something like this:

Me: Correct me if I'm wrong.  As I understand it, your church teaches that if people have faith that they will not suffer from illness.
Her: Yes, that's true.
Me: Would you also agree that people who have practiced the faith longest tend to be the most mature in it?
Her: I would say that this tends to be true, yes.
Me: It also seems to me that the oldest people in your congregation seem to be in the weakest health.  Does your fellowship have a theological explanation as to why this is?
Her: I don't know.  Honestly, I've never considered it.  Let me tell you something though.  When our denomination was founded, most Christians didn't believe that God acted in people's lives directly.  It wasn't even typical to ask for God to heal people.

Christian Science's Mother Church in Boston, MA (I hope to visit in April!)

I don't remember how the rest of the conversation went.  It was pleasant.  I don't know if that comes out in text, but I could tell that she knew that I was seeking understanding rather than challenging her.

For my part, I was and am impressed by her answer.  She answered kindly and undefensively.  This isn't an easy thing to do when one of the key assumptions of our faith has just been challenged.  My direct questions don't always get kind responses.  More impressively, she explained the historical context of her movement and the value she thought it had given to Christianity as a whole.  It seemed like a mature perspective that reflected not only on her but on her denomination as well.

The Zoroastrians Part 2: A Religion in Transition

ZAMWI's building form the outside

I walked into the ZAMWI's building (Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc.).  To my left were bathrooms.  To my right was a hallway that led to a room, that I later found out will soon be their sanctuary.  Ahead of me was a wide doorway that opened into an auditorium.

I stepped into the auditorium to see people gathering.  The room was long and rectangular with high ceilings.  It looked more like a dining hall than a place for religious gatherings.  I wasn't sure what to think.  I looked around to see people of various ethnicities gathered about.  Most of the people had some kind of Persian background.  They were Iranian, Pakistani, Afghan and Indian.  There were a few people of European ancestry in the room as well.  Most of them had come to Zoroastrianism through marriage.

As I began to talk to some of the people I learned a lot about their perceptions of religion.  A woman who had grown up in India talked about her view of religion.  "In India, we worship each other's gods.  It's not about believing in them, it's a way of respecting each other.  Before the British came, Muslims, Hindus and other got along well.  The British divided us."  The development of the Sikh religion makes me question how accurate that statement was, but it's true that people of differing belief systems usually get along until some power-hungry person comes along and amplifies divisions to gain power.

Their auditorium is built like a dining hall.  During class chairs and a podium were present.

I helped the community prepare for their service.  As the service began, everyone put white hats on their head.  They had extras and I followed suit.  The children assembled in chairs at the front of the auditorium and the adults stood around almost in a circle.  A woman made announcements.  After this, the priest spoke.  His message focused on the children.  He told them to

• Greet God in the morning and at night
• Make their beds
• Wash their dishes
• Do their part at home, school and elsewhere

The simple message took about 5 minutes.  After this he blessed one of the children.  I think it was for the child's birthday.  When this portion of the service was over, everyone grabbed hands for a quick prayer.  After the prayer, we went to class.  There wasn't a worship service in the way Christians would think of one, just the short lesson, the prayer and then class.

The class, too, was unlike anything I've ever had the opportunity to witness.  The group I met with was discussing what they ought to study together in the future.  They'd agreed to study the Gathas (the central part of the Zoroastrian text), but were discussing whether or not to focus on anything else in their studies.  Everyone agreed that the Gathas were the most important part of their tradition.  These are the oldest sections.  They're attributed to Zoroaster himself.  These portions of the text, as I understand it, are purely monotheistic and don't emphasize the rituals that later came to be associated with Zoroastrianism.

A framed rug for the sanctuary.  On the left is the king, on the right Zoroaster - the Holy Spirit hovers over each

The question in the group was how tightly to hold onto the things that had been added to the religion in the thousands of years since Zoroaster had received his revelation.  The most radical of the members believed that the rituals could be completely done away with.  Others disagreed and were in fact working to turn one of the rooms into a kind of sanctuary where rituals could be performed by a priest.

During class, I asked how one becomes a Zoroastrian.  The response was interesting.  I learned that no one could tell me whether I was or wasn't a Zoroastrian and that if I wanted to attend their meetings as a Zoroastrian that I could.  I asked whether everyone would except me.  "Most people here would," I was told.  Most of the clerics in India wouldn't.  I don't recall them saying anything in particular about the community in Iran.

What I observed was a community searching for itself.  I asked and the observation was affirmed.  "Zoroastrianism used to be associated with Persia, but that doesn't exist any more," I was told.  They were trying to decide what it meant to be Zoroastrian without a state or even a completely unifying culture.  It was interesting to see this conversation in person.  I wondered what Mary Boyce would have thought.

A Statue of the Holy Spirit to be used in their sanctuary in the future

While the Zoroastrians aren't evangelistic, they were more open to people joining than I expected.  I wondered if they were thinking what I think.  "It would be a pity if this tradition died.  It's one of the most important religious traditions in world history, even if most people today don't know about it."  I expect they do think this, though it's probably more personal to them than it is to me.

My Neighbor's Faith: Marriage and Family in the Mormon Faith (LDS Temple in DC)

Visitor's Center in Salt Lake

Several years ago, the Army sent me to Salt Lake City for training.  While there, I visited a Mormon ward that some of my relatives attend.  I also happened to stop by the Tabernacle and the Temple Visitor's Center.  It was beautiful and they had lots of historical artifacts pertaining to the faith.

My visits left no doubt in my mind that the Mormons strongly value family.  At almost every encounter someone would ask me, "Don't you want to live with your family forever?"  They seemed to think that this was an innate human desire.  One could see in all places that the Mormons marry young and that they're encouraged to have big families.  Even at the restaurants in Salt Lake, the tables are elongated to fit larger than average sized families.

LDS Temple in DC

Visitor's Center in DC

When I walked into the visitor's center, I was introduced two two sisters who showed me around and answered my questions.  One of the things they were proud to show me was a 3D printed model of the inside of a Mormon Temple.  Presently, there are only two of these models in the world, one in DC and the other in Salt Lake City.

The sisters explained several of the rooms in the temple.  They focused on the rooms for marriage ceremonies.  The Latter Day Saints temple marriage ceremonies seal a marriage for eternity.  They believe that if you marry in the temple, that you and your partner will be partners eternally.  You can do this with your children as well, and then you and your whole family will be together eternally.

3D Printed model of LDS Temple

The first thing that occurred to me when I heard this was, "Okay, but what if you decide at 40 that you don't want to live with this spouse for eternity?  What if a lifetime is long enough?  What if you divorce?"  I asked whether the Latter Day Saints encourage their young to put off temple marriage until they're certain that they've married the right person.  "We usually perform the wedding in the temple."  The first wedding is usually the temple wedding with state papers signed afterward.  This struck me as odd, especially since the Mormons tend to marry so young.  I wonder how they rate their marriages in surveys when compared to other groups.  I haven't bothered to look this up.

The reason Latter Day Saints value family so much, even in the afterlife, has to do with their view of God.  As mentioned in a previous post, they believe that God was once a man like us.  He is still a man today.  At some point during our discussion my jaw dropped.  "Wait a minute," I said.  "You believe that God has a wife!" I was excited to have figured this out for myself.  "We do," I was told.  "It's not something we like to talk about.  God loves his wife so much and doesn't want people taking her name in vane or treating her rudely."

The Book of Mormon: the Primary LDS revelation

Whatever one thinks of this, it coheres theologically with the rest of LDS beliefs.  God wants them to have sealed families just like He did.  He also wants them to be fruitful and multiply, just like He did.  This is what beings made in the Image of God are supposed to do.  And like Him, if they do things right, they mature to be like Him.

As I thought about their theology, I couldn't help but wonder what life is like in the typical Mormon home.  How are their families better off compared with non-Mormon families?  How are they worse off?  I expect that with bigger families, there's a better ability to create intra-family self-reliance.  This might explain the libertarian streak among Latter Day Saints.  As the same time, there has to be a lot of pressure on women to have children.  What about the women who don't want to be mothers?  What about the women who aren't able?

The Problem with Failed Seals

The other thing I noticed was this.  Sealing your family members is supposed to mean that you are together forever.  However, if your family members fall away from the faith or are less than decent Mormons, they may find themselves on a different level of heaven than the rest of the family.  This seemed contradictory to me.  After all, if you're on the same level of heaven then you're already together and sealing should be irrelevant.  On the other hand, if different levels of heaven can divide families then the seal isn't very effective. I write this less as a criticism than in hopes that someone can clear it up for me.  Any LDS folks out there reading this?  Feel free to chime in.

Even if it can't be cleared up.  I don't see this as a reason for serious criticism.  Most beliefs are coherent until one starts applying questions from the outside.

Noble Seeker Blog: Update 1

I started writing a month ago at the encouragement of several friends.  I decided to write about religion because politics is too contentious for people to listen to one another right now and I'm not sure how to go about explaining my thoughts in the intersection between technology, geopolitics and economics.

The first time I had the idea to do a blog like this was in 2014, which I visited Chapel Hill UMC in San Antonio, TX

I knew I wanted to tell the story about how I became a Humanist and possibly where my thoughts have led me since.  I also knew that in telling that story, I'd want to talk about some of the churches and other religious organizations I visited that had opened my mind.  I saw an opportunity to return to a practice I had maintained during the years I went to Emanuel's House, that of visiting religious communities with the hope of learning something new.  So, I did that too.

I didn't expect the response I've gotten over the last month.  So many of you have thanked me personally since I started writing.  You've shared my work.  I'm surprised to find more and more people reading and returning to the site every week.  Google Analytics suggests that several people were using my communion thoughts in church last Sunday (at exactly 11:30 am).  I would never would have imagined.

Me around the time I became a Humanist (2006)

I intend to keep writing for the foreseeable future.  Life may get in the way of me posting as frequently as I currently do.  If I could, I would do this for a living.  In an ideal world, I'd turn this project into something much larger.  I'd create interfaith dialogues and interfaith service projects.  The dialogues would be panel discussions followed by fellowship rather than events where people get up and give a speech representing their faith's values.  These events would be accessible to lay people.  I'd work to create healthier conversations between theological liberals and evangelicals too; and also between religious and non-religious people.  So often, these labels divide us more than they should.

Today, these goals are a long way off.  I don't know if I can achieve them.  For now, I'll keep writing.

From my visit to Holy Land Franciscan Monastery in DC (2/9/2017)

The Mormon View of God, Heaven and Hell (LDS Temple Visitors Center in DC)

Statue of Jesus in DC Visitors' Center

Understanding the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) begins with understanding their view of God.  While most religious people see God as a spiritual being, the Mormons believe that God is both a physical and spiritual being.  He has a body much like we do for we are made in his image.

Once upon a time, God existed much as we do, on a different planet.  He lived a good life and believed the right things.  He was rewarded by being sent to Celestial Heaven (the highest level of Heaven), and eventually became the God we know and love.

God wants the same thing for us, his children, but like him we have to earn it.  We begin our lives as pre-existent spirits.  As pre-existent spirits, we had a choice.  We can be born on earth and live out our lives trying to work out way back to God and to a higher level of heaven than where we started or we can rebel and join the Devil and his angels.  The Mormon's believe that if you have a body, you chose not to join the devil.

Temple Visitors' Center in DC

Heaven and Hell
The Latter Day Saints believe in three levels of heaven and one level of hell.  You have to be more or less Hitler Evil to find yourself in hell, but you could be a generically bad person and find yourself in Tertiary heaven, which sounds like an eternal version of Somalia.  There you work long days, and experience a less than pleasant existence for eternity.  You'll still have some good times, but less so than most people generally would here on earth.

If you're a decent person however, you'll find yourself in the Terrestrial Heaven.   Terrestrial Heaven is like a good version of life on earth.  When the sisters explained this to me, I said, "So, it's like Boston.  If I could die and go to Boston for eternity, I would."  The sisters had never visited Boston.  In this heaven, there are more happy times than usual.  You don't have to work, etc.

If you're a good Mormon, you go to the Celestial Heaven.  This is a perfect paradise where you get to live in the presence of God.  God is, apparently, present in all of these places (perhaps except hell) in some form.  But in the Celestial Heaven, he is physically present.  The reason Mormons baptize the dead is to give the dead the option to join the LDS Church before being judged - if I understand correctly.  They believe that since some people don't know the truth that baptism for the dead will allow them the option to choose to be with God in the Celestial Heaven.

This display emphasizes the global nature of the LDS church by showing the the BoM printed in various languages

When I heard this, I asked why God couldn't just grant them this option without the ritual.  Couldn't God be gracious towards people who lacked knowledge even without someone performing a ritual on their behalf?  I was told that everyone who wants an opportunity to enter the Celestial Heaven has to be baptized, because God wants everyone playing by the same rules.  I found this explanation to be self-defeating, but did not press the issue.

The goal for humans is to get to the Celestial Heaven, which they can only do by being Latter Day Saints.  The Mormons have what's called a high ecclesiology. This means that they think that the church, it's doctrines and rituals very important to God.  They also believe that God only fully accepts people who are in his one true church.  In this way, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is much like many of the other churches that grew up on American soil in the 1800s, including my own heritage.  I grew up being taught that dogma and ritual were the central elements that defined the one true church and that God could not accept imperfection in these areas.  I will discuss this more in the future.

Faith Friday: Sikh

A couple of years ago, I visited the Sikh Center in San Antonio after having watched a Sikh speak an an inter-religious dialogue meeting.  You can read about my experience by clicking the link above.  Below, you can learn a little bit about Sikh dress and read some a small portion of their scriptures.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

The Sikh Articles of Faith

The Sikh Articles of Faith link above explains the different articles of clothing that Sikhs wear and what they reflect about Sikh faith.  This wasn't what I was expecting when I originally clicked on the link myself.  Sikhs wear their hair and garments as reminders of their commitments.

Sikh Scriptures Concerning What God Wants from Humanity

When I look at the texts below, I can't help but compare them to the words of Jesus and the 8th century prophets of Judaism.  There is a strong emphasis on putting action above ritual and dogma.  

You keep your fasts to please Allah, while you murder other beings for pleasure. You look after your own interests, and so not see the interests of others. What good is your word? O Qazi, the One Lord is within you, but you do not think or contemplate on Him. You do not care for others, you are mad about religion, this is why your life is wasting away (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 483). 

Priest from both Hinduism and Islam got together and began discussing religion. A great fantasy has been created and no one could understand its mystery. They asked Guru Nanak to open and search in his scripture whether Hindu is greater or the Muslim. Guru replied that without good deeds both will have to weep and wail. Only by being a Hindu or a Muslim one cannot get accepted in the kingdom of God. As the color of safflower is impermanent and is washed away in water, likewise the colors of religiosity are also temporary (The Vaars of Bhai Gurdas Ji, 1).

Sikh Golden Temple in India

Assembly of God Revival in Eastpointe, Michigan

*The following post is different from others in this series, because I had the experience when I was a much younger person when it occurred.*

One autumn day during my undergrad years, Joe and I were playing hacky sack at a park in Eastpointe.  At one point, we decided to go for a walk.  Along the way, I found myself needing a restroom.  That's when I saw the Eastpointe Assembly of God.  It wasn't Sunday or Wednesday, but there were plenty of cars in the parking lot.  I stopped in.

When I walked through the door I was met by one of the church members who acted somewhat like a guard.  With reservation, he led me to the restroom.  On my way out, I could hear a lot of excitement from the auditorium.  At the time I wasn't too familiar with the Assemblies of God.  The guard explained that they were having a revival.  I asked Joe if he would mind sticking around for the experience.

The church pews were wooden, not dissimilar to this.

We walked into the sanctuary and sat close to the back row.  People sang and danced.  They spoke in tongues during moments of prayer.  Up to this point, I'd never seen anything like it.  Then a middle-aged white man approached the pulpit.  He spoke enthusiastically about miracles.  He claimed to have seen the blind healed and the dead resurrected.  It was a message intended to rouse the faithful.  In the midst of it, he casually mentioned that in order for people to be saved, they needed to speak in tongues.  Disagreeing strongly, I became fixated on this point.

The worship service was followed by a healing service.  This is the first time I'd seen anything like it. The evangelist stood at the front of the sanctuary and people came forward for prayers and healing.  I only remember two individuals specifically.  The first was an old woman who complained of having trouble seeing.  The evangelist laid hands on her, prayed and then asked if she noticed a difference.  She said "yes."  I did not see happiness on her face.  A young woman about 14 or 15 also came forward.  She explained that she was having a problem with acne.  She felt insecure.  The evangelist prayed that she would "notice a difference" in her complexion.

The service ended and we approached the front of the auditorium.  I spoke with their youth minister, who explained that most young people in the Assemblies of God did not feel that speaking in tongues was necessary for salvation, but that most older people in the fellowship felt otherwise.  There are theological generation gaps in every religious community.

Big Boy's or Elias Brothers is a popular family restaurant in Michigan and nearby states

We met the evangelist who invited us to join himself and the pastor at Big Boy's Restaurant at 9 Mile and Gratiot for dinner.  We road in their car.  At the restaurant, we chatted about religion and no doubt shared our different perspectives on tongues and salvation.  It was a pleasant talk.  When our meeting adjourned, the evangelist paid for our meals.

On the way back to the church building where they dropped us off, the evangelist mentioned something that shocked me at the time.  He exclaimed the the earth really was billions of years old.  I didn't believe this, yet.  He himself didn't want to, but claimed that the evidence was overwhelming.  We prayed together and the night adjourned.  I experience gave me plenty to meditate on.

Faith Friday: The Quakers (The Society of Friends)

I met with the Quakers last Sunday.  Like all Christians, they focus on some scriptures more than on others.  I messaged QuakerSpeak, a group that shares information about the Friends, and asked which scriptures they think Quakers focus on most.  They sent me this video.

When I considered their history, I couldn't help but want to add the following verse to the list.  How often it comes up among them, I can't say, but it does reflect one of their defining characteristics.  "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

The following is a quote from George Fox's The Great Mystery.  Fox is considered the founder of Quakerism.

And the scriptures, which signify writings, outward writings, with paper and ink, are not, as you say, infallible, nor are they divine, but human, and men get a human knowledge from them; and so writings with paper and ink are not infallible, nor is the scripture the ground of faith, but Christ [is the ground], who was before the scripture was written; this the scripture tells you, and that God is divine; and the scriptures are the words of God, which Christ, the [W]ord, ends, who is the author of the faith. (SOURCE)

How "The Word of God" Shapes Doctrine

The question "What is the Word of God?" is the primary question that divides theological conservatives and theological liberals.  One's answer to this question will affect how he or she interprets the Bible.  If Jesus is the Word of God, perhaps the Bible needs to be taken seriously only insofar as it sheds like on Him.  If however, the Bible is the Word of God, then perhaps it should be taken literally.  The two faith claims aren't mutually exclusive, but theological liberals generally reject the idea that the Bible is the Word of God.  Similarly, where theological conservatives might refer to the Bible as the revelation, theological liberals usually use this word to refer to Jesus.

Understanding this is important not only for theological liberals and conservatives who don't understand each other.  It's also important for Humanists who might not understand the differences between Episcopalians and Southern Baptists.  Consider the issue of gay marriage.  An Episcopalian looking at the issue is likely to say, "knowing what we know today, what is a Jesus-like attitude towards gay marriage?"  A Southern Baptist, on the other hand will ask "What does the Bible say about homosexuality?"  Both questions are theologically coherent from their respective perspectives.

Comparing Baha'i with Christianity

When I visited the Baha'i Center in DC two weeks ago, I found myself comparing the Baha'i faith with Christianity.  I suppose this is only natural.  As I did this, I found several similarities.  This is especially true if one views Christianity through the lens of the early church.  Here are just a few observations.

• The Baha'i meet in houses, just like the earliest Christians
• They often have central houses for larger Sunday meetings, but not always
• During the week they meet in each other's houses for meals
• The main house is used for community events during the week (like AA meetings or yoga).
• They emphasize charitable work
• Early Christians stayed behind during plagues to care for the sick
• They paid for burial for the poor and took in orphans
• The Baha'i actively work on justice issues in their neighborhoods
• Like early Christians, they strongly encourage adoption
• They emphasize fellowship
• Early Christian worship usually involved a communal meal that culminated in the Eucharist
• The Baha'i Center is built for fellowship.
• The Baha'i meet in each other's homes for a meal during the week.  They call these Fireside chats.

Even their claim that Baha'i is a successor to previous revelations is a Christian theological move. From the beginning Christians have claimed that their religion was a natural successor to Judiasm, and that their savior fulfilled Jewish prophesy.  The Baha'is claim that Baha'ullah is the return of Jesus, because Jesus comes again and again to different cultures with different names.  They claim that Baha'i is the fulfillment of the prophesy that Jesus would come again.  And just like Christians see the Old Testament as instructive, but not binding because it's part of an older covenant, the Baha'is see older scriptures as instructive, but not binding because they are part of earlier revelations for earlier time periods.

While Christians didn't adopt non-Jewish scriptures, their early apologists sometimes claimed that Jesus was the fulfillment of pagan religions hopes or even prophesies.

• Paul claims that his God is the unknown God that pagans are worshiping Act 17:23
• Zoroastrian Magi visit Jesus in Matthew 2
• The Zoroastrians had a prophesy that the Savior would be born of a virgin
• They also believed in a Holy Spirit through which goodness is revealed - the ideas are not identical.
• Matthew doesn't directly say that Jesus is the fulfillment of Zoroastrian prophesy, but this is probably the only logical conclusion to draw.  

The place that I found the traditions most aligned, however, was in the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven.  When talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus preaches a certain kind of moral life.  It's one where the peacemakers, rather than the war hawks, are honored.  It's one where his followers don't judge, because the standard they use will be used against them.  It's one where they love their neighbors and their enemies.  Jesus' Kingdom of Heaven is a new social order his followers bring to earth through faith, love and action.

Baha'is also use the term "Kingdom of Heaven."  I'm not sure if they mean the same thing, but the idea of God's servants bringing peace and justice to the world through love, action and faith is a dominant Baha'i theme.

The two religions fail to see eye-to-eye in several respects.  Most Christians see Jesus as God, but Baha'i see his as a divine man/being who continually returns to humanity to reveal God's will.  Christians are not likely to accept the idea of Jesus returning as a teacher, rather than a divine being calling them up into the sky.
Baha'is don't seem to think that Jesus died for the removal of their sins.  I didn't ask.  The topic never came up.  Evangelicals in particular are unlikely to agree with the Baha'i understanding of Heaven and Hell.  Most Evangelicals believe that Jesus (as defined by Christianity) is the only way to Heaven.  Several even believe that their particular sect of Christianity is the only sure guarantee.  Baha'is, on the other hand, think that one's spiritual development on earth will continue along the same path in the afterlife, regardless of dogma.

Certainly other comparisons and contrasts could be made, but I know too little to say more.

If you enjoyed reading this, please like, subscribe and share.
Thank you!

If you have a religious tradition you'd like to learn more about, let me know in the comments below and I'll try to visit and write about it.

My Neighbor's Religion #4: Baha'i Center in Washington DC (Part 3): Beliefs and Practice

Baha'is believe that they Christians.  They also believe that they are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Zoroastrians.  I was told by several members of the DC Center that one doesn't convert to Baha'i.  Instead, accepting Baha'i is simply accepting the next revelation from God (That from the prophet Baha' u'llah).  They accept all the revelations.  They follow all the teachers.

The basic idea is as follows.  God has sent messengers to humanity at various times throughout history.  These messengers come with a revelation from God that humanity (and in particular that culture) is ready for at the time.  Baha'is believe that more revelations yet are to come.

New Revised Standard Version Bible on the right

These beliefs were evident in several ways during my visit.  One of the first things I noticed when I entered the worship area was a large shelf of books.  There were, of course, several books having to do with the Baha'i faith.  There were also several having to do with racial reconciliation, a theme that could be seen throughout the building.  What really caught my eye was an NRSV translation of the New Testament.

I began looking for other texts and immediately saw scriptures from several religions.  Even in worship, the Baha'is sang about being guided by Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, etc. It became clear in the few hours I spent with them that this belief enables them to draw on a wide variety of religious traditions, and that the Baha'is do just that.

I wondered what they thought about people who heard their message and chose to remain in their previous religious traditions.  "That's fine," they told me.  "Our duty is to share the message, not convert people,"  adding that each person is on her or her own path, and that the old revelations and traditions aren't rendered obsolete by the new one.  So if someone remains Christian, that person should be a good Christian.  For the Baha'i, doctrine matters, but it's secondary to loving God and loving your neighbor.  Service to humanity is the highest act of worship.  I found this incredibly compelling.

The strong belief in a unified humanity is another tenet of the Baha'i faith.  They consider themselves unified with all people regardless of race, gender, culture, religion or political persuasion.  They believe that we are one humanity and should work towards unity.  We must eliminate prejudice and work towards peace and justice both locally and globally.  Literature on these topics could be found throughout the house.

Finally, instead of clergy, the Baha'i have committees that make organizational decisions at various levels.  These positions are temporary.  Anyone can be nominated - seeking office is forbidden.  I knew this attending, nevertheless, the structure of the meeting made me puzzled me.  Unlike every other fellowship of any kind that I've ever visited, I was unsure who was in charge.  Leaderlessness is the norm in their faith, where no one is meant to have spiritual authority over another.

Statue of Krisha of Hinduism

A Hindu attitude towards morality permeates what it taught by the Baha'i faith.  Rather than God expecting perfection, God expects growth towards more superior forms of morality and respect for other people's respective journeys.  They seem to believe that growth continues in the afterlife.  The exact details were unclear, but it reminded me of a cross between what C.S. Lewis portrays in The Chronicles of Narnia and the theosis of Irenaeus of Lyons.

I am happy to have met the Baha'is and hope to learn more about them in the near future.

If you enjoyed this please like, subscribe and share.
Thanks!

My Neighbor's Faith #3: Baha'i Center in Washington DC (Part 2): The People

The Baha'i Temple in Haifa, Israel

A WARM FELLOWSHIP

When I entered the Baha'i Center, I was greeted by a man who showed me to a place to sit where we chatted until other people began to arrive.  As they did, I met and chatted with more and more people.  They were so easy to talk to that one fellow and I were actually late to the beginning of the service.

This chatting continued for some time after the service adjourned.  By the end of it, I was rather well acquainted with 10 people.  I remember their names, know where some of them work and have email contact with three of them.  I've emailed all three, and all three have responded.  Needless to say, I spent a lot of time talking with people there.  Hours flew by socializing on chairs and cushioned benches.  I would have stayed longer if circumstances had allowed.

A DIVERSE COMMUNITY

It was, without any doubt, the most racially diverse group of people I'd ever seen in any location ever.  This is not an exaggeration.  And when I think of the fact that there were almost certainly less than 70 people present, I am still in shock as to how this is possible.  The number of men and women seemed about equal - as did their status within the group.  The attendees were a rainbow of different skin colors and no one pigment seemed to dominate.  Even the age of those present varied with plenty of children in attendance.  I've never seen anything quite like it.

RELAXED

Like most lively religious groups, the Bahais were happy to share their religion with another person, but it wasn't forceful.  "It's not our job to convert people," I was told.  They weren't even mildly condescending when I described myself as a Humanist - not a single one of them.  There are theological reasons for why this is so -

1.  They seem to see spiritual development as more important than dogma.  
2. he highest act of worship is service to humanity, what Christians call "Loving one's neighbor."  
3. They don't believe one person ought to control another.  It's their job to love, not to compel others into belief.  (Ironically, I found this rather compelling). 

Interacting with the Baha'i Community was refreshing to the point of it almost being weird.  I felt warm inside.

My Neighbor's Faith #1: Evangel Christian Ministries in Roseville, Michigan

In the Spring of 2001, I was waiting table at the Ram's Horn one evening when the pastor from Evangel Temple, a large church on Utica road just down the street, walked in with several other members of the church. Somehow, I started a conversation with them about their church.  It wasn't long before the pastor invited me to stop by.

As it happens, this was during a period of my life when I attended a church that met mid-afternoon, so I split my Sunday mornings between a retirement home ministry and visiting different kinds of churches.  The next Sunday, I stopped by.

I could hear loud music blaring from outside the auditorium. I entered the room to see people of all ages and races standing, singing and dancing.  For a moment it made me smile.  My gaze move to the stage where, in confusion, I noticed strangely outfitted elderly women dancing.  My visual memory has never been good.  I couldn't exactly describe the uniform the women were wearing, but then, to be honest, I'm not sure I would have been able to describe it well even while gazing upon it.

In time, the pastor approached the podium to lead the church in a reader-response prayer.  It flowed like a typical liturgical prayer, except for the words.  In most liturgies, the church will pray for the leaders of the nation and the world, for their church, for family relations and the like.  This prayer had nothing of the sort.  The pastor prayed for a new car, and the church responded by praying specifically for a convertible.  He prayed for new land, and the church prayed for a thousand acres.  The prayer went on like for some time.

I don't remember the message of the sermon or even whether I stayed for it.  There was plenty of singing.  At one point during the service it seemed that almost everyone was approaching the front of the auditorium to practice fainting - something that is sometimes called being slain in the Spirit.  I remember approaching to see what this was all about.  To the surprise of those who'd gathered around to catch me, I didn't faint.

The service continued well after the scheduled time, and at a point I decided that I ought to leave to get lunch before heading out to my own service.  After all these years, I'm still not sure what to make of the religion that was preached at the church.  At the time, I would have called what I saw heresy.  I suppose I still would from a traditional Christian perspective.