Anonymous has left a new
comment on your post "How to Join the Conversation."
Anonymous:
Christians are taught
to "go make disciples” or “followers of Jesus." They want to get in
that "jab" to make a point. I was raised around them all my life and
that is what they are taught to do. Their way is the ONLY way just like most
fanatics- and you will be damned to hell if you don't believe like them. When I
became Jewish I felt like such a "load" was lifted off
of me with all that condemnation crap….
Tziporah:
Although this comment from
Anonymous was not left at the bottom of the post, I believe it is a response to
my description of a pastor’s prayer at an interfaith luncheon, in which I
wrote: “I don’t think that he intended to exclude anyone from his prayers—he
must have been unaware of the presence of those who do not accept Jesus’
divinity….” How do you want to respond
to Anonymous?
Grace:
I ache for those who, like
Anonymous, have had a terrible experience in the name of any religion, most
especially the Christian faith I profess. Ironically, the “Christians”
described by Anonymous failed to be Christ-like. My hope and prayer for you, Anonymous,
is that you will find true shalom in
your new faith and that, over time, you will be able to forgive those who
clearly wronged you. I pray, too, that
those who offended in the name of Christianity will come to understand and live
the commandments that Jesus said summed up all religious teaching: Love God with all your heart, mind, and
soul, and your neighbor as yourself.
Yasmina:
Unfortunately, there are
individuals or groups in every tradition who are capable of scaring away followers
of their faith. Sadly enough, it only takes one person to misrepresent a
religion and send the wrong message. The better way for anyone to express their
love for God is by having a beautiful character towards all people. I find this
notion touchingly expressed in the Quran. Addressing the prophet Muhammad [Peace
and Blessings be upon him], God says: “So by mercy from God, [O Muhammad], you
were lenient with them. And if you had been rude in speech and harsh in heart,
they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness
for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely
upon God. Indeed, God loves those who rely upon Him.” (3:159)
Tziporah:
At first, as you both
know, I was not inclined to approve this comment, because our
mission is to publish productive, interfaith conversations in cyberspace and to avoid augmenting the hostility already residing there. That is precisely why we agreed that all comments would be
moderated. Yet you convinced me to allow Anonymous
to have a voice in our conversation and you inspired me to join you in
responding to this reader’s concerns. I encourage Anonymous and all readers to
engage in dialogue—not diatribe—in this space. We do not shy away from
difficult conversations here, but we insist that participants in our
conversation maintain a respectful tone.
Please write your comments in the first-person singular, from a position of
openness and desire to learn. Strive to
approach the texts with curiosity and to question one another without judging. As
the great 1st century sage Hillel taught: “Do not judge your friends
until you are in their place.” (Mishnah Avot 2:4)
