"FFR" (part II)

"The royal road to a man's heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most." --Dale Carnegie

"Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding." --Mahatma Gandhi

I check the Digg! site everyday for articles, news, images and videos of note around the web. "Diggers" make large or small stories visible for others by increasing popularity through voting; the higher the number of "diggs", the quicker a story moves up in rank. Oddly enough, I noticed numerous posts on Scientology last week in the Digg! site, the religion developed by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. Numerous people know about this unique religion through Tom Cruise. Cruise continues to be vocal about the impact Scientology is having in his life, but erratic behavior on the Today Show with Matt Lauer regarding psychiatry and couch jumping on Oprah create suspicion for this system of beliefs. The posts on Digg are focused on a person (or group) simply known as "Anonymous". They are committed to destroying the presence Scientology has on the web. Thus far, they have hacked the primary site (www.scientology.org) and crippled the server. Other sites part of this religion are being slowed down or removed too. This "war" seems to stem from efforts by Scientology members who wish to have a video with Tom Cruise discussing his beliefs taken down from the web. When the smoke clears, both the church and "Anonymous" will continue their respective missions.

What strikes me in this battle of the wills is the intolerance present on both sides. "Anonymous" makes its claims, as do the members of Scientology. But each is deeply at odds with one another. "Tolerance" continues to be a buzzword in America, a nation of numerous ideologies, philosophies and systems of belief. Atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, scientologists and followers of Jesus interact on a daily basis. While spiritual discussions tend to be minimal in the workplace, they blossom outside the corporate environment. And this leads one full circle to the first amendment, the cornerstone of the United States: freedom of speech. In terms of the deeper questions of life, I call this freedom conversation, the ebb and flow of healthy dialogue and debate. The conversation, albeit deep, is quite simple: one person opens his or her mouth and talks about what's near and dear to the heart. The person across the table then takes his or her turn. But what underscores conversation with integrity is the recognition people share similar beliefs. Members of society are always quick to outline the differences they have in terms of spiritual understanding with others. But what if common ground is established first, the shared thoughts on the deeper questions about life, death, suffering, wisdom, eternity? When consensus starts, clarifying the diversions in belief becomes easier, even peaceful.

St. Paul writes in the Scriptures, "Let your conversation be always full of grace." When disagreements arise, grace becomes absent for many; anger and frustration replace it. Paul concludes the aforementioned statement with the identification speakers should "know how to answer everyone." People who are always in the know are "mavens", from the Hebrew word binah meaning "understanding". Malcom Gladwell popularized this word in his bestseller The Tipping Point (Back Bay Books, 2002). People who fully understand their beliefs have no difficulty expressing them to others. But another element exists in the equation: listening and respecting the beliefs of another. Case in point: Electronic Arts recently released a video game entitled "Mass Effect". FOX News quickly criticized the game for its sexual elements, enlisting the assistance of psychologist and author Cooper Lawrence. A video game correspondent for Spike TV was also invited to defend the game. In fact, he asked Cooper if she has played it. She quickly replied with a no. After the program aired, angry gamers "spammed" her book on Amazon, posting one star reviews. The intent for the reviews was simple: comment on a book without reading it, much like Cooper did with the video game. Lawrence later apologized for her review in the NY Times, even adding, "I've seen episodes of 'Lost' that are more sexually explicit."

Returning to Scientology, a question emerges: do people who ascribe to this teaching share common ground with atheists, Hindus, students of Jesus? Very little in terms of holy texts, sacraments and the understanding of eternity. Each group diverges in numerous ways. But if all share a common goal of reducing poverty in developing nations, curtailing the spread of AIDS in Africa, living "greener" and loving others in a sacrificial way, room for discussion exists. But it should be noted that even with good conversation, one may fail in the efforts to persuade the other he or she is right and the other is wrong. When I look around, I notice religion is always focused through this lens: "us" (people who are "in", enlightened, restored, saved, focused) vs. "them" (people who are "infidels", outside the fold, lost, unknown, broken, ignorant, misguided). Does a better thought exist? Does this statement resonate? Everyone is seeking answers. But what is the question? These are the questions: "Why do I exist?" and "For what purpose do I exist?" People find clarity every day in spiritual understanding, truths that transcend the material world. Unsatisfied, many disregard the teaching they once hold to, looking for illumination elsewhere. Most follow the teaching they grow up with, a process termed indoctrination. But a significant moment appears in the late stage of adolescence.

Usually with the completion of high school, responsibility drastically rises for teenagers. Most take the path to college, the military or the workforce. But a crossroads comes into vision too--deciding whether to continue believing the spiritual truths they grow up with. I believe this is why church attendance for twentysomething's is very low. Belief is tested through proof, logic, doubt and suffering. Those who follow through find clarity, understanding. In this journey of self-reflection, religion is discarded and grace consumes the spirit, the revelation spiritual formation is not built on rules, the legalistic do's and don'ts that undermine healing and freedom. Grace is knowing community facilitates strength, three strikes is never the end game, life is full of nectar. In the Scriptures, James, a brother of Jesus, states, "Religion God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows and keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Watching over the impoverished is self-explanatory, but worth repeating. But how does one avoid "pollution"? The Greek word for "pollute" is koinoo and means "unclean" or "defiled". In context, this refers to purity rituals, but is it wrongly construed by religious minds? Numerous people think "pollution" means complete cutoff from worldly influence. This quest is futile, but looking for evil in the world and exposing it to justice is possible. Discovering the kingdom of God is possible too.

I wish to reference "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005), directed by Ridley Scott, once more. I find deep wisdom in this film, for incidentally, it focuses on two groups, warring with one another: Muslims and followers of Jesus. Each is consumed with capturing Jerusalem. I remember Balian working in his shop. A strong man watches him work and looks to the sign above his head, curious about the Latin inscription. "What does that mean?" he asks. Balian looks down and replies, "What man is a man who does not make the world better?" As I study the world on a daily basis through headlines, BLOGS, elections, images and videos, I wonder whether the world is getting better. I remember the saying: "There's no news like bad news." But I also see the lingering effects of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa. I see Muhammad Yunus reshaping economics through microcredit. I see the kingdom of God revealed each week in "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Ty Pennington and his team restore the lives of families through new homes. But in the process, tears fall and stories converge, overlap. Healing takes place. I see freedom from religion.