Religion Questions 101-110

THE QUESTION:
RE110: I’m curious to know what the stance and actions of the Catholic Church were (publicly, politically, etc.) during slavery and the Holocaust.
POSTED NOV. 5, 1998
Eric, 37, African American <ojoe@worldnet.att.net>, Chicago, IL

ANSWER 1:
Unfortunately, like most people, churches and institutions around the world, the Catholic Church accepted the institution of slavery, and did not begin to condemn the practice until long after it had largely disappeared. In fact, there were Catholic priests in the Southern United States who owned slaves. As for the Holocaust, the most generous interpretation is to say that the Catholic Church did not do as much as it could have or should have to help the Jews during the Nazi era. The Catholic Church certainly was not responsible for the Holocaust, and there were many Catholic clergy (including the Pope) and laypersons who took action to save numerous Jews. But on the whole, the Catholic Church did not do a great deal to prevent the Holocaust. A blanket condemnation of the Nazi regime and of anti-Semitism was called for, and to the shame of all Catholics, that never happened.
POSTED NOV. 6, 1998
Astorian, Irish-American Catholic <Astorian@aol.com>, Austin, TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE109: Could somebody please explain Gnosticism to me?
POSTED NOV. 5, 1998
Jewish <ajacobs14@yahoo.com>, Elkins Park, PA

ANSWER 1:
The Gnostics believed that the world was held in thrall by an evil power (the Demiurge). God mercifully sends emissaries to us to teach us how to free ourselves. This meant that Gnostics could receive direct revelation and instruction from God or (His?) emissaries, which got them in trouble with the Christian Church. Incidentally, some Gnostics identified the Demiurge with Jaweh, which caused the Jews a certain amount of grief at the time.
POSTED NOV. 9, 1998
Al, Unitarian <alarose@ncwc.edu>, Rocky Mount, NC
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THE QUESTION:
RE108: What do people who believe in God think about Scientology?
POSTED NOV. 3, 1998
Tony W., 36 Agnostic <Tonyway@yahoo.com>, San Francisco, CA
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THE QUESTION:
RE107: With reference to stories from the Christian tradition, how might you promote spiritual and/or moral development in primary-aged children?
POSTED OCT. 29, 1998
A. Godfrey, 20, student teacher, Wales, UK
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THE QUESTION:
RE106: Is it true that Southern Baptists do not believe in interracial dating and/or marriage? If so, why do they believe this?
POSTED OCT. 20, 1998
Peter, 22, black male, Ypsilanti, MI

ANSWER 1:
Yes, they do believe this. My wife is a former Baptist, and I have seen these opinions up close and personal. I have no idea why they believe this. My wife says that they claim the Bible says the races are not meant to be intermingled. This is similar to the argument they use with respect to homosexuality. Please note that this is just one example of their dated views. I recently saw on of the leaders of the Southern Baptists say that a woman’s place is to be fully subservient to the male, in a marriage. Enlightenment is not on their side. I would not worry too much about this as they are a dying breed, they are losing once-strong footholds every day and their political influence is dwindling, as evidenced in the recent elections.
POSTED NOV. 5, 1998
David, 29, in the heart of Baptist country <dash@netside.com>, Columbia, SC

FURTHER NOTICE:
I’m a Southern Baptist and I believe in interracial dating/marriage. I’ve never been taught, through church or at home, to do anything but love all people. I do know of some Southern Baptists, however, who do not believe in interracial dating/marriage. They teach that it is a sin to mix races. I think it stems more from xenophobia than anything. It contradicts the way they’ve been raised for generations and must, therefore, be “wrong.” God says love everyone, so to me, that says that anyone teaching hate is not a true believer in God.
POSTED NOV. 5, 1998
Whitney T., 19, Southern Baptist black female <scrumpies@juno.com>, Oxford, MS

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I hate to tell you David, but in 1997 Southern Baptists posted all-time record-high membership, so we are not dwindling. It is true that most Southern Baptists frown on interracial relationships, but not all of us agree with that. I am proud to say I am Southern Baptist but at the same time I do not agree with everything the Southern Baptist Convention spouts out. As far as the subservient issue goes, there is much more to that than the media chose to report. That is a topic that is multifaceted and somewhat complicated when interpreted. No, they are not saying that we return to the “old days,” when women had no place other than homemaker. More than anything, it was a call to men to become more involved in their roles as husbands, fathers and leaders.
POSTED NOV. 6, 1998
Melissa , Southern Baptist <BSMSKSJSAS@aol.com>, Sand Springs, OK

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
According to the Holy Bible, anyone who states interracial dating/marriage is a sin contradicts Numbers 12. In this passage of scripture we read that Moses (leader of the children of Israel) was indeed married to a black woman (Ethiopian). We also read that when Miriam and Aaron (Moses’ sister and brother) spake against Moses for marrying a black woman (verse one), God’s anger was aroused against them (verse nine). All of this in the same book that Baptists preach, teach and live by. I believe the reason some Baptists feel interracial relationships are wrong is, in my opinion, that they have misinterpreted scripture. For example, in Judges 14, Samson (an Israelite) was not to marry a Philistine woman not because of her race/ethnicity, but because A) Philistines were an uncircumcised (ungodly) people (verse three), and B) God had plans to move against (fight) the Philistines (verse four). Note: In Numbers 12, some readers will wonder why Aaron was not punished with Miriam. I feel it is because Miriam started the arguments. That is why she is mentioned first in verse one.
POSTED NOV. 6, 1998
Alonzo C., 32, African American, Jacksonville, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
As a Southern Baptist I have never been taught interracial relationships are wrong. We are taught to believe in what we think is right, and to live accordingly with the Bible. People outside of our Church can say we believe all they want, it’s just not the case.
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
Jeff B., 18, Southern Baptist <Jeff922@aol.com>, Westland, MI
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THE QUESTION:
RE105: I am a Sikh but do not know the answer to this question: Why must Sikhs keep their hair in modern times? What is the point?
POSTED OCT. 15, 1998
Karan K., Sikh <karanman@hotmail.com>, Bangkok, Thailand

ANSWER 1:
Baptized Sikhs keep unshorn hair and beards as a sign of their religious committment. I know many who have cut their hair, including my father. I think many keep their hair long and in turbans, aside from religious observances, because of the growing multicultural communities around the world, where differences are accepted and one may not feel the need to conform to the the “norm.”
POSTED MARCH 10, 1999
A Sikh on the other side of the world
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THE QUESTION:
RE104: What’s the difference (if any) between being Islamic and being Muslim, and how does The Koran relate to the two? Or are they the same but just separated by geography?
POSTED OCT. 13, 1998
Dan, 41 <drodrigu@tkc.att.ne.jp>, Tokyo, Japan

ANSWER 1:
The words “Islam” and “Muslim” are related to the same Arabic root word as “salam,” which means “peace” or “salvation.” Islam is the name Allah gives in al-Qur’an (the Koran) to the religion that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the Seventh Century. The word “Islam” refers to the peaceful surrender one makes upon accepting that Allah is the sole God and Muhammad is God’s prophet. A “Muslim” is one who has made that surrender to God. Therefore, “Islam” (surrender) is the noun that corresponds to “Muslim” (surrendered or submitted.) “Islamic” is an adjective that refers to the religion. Incidently, the religion is never called Muhammadism or Mohammedism, and “Moslem” is a poor transliteration of the Arabic word now usually rendered as Muslim.
POSTED NOV. 2, 1998
C.J.L. <ProfMokita@aol.com>,W. Bloomfield , MI
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THE QUESTION:
RE103: It seems to me that many Jewish people are in positions of financial and/or political power in the world. For example, it’s my understanding that the diamond industry is nearly entirely Jewish-owned, as well as the movie/production industry, etc. If this is true, why is there such a perception that Jews are persecuted to this day? How can they occupy what seem to be so many influential positions (disproportionate to their demographic) and yet be persecuted at the same time?
POSTED OCT. 9, 1998
Brian T. <wolfie@mpath.com>, Sunnyvale, CA

ANSWER 1:
To answer why Jews appear to be disproportionally represented in certain professions and trades, in spite of persecution: This effect is in many cases cultural and historical, and is sometimes because of past persecution. When Jews were largely confined to urban ghettos of Europe, they could not be farmers or landowners. So they chose professions like being merchants, diamond or textile traders, etc. Also, during much of the Middle Ages when Christian authorities actively discouraged their flocks from higher education (and in some cases especially mathematics), Jews were emphasizing education and critical inquiry, and thus ended up filling the vacancies in jobs such as navigation and banking. Jewish preoccupation with education and extreme sacrifice for their children continues culturally today, largely contributing to the high proportion of Jews among the medical, legal and other professions. Because these highly educated professions often are lucrative, Jewish commitment to success through education is often mistaken for preoccupation with money.
POSTED OCT. 12, 1998
L.G., 30, ethnically Jewish, Larkspur, CA

FURTHER NOTICE:
Trades that Jews have are mostly family tradition that from many years ago were forced on them by oppressors or potentates. The history is filled with learning and learning again. As in many ethnic groups, learning is a family tradition, and adversity – including six million killed by willing executioners, the Spanish Inquisition, persecution and pogroms by the czars and Stalin – made Jews strong
POSTED OCT. 12, 1998
Myself, German-born Jew, fled Nazis and Germans <gsilberbac@aol.com>, Beachwood, OH

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The small number of Jews involved in the media and diamond industries are not the ones being persecuted. The much larger number who are harassed and even killed merely for their religion are the ones who are persecuted. I live in a fairly open-minded part of the country with a large Jewish population, and even here there are regular incidents of Jews having swastikas painted on their cars and houses, and Jewish children being attacked in schools for no reason other than being Jewish. Last month, some neighborhood kids completely wrecked a Jewish family’s house while they were out of town, covered it in brutally anti-Semitic graffiti and destroyed everything inside. Just because some Jews are successful does not mean that others are not persecuted
POSTED OCT. 12, 1998
Andrew, 34, Jewish <ziptron@xoommail.com>, Huntington, NY

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Bill Cosby appeared on Jay Leno not too long ago and thanked him for sending the studio limo because you can’t get a cab to stop for a black man in America. Even having wealth doesn’t protect you from discrimination, as I’m sure many successful Asian people are aware of as well. As far as your question, Jewish control of the movie industry ended in the early 1950s with the end of the old studio system, and Jews have never controlled any other industry in the United States. Jews are over-represented among professionals such as doctors and educators because of the culture’s strong and laudable emphasis on education, but I feel they are under represented in corporate America because of subtle discrimination. They provide a lesson for other groups to not expect discrimination and hatred to end because of financial success.
POSTED OCT. 12, 1998
A.C.C., Mexican and American Indian, San Antonio, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
It seems to me, historically, that many of these so-called “influential positions” were either closed to Jews by law (in the case of money lending, the diamond industry, etc., or the field (in the case of the movie industry) simply did not exist. In any event, the main reason for these disproportionate demographics would be the high respect Jews have for education and studying. People don’t usually attain influential positions by being undereducated underachievers.
POSTED OCT. 12, 1998
Mark K., 43, Jew, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
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THE QUESTION:
RE102: To American Indians: What are some ways I can relate to this country I live in (I mean the actual dirt, water, animals, etc.) Everything I know of the spiritual practice of my ancestors grew out of Europe. But should I adapt to my current place or stick with my history? What do the spirits of this place like/want/need?
POSTED OCT. 7, 1998
Rose, 34, where the Ohio and Mississippi meet, IL
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THE QUESTION:
RE101: If one faith (for example, Christianity) is the way to salvation, why would God create people before the invention of that faith? Wouldn’t that mean they’re all condemned to Hell?
POSTED OCT. 7, 1998
Marissa, 15 <Lytylfyly@hotmail.com>, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

ANSWER 1:
When God created people, there was no need for religion in the sense we know it. Adam and Eve were on a “talking relationship” with God in Eden. It is only after the betrayal of man and being forced out of Eden that we lost that relationship and had to develop a new way of relating to God. The other part of your question is about having to be a certain religion to reach salvation. Most religions today will admit there are many ways to heaven, but all have the basics the same, the belief in God and following His Commandments.
POSTED OCT. 9, 1998
Susan, MO

FURTHER NOTICE:
The Bible says that if you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and admit you are a sinner, you are saved. The Bible supports the Trinity – the belief that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct but three-in-one. This concept may be hard to grasp for many but if you read the Bible and pray that the Lord will reveal his word to you, you’ll learn a lot. Trust me, I did. Many religions hold their own beliefs about how to get to heaven. But according to the Bible the only way to get their is through Jesus Christ.
POSTED NOV. 13, 1998
Lorie, female <LorieCA@aol.com>, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Christians vary on this statement – everything from “Everyone else is going to hell” to “There are many paths that lead up the mountain.” My belief is that when Jesus talks about being “the way,” he is referring to following his example of loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. I have a friend who does not believe in the existence of God, so cannot believe in God. However, he helps people in need, would listen to people’s problems and gives very selflessly. In 1John 4:7-8, it says “Brothers, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. He that does not love does not know God, for God is love.” There is also a parable in which people will say “When did I feed you, and clothe you, Lord?”, and he responds that you did these things whenever you have done it for another. Sadly, I believe there are many spiteful Christians who will one day realize they never knew God.
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
Craig, 35, male, Christian <cmorris@loft.org>, Minneapolis, MN

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I believe Man was on earth long before Adam and Eve, in the forms of prehistoric and Neanderthal or Cave men and the like, who evolved from whatever. God made Adam and Eve in his “own image,” which I take to mean with a soul and spirit. When Cain left Eden, he went to a city east of Eden and took a wife, who was a human, but not a child of God, meaning no soul. When they die, they just die. They did not have everlasting life, but their children would, and would have a soul, and so on through the generations.
POSTED FEB. 16, 1999
Norman B., 70, male, <norm@dscga.com>, Atlanta , Ga

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
When humans were created, they were perfect; when they sinned, they became imperfect and in need of a savior. God gave the system of animal sacrific and the many levitical laws listed in the Bible to show humans they are incapable of saving themselves. In the book of Isaiah, God tells us that even the good things we do are as filthy rags before God’s righteousness. So God sent Messiah Y’shua (Jesus Christ) to be the savior of not only Israel, but all humankind. This was His plan from the time He created the world, and no human falls outside His plan. Those who died before Y’shua came were still covered by His sacrifice, as are those who will never have the chance to hear about Him in this life. God is both loving and just; He wouldn’t create a plan that leaves people out.
POSTED MARCH 1, 1999
Cathy, 29, Evangelical Christian <gwalchmai@tenforward.com>, WA

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
When people make up religions, I think they’re trying to explain things we just can’t begin to understand. We understand reality up to a point, and then we just boggle, big-time. At that point, we start to get really scared. Also at that point, we start talking about religions and gods and such. When something is awfully important, and we discover we just don’t get it – well, that doesn’t feel very safe. So we begin to crave certainty, which religious doctrine offers. Maybe the essential nature of the cosmos can’t be grasped, but we can get our heads around the notion that there’s a God, with a name and a plan, complete with specific instructions about how to live. And besides, gods usually assure us that, despite all appearances, we won’t have to die. Gods are sooo fond of telling us they’ll let us live forever – if we do what we’re told. So if I’m clinging to that belief for dear life (literally), and you come along and believe something totally different – then I have to go back to being scared (“Yikes! What if I’m wrong?!”) To stay comfortable, I have to insist that you’re wrong (“My god is the one true god, and yours isn’t real.”) Then we’ll probably have to go to war, since I not only have to be right, but you have to admit that I’m right. It’s an unfortunate system. I prefer to accept that my limited mind just can’t contain the full amazement of the Universe. It lets me listen to other people’s beliefs without thinking I have to kill them.
POSTED MARCH 18, 1999
Will H., spiritual but not religious <tccwill@flash.net>, Dallas , TX