I am Christian, a member of the LDS Church, and although I feel very strongly about the religion I profess, I have a deep desire to learn about the beliefs and cultures of other faiths. I do not wish to make fun of them, debate over doctrine, or try to prove with words who's right and who's in error. My intent in creating this blog is to help increase understanding, even if only in a small way.
I cannot stand religious intolerance. I do not want to hear that "all members of this faith are terrorists," "all of the leaders in that faith are pedophiles," "those people are cultists," and other such bigoted statements. Sure, terrorists, pedophiles, and cultists exist, but that doesn't mean that everyone in any given faith acts the same way.
I'm determined to do some serious research. I plan on attending services for the other religions here in Utah Valley, to gain a better idea of what others believe.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." - 1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I was pretty close-minded when it came to spirituality. Not having my own conviction, I borrowed from my parents. I didn't seek to understand other religions, and was a little nervous when I interacted with those who believed differently than I did. Things are different now. I know what I believe, and stand strong in my own personal testimony - and yet, I feel stronger than ever that I need to understand my brothers and sisters more.
With that said, this is the start of my journey, the beginning of a serious look into the beliefs and traditions of believers from all walks of life. Here goes!
Paul, I admire your desire to reach out and love. My life's desire is to see the words of the ancient Paul come to pass, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son". There is so much division and decisiveness in our world. Thanks for reaching out with faith. I think we're more alike than we're different. The lesser know Wesley wrote, "Riches unsearchable In Jesus' love we know, and pleasures springing from the well of life our souls o'erflow. As we seek heav'nly bliss, Angels our steps attend, And God himself our Father is, and Jesus is our friend."
ReplyDeleteI love this idea for your blog, Paul! Rochester was a testing zone for the new Mormon ad campaign last year. In response to the stronger attention on us, our Stake Pres has organized projects and encouraged us to find other ways to aid our neighbors of other religions. In fact, we were just at a fundraiser last night (at our church) to benefit a charitable organization hosted by the local Islamic center. I am also trying to learn to be more open minded about our friends of different faiths. I hope you post more here!
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