One of the new Post columns with delve into the theology of many religions and attempt to get people thinking more about belief systems.
When it comes to religion, people generally find themselves in one of two camps. You either have it or you don’t. Put another way, most people are either entrenched within a particular religious tradition or, on the other side of the coin, they have consciously disassociated themselves from the entire institution. But the fact remains: We are talking about the same coin.
Religion, in all its various forms and subtle manifestations, confronts each and every one of us on a regular basis. Even in our own “secular” society, the religious sphere is never far from reach. If we are to be responsible citizens, we owe it to ourselves, and to our neighbors, to start seriously engaging religion.
Over the course of this column I hope to introduce my readers to a new way of thinking about religion — one that is ultimately respectful, nuanced, analytical and comparative.
I suspect that some readers may at first be skeptical of this column’s purpose. They may initially dismiss my writing as yet another display of the religiously-affiliated evangelization that is so pervasive on college campuses. Allow me to set the record straight.
This column will not be an endorsement of any particular brand of religiosity. I will not preach. I will not proselytize. And I will rarely — if ever — discuss my own complicated religious beliefs. They are not relevant to this cause. I am not here to advocate on behalf of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i, Confucianism, Shinto, Taoism, Scientology, the Religious Society of Friends, Unitarian Universalism, Paganism, Wicca, Agnosticism, Atheism or the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Over the coming weeks, we will wrestle with some sensitive subject matter: politics, sexuality, racism, corruption, and terrorism — to name just a few. We will explore religion’s relation to LGBT issues. We will dichotomize creationism and evolution as taught in public school systems. We will measure religion’s sway in the 2016 presidential election. We will assess the modern teachings of the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis and the Westboro Baptist Church. We will unveil the hijab, and we will confront our nation’s own anti-Muslim sentiment.
If our time together is to be at all productive we must exercise a certain degree of maturity, impartiality and self-reflection. We will at times reach resolution. More often than not, however, we will be perplexed and provoked.
As a columnist, I will make every effort to give respect when it is due. This does not mean, however, that I will tip-toe around the issue of religion in order to appease the religious majorities. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must warn that I will at times be critical of certain religious tendencies. But I will do so only judiciously and with good intent.
My own understanding of religion is continually open to modification and I, therefore, welcome any and all criticism. It is only by treating this column as an open-ended conversation that we can and will begin to make sense of this “thing” we call religion.
Grace Eberly is a senior studying world religions and biology. What religious-related topics do you want her to talk about this semester? Email her at ge713313@ohio.edu.
