Sticking Together Can Tear Us Apart
People of the same religion tend to stick together. They often worship together on a regular basis. They may send their children to schools where most, if not all, follow the same religion.
Many youngsters and adults form a majority of their close friendships with people of their own religion. To be sure, there are some exceptions where people freely mix with those who practice different religions. But let’s concentrate for now on those situations where we tend to associate with those of the same religion.
By the way, I’ve noticed that even those outside of organized religion tend to stick together. Atheists spend time with other atheists. People who consider themselves spiritual, but unaffiliated with any religion, tend to associate with others who share the same beliefs.
Whether we call it “fellowship” or associating with like-minded individuals, there are many positives that come from sticking together. We have a support network that can help us to maintain a strong spiritual connection, even in difficult times. We’re around people who understand us and share our views about God. This can be quite comforting and meaningful.
Sticking together is also viewed as an important strategy for raising children. Parents are often afraid that their children will not follow the family’s religion if the children are given wide leeway to associate with youngsters of different religions. In addition, parents may be worried that their children will marry someone from another religion.
Yet there’s another side to sticking together and spending the majority of our time with those who share our religion or our spiritual orientation. We spend little or no time with those who don’t share our beliefs. A significant portion of the world (and perhaps a significant portion of our community) does not share our belief. How are we to understand others — and live harmoniously with them — if we close them out of our lives? Doesn’t sticking together and forming “our own club” lead to isolation and to misunderstanding?
Perhaps you take the view that you should only associate with those who share your religion. This may sound reasonable but if you were drowning in the ocean and someone at the shore screamed out, “Do you need help?” I don’t think your next comment would be “What religion are you?”
You’d want the person to help you immediately, regardless of that person’s religion. In other words, religion would not matter to you in that situation. Furthermore, if that person saved your life, or the life of your child, you might have a different view of that person’s religion. You would probably want to learn more about that person and his or her family. You’d feel a close bond with that individual. Would you deny that somehow God had a role in bringing this person with a different religion into your life?
What’s the answer? How much fellowship is a good thing, and is there a point where it causes us to be isolated from others who don’t share our view? How much should we learn about other religions? How much contact, if any, should we have with people of different faiths?
How do we honor and embrace people of all faiths and spiritual orientations while not “weakening” our own faith?
– Jeff Keller
© 2008