Paradigm shift in religious understanding<\/p>\n
Muhamad Ali
\nLecturer
\nState Islamic University
\n(UIN)
\nJakarta
\nmuhamad@hawaii.edu<\/p>\n
As we approach the end of 2003 we must ask ourselves, as world
\ncitizens, what has become of our religious tolerance. To follow a
\nreligion has not necessarily meant that we live peacefully or
\nrighteously. We are religious, but we are also corrupt; we
\nobserve religious rituals, but we also justify violence. Violence
\nin the name of religion has erupted in the United States, Europe,
\nthe Middle East, Asia and Africa. What has become of religious
\nunderstanding?<\/p>\n
I believe that the many social, political and cultural
\nproblems that we face are tied to our poor understanding of
\nreligion. While religion has both relative and flexible
\ndimensions, absolutism and rigidity prevail.<\/p>\n
Violence is not isolated to conflicts arising from politics
\nnor economics, but also stems from the lack of humanity in
\nreligion today. Religion has been interpreted as a way for God to
\ncontrol the world, rather than a path toward peace and the well-
\nbeing of mankind.<\/p>\n
Hate and hostility among religious communities indicate that
\nreligion has lost its vitality and no longer serves to liberate
\nus from injustice, backwardness, or social conflicts.<\/p>\n
A paradigm shift in religious understanding is desperately
\nneeded; a conscious attempt to change our religious attitude from
\nhypocritical to sincere, from extreme to moderate and liberating.<\/p>\n
This is a shift from exclusivism to inclusiveness. For
\nexample, the former would say that the church or religion is the
\nonly true form of worship. Under exclusivism, all others forms of
\nworship are false and should therefore be destroyed. Everybody
\nelse must conform to the chosen religion and God will only side
\nwith those that do. In other words, salvation belongs to a chosen
\nfew...
\n Inclusiveness, on the other hand, leaves a little more room for
\ndoubt or interpretation. That is to say, a religious follower
\nbelieves that he or she is right, but does not exclude everyone
\nelse as being wrong. Or they try their best to be righteous, but
\nrefrain from calling others sinners.<\/p>\n
Puritanism is another interpretation of religion that needs to
\nbe modified. There are many religious followers who claim that
\ntheir religion is the purest of all. They argue that culture,
\nhistory, and environment have not affected their religious
\nunderstanding. This religious understanding, they say, is
\nuniversal and thus should be followed by everyone, irrespective
\nof time or place. But a shift is needed from this attitude to one
\nthat recognize the subtleties of religious understanding.<\/p>\n
Many religious people also tend to be coercive. They want to
\nimpose their perception of what is "right" and "wrong" on others.
\nThey use the state, political parties, or religious organizations
\nto force others to be like themselves.
\n But, contrary to this, a dialogical and persuasive paradigm is
\nthat the involvement of the state, or war and terror are not
\njustified to impose a particular religious understanding.<\/p>\n
Such an extreme and exclusive understanding of religion is
\nconceived in literalism, which sees text (scripture) as before
\nand above everything. All laws documented in holy scriptures and
\nwithin religious traditions should be understood and implemented
\nas such, without the process of contextualization and without
\ntaking into account the reasons behind the laws (ratio legis).
\nReligious contextualization is therefore an attempt to revise
\nsuch literalism.<\/p>\n
Another paradigm that needs to be shifted is ritualism, which
\nemphasizes symbols without meaning. Each ritual is observed as
\nsuch without an understanding of its purpose. God has commanded
\nus to do so, and we do not have the right to ask why. This
\nunderstanding should be also transformed. Humans have the right
\nto ask why God stipulated a particular ritual. Our understanding
\nof the purpose of a ritual would prevent us from blind
\nobservance, or the absence of a real impact on our everyday life.<\/p>\n
Individualism or indifference is another unhappy
\ncharacteristic of religion today. Followers are convinced that
\ntheir path is toward a better place, but in their pursuit of
\nhappiness they are concerned only about themselves and their
\ninner-circle. Thus, other people's suffering is viewed as an
\nabstract concept. These so-called religious men avoid
\nresponsibility and leave those less fortunate in the hands of
\nGod.
\n But a shift from this attitude to a religious practice with the
\nwelfare of all people in mind is needed. While others suffer we
\nsuffer; when they are happy we are also happy. God's blessings
\nare for all human beings alike.<\/p>\n
History has taught us many lessons. Exclusivism, extremism,
\ncoerciveness, literalism, ritualism, and individualism that is
\nreligiously motivated has tended to bring about human suffering
\nand has undermined the peaceful and liberating character of
\nreligion.<\/p>\n
The human need for religiosity cannot be fulfilled without
\nemphasizing universal human values, such as justice, solidarity,
\nand peace. Therefore a paradigm shift is needed to develop an
\ninclusive, moderate, dialogical, contextual, substantive and
\ncaring religious understanding.<\/p>\n
Religion as such is not a problem. The problem is that humans
\nare driven by various impulses that are self-centered. Our
\nreligiosity should sustain our active involvement in social
\nactivities that solve, rather than create problems.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that next year our religiosity will be more
\neffective and sincere and that our social, political, and
\ncultural lives will be more peaceful and meaningful, and that God
\nwill bless us.<\/p>\n
The writer is Ph.D student and fellow, East-West Center,
\nHawaii.<\/p>",
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