While walking through Toronto’s hippie neighborhood known as Kensington Market, I came across a tongue-in-cheek bumper sticker that read as follows:
My God is better than your God.
I appreciated the message; the likening of religious-based conflict to schoolyard immaturity resonated with me.
If someone appreciates the philosophies of a given religion, than they should certainly follow that religion. But I think that everyone could recognize that human beings are very different creatures, and that there certainly won’t be a one-size-fits all approach to understanding life, death, and everything in between. There is no one religion that will speak to everyone.
It occurs to me that instead of trying to impose our various religions on each other, that energy is better spent understanding the message of the religion to which each of us subscribes. As it turns out, forcing any one religion on a discordant person or population tends to have a fairly predictable outcome: violence.
Violence, and its good friend hatred, tend to exist only in the absence of religion’s most central message: love.
If Jesus is your God, then believe in him and live as an example to others – but do not force those beliefs on others. If your religion says that gays shouldn’t marry, then don’t marry someone of the same sex – but do no stand in the way of consensual same-sex partners and the love they share. If your religion says that abortions are wrong, then don’t have one – but recognize that others are entitled to believe differently.
On the anniversary of September 11, this message seems all too appropriate. Some eight years ago, we all bore witness to religious-based conflict in its most disturbing form: man killing man in the name of a religion whose name is translated to mean “peace.”
I think that the Earth would be a more loving, peaceful and equal place if we spent our energy and effort understanding and embodying the beliefs of our religions rather than pushing, peddling and forcing those beliefs on the world around us.
September 11, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Amen!
September 11, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Um….probably one of your best blogs ever. Period.
September 12, 2009 at 9:51 am
Amen, too! It couldn’t have been said better.
September 13, 2009 at 6:36 am
I could see how people could be attracted to such an open minded and intelligent young man like Davey Wavey. (Being a gymnast also helps!!)
September 11, 2009 at 4:03 pm
see i dont get religion. i dont understand how it started but yer people believe in there ways gays shouldnt marry blah blah blah,
but i would like to meet one person that can say they have never gon against the bible etc..
i think people just pick and choose what to do and how to believe, religion is just something to blame i think because people are to affraid to do and say what they feel..
if there is a god then the fact he has this power to create this universe you realy think he cares if a man wants to spend the rest of his lafe with another man..
love these blogs you can just get things off your chest lmao xx
thanks davy
September 11, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Hey Davey! If you have time to do some reading, pick up Integral Spirituality by Ken Wilber. I think you would enjoy it!
September 11, 2009 at 4:46 pm
life is sickness, and religionis invention… every man is so selfish and u all are so hypocrite to praise love and kindness… i never met anyone kind in my life, that’s the reason why i wanna die, and i hope to be brave enough to kill myself soon : (
September 12, 2009 at 12:11 am
You’re more brave to face what’s bothering you than to just give up. If you want to meet kind people you may have to look for their kindness. It may not be apparent from the outside but it’s there if you dig deep.
September 11, 2009 at 4:49 pm
My God Is better than you’re God, and I’m going to heaven and you’re not.P.S. My favorite bumper sticker of all time was on a pristine ’64 Buick Electra seen leaving Leisure World in Laguna Niguel that read,”Start a movement! Eat a prune.” The oldest person alive in the world has died in Los Angeles at 115. A black women who “never drank or smoked or fooled around,” but was glad she was able to vote for Obama the first black president in the United States. (She was born during the Grover Cleveland administration.)
September 11, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Davey, you once again speak words of (i want to say wisdom as thats the way the saying goes however you are talking more words of opinion, and therefore yo speak words of) opinion. I agree with your opinion. This is completly not in relation, but in a way relates to there should be more LOVE and PEACE, i said to my friends today – “why is it that people who are down don’t uderstand that all that matters and needs your love is YOU” – she agrees. Trying to extinguish the flame of hatred and to replace with the shine of love is a hard task however I hope together we can suceed – i already am taking/starting lectures/seminors and debates (as in a religious cerermony however I a not religious therefore it isn’t religious – if that makes sense? LOL) to help people understand that peace and love is all everyone needs – everything else is just an additional happiness. BTW MY LITTLE SISTER IS NOW STARTING HIGH SCHOOL – WHERE THE f**k DOES TIME GO??? Only 6 mnths tll my sweeet 16 – oh yeah!!
Love and Peace
Jack (http://iami-youareyou.blogspot.com)
September 12, 2009 at 12:20 am
Hey Jack!
If you’re trying to kill hatred You’ll probably cause it to thrive all the more. Whenever you work against something that someone else stands for they will resist you. Instead I would focus solely on love and peace and let people choose what works better for them. Like if you wanted to move poor people from the projects into new homes. If you tear down the projrcts while building the new homes you’ll look like an asshole for trying to force people out. But if you build the new homes and offer them the choice they will see which is better and they’ll go there. Soon enough the projects are no longer needed and people are happy because they’ve made the choice on their own.
As much as we may not like hatred, intolerance, prejudice or whatever have you, if we work against those things they will persist and thrive because the people who espouse those beliefs will hold onto them until they are presented with an option that suits them better.
September 12, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Thanks for your advice, i will follow it.
Love and Peace
Jack
September 13, 2009 at 12:48 am
Dave, that’s a really well expressed alternative to the approach folk usually take to their attempts to ‘help’ others: thanks very much for sharing so articulately!! Doug
September 11, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Religion is God’s way of keeping populations under control!
Thanx, Davey, for the link to Kensington. I will try to visit next time I’m in Toronto.
September 11, 2009 at 8:59 pm
I was having a discussion with my friend Sam the other night and she said basically what you just said except not quite as eloquently
So needless to say she LOVED today’s blog and I, as well, couldn’t agree with you more!
September 11, 2009 at 9:29 pm
religion was created as a mean to understand the world around humans and their inner world (thoughts, matters, preoccupations, etc). it of course evoveld and basically all religions all around the world have created their own myths and ways of acting. actually they evolved as part of ‘power politics’ supporting or going against a certain power. and that’s why it is nowadays a meaningful way of acting and reaching the ‘other’ (a category that no religion can’t simply really get).
September 11, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Interesting post however the line “My god is better than your god” is a joke – a line of one of George Carlin’s stand ups. So, schoolyard immaturity or an attempt to lighten the “mood” around a touchy subject?
September 11, 2009 at 11:13 pm
That is what I have been trying to do. Christians really get it all wrong anyway only because they do not understand a piece of scripture that paraphrased says “go ye forth and make disciples of all the nations” this is taken to mean that you must shove Christ down everyone’s throat when in actuality it should be leading by example and loving one another. This is compounded by the fact that in the Bible when asked what Jesus thought the two greatest commandments were they both included love.
Mark 12:28-31
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.There is no commandment greater than these.”
Any who that being said, Davie you are very wise and I am glad that I found you online. I have posted before and used scripture and I apologize if it offends you or anyone else and though I do not foresee using scripture in the future one can never tell but if you would prefer I will use better discretion while writing comments so as to not include any. I’m not fishing for believers by any means just applying what I know and believe.
September 11, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Amen,
Elegant, beautifully worded and so true, why can’t most people grasp this?
Love ya more all the time so keep it up Davey!
September 12, 2009 at 1:52 am
Hey Davey,
I am a very traditional Christian and you know I totally agree, these seem to me to be basic understandings that have been forgotten in our modern world. From my own perspective the discovery of Christianity for an individual should be something that is discovered as an individual not from our family background and not from our social group but a realization that has come naturally to us, as individuals. There is actually scripture in the bible that talks of this. I’m embarassed that I can’t remember the exact book, chapter or verse, but it says basically that if you can’t come to the understanding of the teachings of the bible without being able to discover them “outside” the bible DO NOT BELIEVE THEM UNTIL you have been able to realize them without the influence of the bible or the church.
It is refreshing to see that many people like yourself have been able to see love, compassion, beauty and many life lessons without the aid of a bible or koran or whatever it may be. It just proves the phrase, and makes us realize that to find the same life lessons that the bible teaches are available to anyone on the earth, irrelevant of religion, ethnicity etc.
Ken
September 12, 2009 at 2:11 am
wonderful post.
wholeheartedly agree!
September 12, 2009 at 3:27 am
The path to discovering your spirituality is very personal, while religion my guide you in a broad since, i do not believe it’s role is to torment us between what is in our hearts, and what the context of it’s teachings preach.
Am a gay Muslim who believe it was a horrendous act of hatred to kill all those innocent people, and while i know the teachings of my faith tells me I should not love men, but I still do.
How can love be sinful, and murder an act of faith?
September 12, 2009 at 6:24 am
I loved this post and the commenters. However, religious followers is intentionally caught in the Catch 22 . . . if you truly believe these mystical powers everyone else MUST be wrong. You can tolerate them, but you must never concede that they might be right or your belief system is wrong. This is the logic of con men and it works. Very few people have a balanced view of religion where it satisfies but does not rule over logic.
September 12, 2009 at 6:29 am
Its so true, why can’t we all just co-exist with each other peacefully..
September 12, 2009 at 6:40 am
I hate to be a pessimist but TRUE BELIEVERS can’t allow for the possibility that they might be wrong. Tolerance is as far as they can go, and that doesn’t happen very often.
September 12, 2009 at 8:09 am
Davey, you are a Unitarian-Universalist, even though you may not know it. UUs, whose ministers were doing same sex commitment ceremonies as early as 1986 by the way, are a denomination that has no creed. You can consider yourself Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic or whatever, so long as you respect the inherent worth and dignity of all people and the interdependent web of our environment and universe. UUs respect the teachings of Moses, Jesus, Buddha and whatever other prophets have walked amongst us, without deifying any of them. Check it out.
September 12, 2009 at 8:25 am
It amazes me that we bring up the ‘supposed’ religion of the alleged highjackers on 9/11 and that remains a part of the reporting and all, but do we (or have we) brought up or keep mentioning the religious affiliation of other mass murderers in history? What was the religion of the pilots who were involved in the Pearl Harbor attack? What was the religion of Hitler? Mussolini? Stalin? No wonder the people who practice Islam are pissed! Let’s be fair and leave religion out of it. Hatred is hatred.
September 12, 2009 at 10:45 am
The reason that the religion of the 9/11 hijackers is brought up is because they self-identified as being on a jihad under the direction of Osama bin Laden who used Islamic text (although the majority of Muslims who are peaceful would say is a gross misinterpretation of those texts) to exhort violent action against American military and citizenry until their grievances against American and western foreign policy towards the Middle East and Israel are reversed.
The Pearl Harbor attacks were perpetrated by the government of Japan as a political and military attack to ensure that Japan could continue its conquest of the Dutch East Indies and to discourage the US from interfering in the Japanese government’s plans to conquer Southeast Asia without interference. It was political. It was not religiously motivated or justified through any religious belief.
Likewise the beliefs of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin were politically and ideologically motivated outside of religious belief. Hitler once stated, “We do not want any other god than Germany itself. It is essential to have fanatical faith and hope and love in and for Germany.” It was extreme nationalism and a warped ideology that motivated these men.
It is unfortunate that the minority of religious extremists who commit violent acts can taint innocent, peaceful practitioners of their faith. The problem, in this case, is not religion but rather intolerance, violence and terrorism.
September 12, 2009 at 8:54 am
that’s a great message and all but what happens when someone elses religion says it’s okay for them to kill me what then?…
September 12, 2009 at 9:00 am
this blog post-its the best-concerning religion and spirituality.religion-its simply the vehicle-or a means to greater spirituality.one particular religion is not the end all or definitive means.this post resonates with the times we are living-right here-right now.eight years since 9/11.how fitting-we should never forget this blog-thanx-DW.
September 12, 2009 at 9:23 am
Ever since I fist gave up Catholicism, and late dismissed all notions of god/spirit/afterlife, I have felt nothing but inner peace and calm.
Along with this, I have absloutley no desire to convert anyone to my way of thinking, nor do I feel in the least bit threatened by anyone else’s belief system.
This leads me to believe that I am on my right path.
Thanks for the very thought-provoking entry, Davey!
September 12, 2009 at 9:24 am
Kensington looks like South Street, Philadelphia, PA and the Italian Market which extends along 9th. Street.
September 12, 2009 at 9:44 am
I’m going to tell my friends ‘My friend Davey is better than any of your friends named Davey’ Then I am going to smile and give them a big hug!
September 12, 2009 at 10:06 am
Very well said!
September 12, 2009 at 10:14 am
I feel the same way. I live in Tampa, where the mentality is that you are going to follow my religion or you shall parish.
I moved from New England a couple months ago, and it is such a tolerant area, and I think that people all over should realize that no matter your religion it is not going to save you from the creator, whomever you believe he is or isn’t.
I am a gay male, so I have no real religious leadership, but I do believe that there is a higher power. I think that people need to look within themselves before they judge others on their shortcomings.
Kensington is beautiful, it reminds me of Thames St. in Newport, R.I. I miss Newport.
September 12, 2009 at 10:38 am
Davey… I came across the following comment from Albert Einstein on Buddhism:
“Buddhism has the characteristics a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest–a delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compasion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security. The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
“Albert Einstein”
September 12, 2009 at 11:09 am
Christopher, That’s an amazingly profound and thoughtful essay from Einstein. Thanks for passing it along!
September 12, 2009 at 11:17 am
Davey, Your blog today really hits right at the heart of things. Organized religion too often provokes the sense of “otherness” that causes people to hate and go to war. That’s the history of civilization. But, we are all part of the same flow of energy in the universe and should understand that all human beings are a part of that force. Thanks, Davey.
September 12, 2009 at 11:33 am
There is no god.
This is not a doctrine, but an observation.
Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamist, Zoroastrian, whatever. When we drop these concepts – really drop them – we can open our eyes, our hearts and our consciousness to a new reality.
September 12, 2009 at 11:46 am
David, Buddhism (especially the Zen branch) and Taoism are non-theistic belief systems. The Unitarian-Universalists are also (though they leave it up to the individual to choose and define). The mistake most people make is trying to find reality in someone else’s belief system. You’re basically right about dropping the concepts of organized religion and opening our eyes, hearts, and consciousness to a new reality, but don’t forget that in several thousand years of civilization, more than a few people have done this before you. Consider them as brothers and sisters in the search for greater understanding.
September 12, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I do.
September 12, 2009 at 2:02 pm
David, Glad to hear it. Thought you might.
BTW, have you read Christopher Hitchens’ book, “God Is Not Great”? He’s a bit of a angry flaming hot head, but much of what he says is spot on. Another interesting book is Al Gore’s “The Assault On Reason.” He’s much more level headed and doesn’t address religion directly, but he examines the negative effects of irrational beliefs on our political system.
September 12, 2009 at 2:46 pm
YOU should create a religion Davey!
You’re the best
September 12, 2009 at 8:40 pm
The way I heard it was, “My God can beat up your god.” Even funnier.
September 12, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Davey, yet-again an Awesome post! Also, numerous other Insightful comments, and explanations as well, from others here in Davey’s “Extended Family,” and i am Sooo-Glad to be a part of it! Love and Peace to All, _ _ davvi
September 13, 2009 at 4:26 am
what is so true is people in general have to compare themselves compulsively to everyone elses experiences, and place judgements to feel better about themselves. I believe its time to be a leader in you’r own life and live by example,choose a philosophy /religion that speaks to you and do it , believe it ,experience it,embody it ,and share… stop comparing and be you’r own person.
September 13, 2009 at 1:37 pm
yes davey….you said it right and i think uve read the information on muslims..they live a very simple life!
yet then how did 9/11 occured???
the only thing i understand is that since people became aware of a fast growing religion of “peace” they started criting it…comment on things they do..etc etc…if you have noticed…the media is the main problem behind this…a small thing is magnified to such an extent that it turns out to be disastrous….britain banning call of prayers,france banning head scarf,denmark publishing cartoons of the most reverred personality on earth…india demolishing a historical religious building just cause they found out after a ’1000 yrs’ that there used to be a temple there once..This is hilarious that once i heard a veg. talking about non veg..as un clean and heartless pointing much of the time towards a follower of ‘peace’..and the list goes on…who to blame,if agony turns to violence…answer this davey,if u really think it has somthing to do with a religion whose name translates “PEACE”.answer this so i can sleep well…pls.
September 13, 2009 at 6:48 pm
No. We are not over it. Genocide is alive and living well in the world. (Africa comes to mind.) I live in Long Beach Ca. I have done interviews with many Holocaust survivors (One being a close friend of my late stepmother who still shows her tattoo from the “camp” which she refuses to remove to this day.) There are a lot of them in the Fairfax area of Hollywood. Getting back to Long Beach, where there ate a lot of survivors (not nearly as many as those that didn’t make it.) from the Khmer Rouge of the illustrious Pol Pot fame. Over 200+ Cambodian women live here that are blind due to absolutely no physical condition. It’s got the medical community here baffled. I only wish I had that luxury of not knowing, but unfortunately I do. My eyes work just fine. I have plugs in my tear ducts for dry eyes. But the tears flow, trust me. I don’t know if I can come to grips to write about it. You can do research on the internet about it alone. But I suggest that there better be a significant other nearby, preferably as close as the next room. Yes there indeed is hell on earth, and heaven. These women are proof.