Dear Facing the Future-A Response from a Christian, a Humanist, and a Buddhist

A Christian Response:

Dear Facing the Future,

I am so pleased to hear that you have had the determination and God given strength to make this far in your education with such high grades as well as line up such an amazing job. God has truly blessed you. Also you love for your siblings is to be commended. Your desire to help them get a higher education is a great example of the desire that God has for us to succeed. It is only natural to be nervous about your capstone exam, especially if you do not feel comfortable taking tests. However, it is never okay to cheat. Even with the best intentions, it is never okay. Cheating is a sin and gives you an unfair advantage that the other students in your class do not have. Even if you do not get caught you (and God) will know that you diploma was not achieved honestly. The wrong thing for the right reason is still wrong. If you cheat on your exam, God will forgive you because he is merciful, but you will struggle with the knowledge of your sin forever. Would you approve of your siblings cheating to graduate? If no, then lead by example. The fact that you wrote me this letter shows me that the Holy Spirit has placed conviction in your heart and you are looking for clarification. I am here to witness to you and tell you that, if it is not something you would be proud of and willing to shout from the rooftops, then don’t do it. Study for your test and pray for the wisdom to pass it. Ask and you shall receive (read Matthew 7:7), and remember that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (read Philippians 4:13).

May God give you Strength and Guidance,

Abbott

A Humanist Response:

Dear Facing the Future,

Let me first tell you that I think that it is wonderful and a true credit to you that you have had the determination and motivation to move through school in such excellent standing. As a Humanist you should be more than proud of your accomplishments and your continued desire to achieve your goals. However, I must caution you that cheating is never the answer. I understand your fear of losing all of your hard work because of one test, but you would also lose yourself worth and self respect if you cheated. Although Humanism supports self reliance and living a joyful life, there are basic moral principles that must be followed in order to maintain that peaceful balance. Two of those are Personal Integrity and Trustworthiness. Both of these require that as people we stay honest and responsible. Should we fail in these two areas then we will suffer the consequences as well as the people around us. It is not just your future that hangs in the balance because of this test, but your friend as well. Your dishonesty could result in punishment for you as well as him. Trust that you have studied the material and that you have acquired the knowledge. Your preparation will result in success, despite your nervousness. Years from know you will delight in knowing your achievement was obtained honestly and with integrity. If you choice to cheat, then you will know that your achievement was based on a lie and that will be a truth you alone will have to suffer with. 

Sincerely,

Abbot

A Buddhist Response:

Dear Facing the Future,

Your quest for knowledge is a noble one. Our lives should be filled with wisdom and compassion. You have both. Life is full of struggle and we are meant to overcome struggle. Your current struggle is with your capstone exam and the notion that you may not achieve your academic goals without cheating on the exam. Unfortunately, should you cheat; your spiritual journey will suffer.  The Sanskrit talks about our Karma, the effect of your intentions either in this life or in the next. It is impossible to know exactly what Karma will deliver to you should you cheat. Cheating on your exam, for any reason, is dishonesty and Buddhism believes that the same dishonesty you display will be returned to you. It is the intention of Buddhism to live a life that does not hurt others by our actions or by our words. I understand that your intentions are good; you want to provide for your siblings and achieve one of your goals. However, you do not know in what way the consequences will affect you or the people around you.

In order to get as far as you have with the grades that you have achieved, you have spent countless hours preparing. Your high scores are a direct result of your hard work. If you desire to lead a spiritual life and follow the Buddhist path, than you must follow the honest road. Before your exam, make sure that you have spent time in meditation, clearing your mind and preparing your soul. This will bring you peace and calmness that you will need. Your good Karma will help with the rest. Be confident.

Namaste

Abbot

Dear Smokey-Responses from a Christian, Humanist and Buddhist

Response from a Christian:

Dear Smokey,

I think that your family is just expressing concern for your health and well being.  Their love for you has fostered concern for you and a desire for you to be healthy. Your body is a temple of God and so should be cared for as such (Read 1 Corinthians 6:19). You would not scorch the inside of a church and so you should not scorch your lungs with smoking. To love God means to have love for yourself as well.  However, God is loves us despite ourselves. He is gracious and merciful and we are human, prone to sin. It is our sinful nature that leaves us vulnerable to addiction and other carnal desires. Because of God’s grace, and the sacrifice of Christ, we can find comfort that our many sins will always be covered. It is important to remember that we live as examples of Christianity to others. If you treat you body as God’s temple others will see that and follow your example.

Your addiction and desire to smoke is your testimony. Should you conquer it (and you can with God’s help) then you will able to show others the way. Your strength and victory will help people around you find their strength. The New Testament is full of parables and examples of people who were overcome their past and lead their lives for the glory of God. There are many Christians that struggle with addiction, or have struggled for addiction, so if you are looking for a support group or a mentor you will find one in your local church. May God grant you strength through your struggle.

Sincerely,

Abbott

Response from a Humanist:

Dear Smokey,

You are right to be upset that others are trying to enforce their beliefs on you. Humanism embraces individuality and encourages people to live freely and with the understanding that we make our own choices and suffer the consequences of them. We alone are in control of our circumstances and should not relinquish that control to other people or spiritual leaders.  Humanism has nine excellences that we use as guidelines and they range from self-reliance, self respect, and creativity to self-discipline and high motivation. Each one of these excellences has a purpose. If we respect our selves and expand our minds, then we live happier lives. One of these excellences is good health. It is our belief that a good life requires good health. By that we mean that each person needs a balanced diet and exercise to live a long and happy life. In that excellence we also find value in drinking in moderation, but not in smoking. I am sure that your family has bombarded you with statistics and reasons that you should quit smoking, so I will spare you that speech. However, know that your life is worth living a long time for and as a Humanist you want to do what it takes to enjoy that life to the fullest, smoking will cut that short.  Like I mentioned before, each of us make our own choices and are solely responsible for the consequences. If you desire is to enjoy a high quality of life for as long as possible, then yes you should quit smoking. But if your desire is to enjoy your life no matter how long it lasts, then please do what makes you happy.

Sincerrly,

Abbot

Response from a Buddhist:

Dear Smokey,

Let me begin by saying how pleased I am that you would write in search of guidance on your path.. Because tobacco was not an issue for ancient Buddhism (it did not become a global issue until the discovery of the Americas after 1400 A.D.) there is no reference to it in ancient texts. That being said, there are legends told by Tibet monks that the tobacco plant grew after a drop of demon blood fell to the ground. It is likely that this is meant to define tobacco as an evil substance and not meant to be part of the spiritual journey.

 Life is a journey of constant discovery and purification. You begin where you are. It is true that fundamental Buddhism encourages its followers to abstain from alcohol, meat, and other substances (such as smoking) in order to reach a higher level of spirituality. Buddhism is about you, not what others think of you or want you to do. While you are on your journey to enlightenment and working through the mantras you will reach a point where tobacco will not be necessary for you anymore and then you will continue to grow and discover your own strength and purpose. Buddhism gives spiritual strength that enables you to give up attachments (addiction). It is impossible to say at what point in your passage you will be ready for that step. In the meantime, focus on your state of mind and find your inner peace. Focus your meditation on peace and well being, the rest will come.

Namaste

Abbot

Humanism?

Throughout our studies of world religions, I discovered that Humanism puzzled me more than I would like to admit. It challenged me intellectually and forced me to do more research. Some of the beliefs that Humanism has, I liked (which having grown up Christian scared me) and others made me feel a pit of sorrow in my stomach.

The idea of self empowerment is enticing. So is the notion that I should indulge in carnal pleasures (in moderation).  Everyone could nod their head in agreement in response to their support of the arts and sciences, their belief that everyone should be helped so that they can better help themselves, and that we should strive to be all that we can be as humans. I see humanism beliefs in our everyday life. We throw around the statement of separation from church and state and never stop to think where that is belief it coming from, humanism. 

I believe a lot of their statements (I found a list on their website The Council for Secular Humanism). I also respect and look up to a lot of the big names that represent humanism (such as Mark Twain and Albert Einstein) I also found a long list of other humanists that have shaped a lot of our modern world.

So after all of this digging and reading, did I feel any better? No, just more confused. Since I am on this spiritual journey of my own, I have no real clear opinion on what I think is right and wrong as far as religion goes. What I do know is that I will die having faith in God (whether it is as a “Christian” or not) and I would rather die having faith in something and believe that life on this world is not all there is, there is more, than die believing that I am just destined to be mulch.

I found this clip interesting, I don't necessarily like his delivery or agree with him, but it does give you food for thought!!!

Was it all a lie?????

 Zoroastrianism really rattled my cage this semester. I grew up in a very Christian home, as I have stated before. I was saved (Born Again to some) and baptized not long after. I recommitted my life in high school and would do anything to ignore the pain of my early childhood passing it off as things that strengthened my testimony. All of this was based on the bible. The bible told me all I needed to know. It gave me the history of the world, the redemption of Christ and my journey to salvation. Inside were the answers to my questions and the assurances that God would always be there. His grace and mercy would always protect me despite the constant attacks of the devil.

Then I realized that if I did not deal with the pain, it would always be there hiding and resurfacing at the most inopportune moments. (At this point I felt I had been betrayed by the members of the church I was going to so my whole foundation had been rocked). I told people what I thought and did not offer forgiveness right away, especially if I didn’t feel it.  Though my journey only began a few years ago, I have learned so much about myself and my faith. I had found that faith was more important than religion and that there were other religions that believed in God, and felt more peaceful than where I had come from (less hellfire and brimstone). I thought this course would help me on this journey. And it has, don’t get me wrong, but it has not been easy.

So then we started to study Zoroastrianism. Everything I ever knew was about to be thrown out the window. This dying religion has the same principles as Christianity, believes in one perfect God and salvation for an eternity in paradise. Was it true? Did Christianity borrow all of their fundamental beliefs from Zoroastrianism (which was around long before Christianity)? I never really doubted the validity of the bible, the closest I came was to think that maybe it wasn’t for me…..but now I was discovering that it might not have been divinely inspired at all. The bible could have been ancient copyright infringement and plagiarism.

My search led me to dozens of websites that refute this notion, however, they are written by faithful Christians.  One website (gotquestions.org) seems to take a neutral approach at the beginning but them does little to defend Zoroastrianism when put head to head with Christianity. If I were to go out and start conspiracy theories, I would say that one of the reasons that Zoroastrianism is not something I ever learning about in church was because it challenges the fundamental teachings of Christianity.

I have not found answers to any of my questions, and I am saddened and disheartened by the fight to keep the precious faith of my birth pure. Someday I will find my way, and perhaps that will come with answers to all of my questions, but most importantly I hope that it brings me peace. In the meantime I am trying to find a balance, struggling to have faith that it wasn’t all a lie.

Though this movie on You Tube still left me needing to do some soul searching, it really answered a lot of questions!!