| The vast majority of people in the world
| |
| | which is much more important, you
|
| automatically and unquestioningly inherit
| |
| | inherited from your parents without
|
| their religion from their parents. For
| |
| | knowing anything about the alternatives?"
|
| something as important as religion, why
| |
| | "Yeah," she replied rather sheepishly,
|
| are we so reluctant to shop around?
| |
| | catching my drift.
|
| One Saturday morning I was sipping my
| |
| | "I'll tell you what," I said. "Spend the
|
| coffee and reading the newspaper when the
| |
| | next five years investigating and the
|
| doorbell rang. This was an unusual
| |
| | other great religions of the world and
|
| occurrence as we lived in a somewhat
| |
| | then if you still want to talk to me
|
| isolated log cabin in the mountains
| |
| | about becoming a Jehovah's Witness, we'll
|
| outside Denver. At the door stood two
| |
| | talk."
|
| attractive college-age girls who wanted
| |
| | The girls, realizing they had a hopeless
|
| to talk to me about becoming a Jehovah's
| |
| | case on their hands, thanked me for my
|
| Witness.
| |
| | time and left.
|
| Normally I would politely say, "No
| |
| | The vast majority of people worldwide
|
| thanks" and return to my paper, but that
| |
| | inherit their religion-one of the most
|
| morning I decided to engage with them.
| |
| | important things in their
|
| After hearing their initial pitch, I
| |
| | lives-unquestioningly from their parents,
|
| asked one of them, "Are your parents
| |
| | without ever investigating the
|
| Jehovah's Witnesses?"
| |
| | alternatives. Many arrogantly believe
|
| "Our whole family is," she replied.
| |
| | that their religion is the only way to
|
| "Do you think religion is an important
| |
| | salvation and that the vast majority who
|
| thing for people to have in their lives?"
| |
| | don't share their beliefs will go to
|
| "Very," she replied, and I agreed.
| |
| | hell. Some believe that other religions
|
| "How many other religions have you
| |
| | are heresy, and a few will even fight and
|
| studied and investigated?"
| |
| | die in the name of their religion.
|
| "None."
| |
| | However, most people are incurious about
|
| "Is a car an important thing in your
| |
| | religion and simply want to be told what
|
| life?" I asked.
| |
| | to believe without personal
|
| "Well, yes, but not as important as
| |
| | investigation. Such investigation is,
|
| religion."
| |
| | after all, a huge task which most people
|
| Again I agreed. "What kind of car do you
| |
| | are not cut out for. This is OK; there is
|
| drive?"
| |
| | nothing wrong with inheriting the
|
| "A Toyota."
| |
| | religion of our parents. This is why the
|
| "Is that what your parents drive?"
| |
| | Dalai Lama encourages people to follow
|
| "No."
| |
| | the religion of the culture in which they
|
| "Why not?" I inquired.
| |
| | were raised, as opposed to proselytizing
|
| "Because I like Toyotas better." She was
| |
| | Buddhism.
|
| starting to get impatient but politely
| |
| | It seems that those who do inherit their
|
| continued to humor me.
| |
| | religion would acknowledge their limited
|
| "How do you know?"
| |
| | understanding of other religions and
|
| "Because I like the way my Toyota looks
| |
| | adopt a posture of tolerance, not
|
| and drives, plus it was inexpensive and
| |
| | dogmatism, toward them. Sadly, it seems
|
| gets good gas mileage."
| |
| | that the less one knows about other
|
| I nodded toward my Toyota sitting in the
| |
| | religions, the more likely s/he is to be
|
| driveway and agreed. "How did you know
| |
| | intolerant of it, fueling the fires of
|
| that about your car when you bought it?"
| |
| | fundamentalism. Yet Islam has just as
|
| "I test drove different cars and talked
| |
| | much meaning and validity for those in
|
| to my friends about their cars." she
| |
| | the Middle East, and Hinduism has just as
|
| said, increasingly exasperated.
| |
| | much meaning and validity for those in
|
| "So you checked out lots of different
| |
| | India, as Christianity does for those in
|
| cars before deciding on your Toyota," I
| |
| | the West.
|
| gently summarized, "but your religion,
| |
| | Did you inherit your religion?
|
