Join FāVS Thursday for a Pub Talk on Religious Misconceptions

By Jan Shannon

Each month SpokaneFāVS hosts Pub Talk as a way to continue the topics brought up at the month’s Coffee Talk. February’s Coffee Talk was on “Religious Misconceptions.” Pastor Jan Shannon will moderate an informal discussion on the ideas brought up at the forum at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, at Veracis Pizza, 1333 W Summit Pkwy. All are welcome!

Below are Shannon’s raw notes from Coffee Talk:

Emily Geddes – “Single Story” – the problem with them isn’t that they aren’t true, it’s that they aren’t complete. Malheur Refuge – Bundy’s are Mormon, but the Church decried their actions. A single story cannot represent an entire people group.

Matt Sewell – Catholic – Millions hate what they perceive the catholic church to be. When there are so many bad things done by the catholic church how can we hear or accept the good things? The bad things are done by individuals, not the Church. Even the “systemic” sins of the Church – when they failed to deal with, and even buried the truth?

Admir Rasic –Misconceptions about Islam are usually about three areas: 1. Loyalty to US/home government – 2. Women’s rights – 3. Violence in general

Neal Schindler – Jews aren’t all; wealthy, keep Shabbat, have been to Israel support Israel government, smart, funny, neurotic, hate Christians/Muslims, “chosen people,” etc.

Questions form the crowd included:

Q – How do we work to overcome these stereotypes?

Neal – Community events – Faith festivals – Jewish Film Festival, etc., Faith Feast, Meet The Neighbors.

People need to educate themselves.

Is it the responsibility of the minority community to educate the majority??

Q – Misconceptions about our own faith

Emily was 10 when she first heard a misconception about Mormons. People think Mormons aren’t Christian.

Neal – that there is one monolithic Jewish tradition or faith/belief/view on everything. For example, what makes a Jew a Jew differs within the faith – reformed, orthodox, conservative.

Admir – Who can speak for Muslims? Islam is very unstructured, global religion. No main cleric that speaks for all Muslims. It comes down to the individual. Admir is not an expert in Islam – he is an expert in his faith. Don’t paint all Muslims with the same brush.

Q – How can you be a person of faith and still say you are ‘seeking truth’?

Neal – Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, was known to say “The past has a vote but not a veto.” As a contemporary Reconstructionist Jew, I understand this as “Past understandings of halakha (Jewish religious laws) have a vote but not a veto in our formulations of contemporary halakha.”

Matt – His church teaches some all-encompassing truths, and he is ok with that. But he still seeks to know and understand what those truths mean.

Q – Do you ever feel the need to ‘represent’ your faith group? To be a ‘good’ whatever?

Emily – yes. And sometimes she has to leave the conversation if it is unsafe or unproductive. Take it on a case by case basis.

Matt – he has never been personally challenged about his beliefs, but he has heard on the radio where people are challenging, and the best response is to remain calm. If the caller cannot remain calm, then the radio host ends the call. “When one part of the body suffers, then the whole body suffers.” He feels the need to support the body if it is attacked?

Neal – has felt more of a need to support his reformed Judaism against other Jewish faith groups, than against outsiders. The new section of The Wailing Wall that is open to non-orthodox Jews to pray at. The ‘who is a Jew’ question frustrates him? There isn’t just one way to be a Jew.

Admir – how does he stay true to his own beliefs, and yet speak up against injustice, in order to not look disloyal to the US. He is anti-war, but if he says so, he will look disloyal to the US.

Q – Truth – how do we interpret truth – isn’t that the question? How we interpret truth can lead us down a path of destruction. If we hold strongly to ‘our truth’ how do we get along?

Matt – “Tragic both/and” We all have brains, and we need to have personal assent to our faith, but still have healthy humility about what we don’t know. “Democracy of the Dead” – Chesterton. We must trust what (teaching) came before, but keep asking questions. Accepting authority. Admit our own faults.

Emily – “By their fruits you shall know them” if this belief not producing good fruit, is it right? Do I need to tweak it? Am I applying it wrong? Constant evaluation.

Q – isn’t “truth” more about actions rather than beliefs?

Admir – Islam determines what is “right” by a group of clerics. Is there consensus on a particular action? This is how they determine what is good.

Neal – concrete actions are the best part of Judaism. Faith must be lived out in social justice. “works over belief” – the life of faith, belief in God, is lived out in actions.

Qs– What kind of questions do you wish people would ask you.

Admir – not the theological, but what makes Admir, Admir based on his belief in God. He is an expert only on himself and his experiences.

Emily – how her Mormon faith informs who I am. Two politicians who are Mormon don’t agree on anything, but their faith informs their beliefs. Don’t make assumptions. She phrases her answers as, “This is what I believe…”

Neal – he has been dissatisfied with Judaism, and ten years ago would not have worked in a Jewish organization, but now he runs one. He has felt increasingly less defensive about the kind of Jew he is, and this has freed him up. He gets more out of his faith now than he did. He may be using ‘less Judaism but using more of the little he uses.”

Matt – agrees with Emily. Ask honest questions. He would rather have a conversation and get to know someone than argue about dogma.

Q – Misconceptions are based in fear – how do we respond to those fears?

Matt – “be not afraid” – try not to approach others in fear. Hard to do.

Emily – be open and vulnerable ourselves, continue to share our stories. Invite people along to interfaith events.

Admir – Sherriff Ozzie – “If you can make someone fearful, you can make them hate.” “an attack on one minority, is an attack on all of us”

Neal – encounters fear of offending often. Entering a house of faith, synagogue, people are afraid of offending. Faith communities are forgiving.