My take on the belief "My God is better than your God" (part 2 in the series)

I had another interesting conversation the other day; this time with a 25 year old Christian just out of Bible college. What made this particular conversation so interesting was that it again reinforced a simple contradiction I have found in almost every religion: even though nearly EVERY religion has at its core the same tenets, intelligent and kind people can still believe that their religion is the ONE "true" religion.

While I can understand where this belief came from (religions have a vested interest in convincing their constituents that theirs is the one and only religion as lost members equate to lost power and revenue), what I cannot reconcile is the exclusivity paramount to most religions. You see, even though every religion can agree that a positive afterlife takes being a good, kind and loving person, very few (if any, truly) teach that this is possible unless you believe in THEIR god.

Strange that the only thing conflicting religions admit to agreeing upon is the policy of exclusivity.

During this conversation I was told that even though the majority of my actions were "Christ-like",  I would not be allowed into heaven simply because I did not believe Christ is THE son of God. This held true even after Robert acknowledged that Christ never expected people to call themselves Christian (as this term didn't exist until after he died), all he ever asked was that people follow his example of what it meant to live a good life.

This contradiction has always struck me as strange. To believe that an all-knowing, all-loving God would purposefully deny any creation access to something positive simply because one detail of a religion is not specifically acknowledged? Since when did God come to resemble the mean girl in high school?

To gauge how deep his belief ran, I posed a hypothetical scenario to Robert: There is a Chinese man growing up in the rural northern part of China who is, by all accounts, a good man to his family, his friends and his community. This man happens to be a devout Buddhist.

I ask, "Is this man not going to heaven?".

As expected, Robert's answers were eerily similar to the ones I hear every time I pose this hypothetical situation to people of differing faiths, and they always astound me. As Robert understands it, if this man has ZERO access to any of the specific teachings of Christianity, he is given a pass (because he had no chance to deny their religion, their God accepts this man because he is good). But, should this man have a missionary come and preach "the word", if he chooses to believe in the religion he grew up with rather than the one a foreigner preached about in a language he didn't really understand, he is denied access.

I then expand the hypothetical by asking Robert what his reaction would be to a Buddhist monk coming into his bible classes and preaching that Christ was not THE son of God but rather simply A son of God. I asked him how long it would take before he renounced his faith of 25 years. Robert's answer was cut straight from the cloth of every devout follower, "Never. I believe (insert your God here) is the way." When pressed to explain why the Chinese man should miss out on heaven simply because he felt the same way as Robert himself did, I could see the wheels churning, but Robert's teaching showed through, "God will show himself to every person. It is up to them to choose to follow."

Isn't this what happens to EVERY person who chooses to follow a religion? Whether they hear some snippet of conversation, have a miraculous moment, or are searching and find an answer, doesn't everyone who chooses a religion do so because they feel a pull to God? If so, why then is any ONE religion THE religion? Doesn't it stand to reason that the God every individual is drawn to is the SAME god? Aren't we all simply Chinese Buddhists in different clothing?

Christ did not preach Christianity. Buddha did not teach Buddhism. What each taught was love.

Love thyself, love thy neighbor. Follow the path of good acts and kindness and you will become enlightened. It truly doesn't matter what name your God has, we are all a part of the same journey. If God is truly omnipotent, why would a being with that much power care WHO you pray to? Wouldn't they instead only care whether or not you show that you have heard the message?

My take on Religion

I had an interesting conversation with a Muslim friend of mine the other night. As I sat in BrewBQ, inhaling my ground chuck burger, I noticed that Omar seemed more stressed than normal. This I found odd as I had rarely seen him with anything but a smile his face. I believe Omar is, in fact, the poster child for the world's "half-full" believers.

Being one that rarely shies away from an opportunity to delve into someone's life, I asked what was on his mind and was surprised to hear that he didn't really know. All he could express was that he was, like me, beginning to see the world as more "half-empty".

After chastising him for allowing me to become a bad influence, I turned to talk to his friend Ahmed as Omar sat in contemplation, the wheels of his mind obviously spinning. When he was finally able to put words to the thoughts pinging around his brain, I realized that I was in for an entertaining conversation.

You see, Omar considers himself devout in his Muslim faith. As such, he takes the word of Mohammed and his faith in Islam very seriously. The Word, as he has been taught, is a very strong voice in his life. Yet, even with this strength of belief,  he is always open to hear other's opinions and thoughts; the main reason he and I get along so well.

When pushed to explain where his frustration came from, Omar explained that he had been listening to some Egyptians known as the Light Bringers. What he learned (or, rather, what he was reminded of) was that not all of what he was told as he grew up was 100% accurate. While listening to these Muslims living in Egypt, Omar was surprised to hear that they believed that not all of what was being taught was rooted in the actual words of the Quran. Some of it was simply man's interpretation of those words.

When he researched the actual verses that had been used by devout Muslims to justify behaviors (in the instances he provided: a) that Muslims needed to make the path for Jews and Christians difficult and b) that it was acceptable for a man to marry a child) he realized that the words and ideas he had been taught had either been altered or completely fabricated simply to justify man's wants. This insight lead us into a lengthy conversation about the fallacies of humanity's love of religion.

The reason I found this conversation so entertaining was that this exact concept (that man manipulates words, thoughts and concepts for their own benefit) is something that troubles me about all religions. Throughout history we have been given examples of man's propensity to bend the words of their religions to gain money or power (the Crusades as a simple example). In fact, the most often cited reason for the formation of new religions (Buddhism and Confucianism to Christianity to Islam to Sikhism to Mormonism...) is because each new religion believes that the religion before it has become corrupt.

This belief is, more than anything, indication of what has always been a sad, yet common trend: Human sees humanity struggling. Human "hears" the word of God and creates a religion to express the "necessary" path. Coveting guidance and rules, people flock and said religion grows in power. Human realizes the extent of their power and shifts their focus from education about how to live a good life to maintaining power (usually through the argument and teaching that their religion is the only TRUE religion).

This trend has happened time and time again, and it is a trend that will probably continue throughout the existence of humanity. As it turns out, few people want to acknowledge that every religion, at its core, teaches the same messages; the only thing that changes from religion to religion is who is in power. Even with something as powerful and meaningful as spirituality, the only thing that matters to some people is that they picked the right side.

How your FB profile affects your life

I remember when Facebook was in its infancy. Back then it took a verifiable college e-mail address simply to join. That didn’t last long.

With its ever-growing access to people’s lives increasing its popularity, soon people from all generations found themselves a part of something that feels like a massive social experiment on the boundaries of what people consider private. The strange thing is that most people fail to see the harm that can be done when they post something for the consumption of the masses.

I came to realize this early on, after teaching at a college for over a decade and watching as the “friends” section of my FB page grew over the years. 

Unfettered access to the lives and happenings of college kids has always amazed me. As I peruse pictures of scantily clad college bodies imbibing on alcohol and weed, passed out under a bush, or looking for a fight, I find myself wondering where some of these people learned lessons about the world around them.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not here to profess that any of the aforementioned should stop. Having played soccer and run track in college, I will be one of the first to tell you that much of these moments were what made college so memorable. What I am attempting to understand is how many of these students were never taught to edit their profiles BEFORE handing in a job application.

With a search engine geared towards making finding ANYONE an easy task, do people not realize that one of the first things potential employers do is to look them up via FB or Google? If the many entertaining conversations I have had with friends in hiring positions are any indication, I can safely assume that most college graduates either skipped the lecture or simply didn’t think it could apply to them.

Believe me when I tell you that, though some of the things you post may do well in elevating your social status amongst your friend group, potential employers peruse these pictures while asking themselves, “what type of person is this individual?” Believe it or not, the ability to polish off a fifth, take a huge bong rip, or hook up with a new partner every few weeks is not exactly the type of person most companies are looking for, at least not a company of quality repute.

If you already happen to be employed, be aware that your employers are likely keeping an eye on you, especially if you tend to call in sick often. In fact, you can probably expect to find a pink slip in your mailbox one day if, instead of being home sick in bed, you choose to head off to the mountains to ski or to the beach to work on your tan, and lack the common sense to not rave about how awesome it was on your timeline. If your boss doesn’t see it, chances are good that at least one of your co-workers has access to your FB feed and, unless you are loved by all, there is a very good probability your transgression will be brought to the attention of someone in charge.

Believe it or not, the world is not as safe and secure as you may believe it to be. In the real world, there are actually consequences for bad choices.

Career advice for anyone searching

College is meant to be a time of immense growth. Unfortunately for many, the perspective necessary to fully grasp this is often lost in the social battlefield of popularity, or worse, in the deep recesses of their own trauma.

This is why I push for people to branch out their social network. Not only is this how we find people to learn from, but it also gives us people we can rely on in times of need. No one can do it alone.

Believe it or not, everything necessary to create and achieve your goals is all around you, especially if you are currently a student. The first step you must take is to delve honestly into who you are and what you want out of life. Only through truthful answering of these questions can anyone find real happiness. Just know that open honesty about self can often lead to painful realizations. This is okay.

Life is not supposed to ALWAYS be easy. Easy rarely challenges. We must experience pain, humility and sorrow because these emotions show us our true selves. They teach us what we can handle, what we need to avoid, and give us the best image of where our strengths as an individual lie.  

Everyone has a gift; we all excel at something. It is precisely these gifts that make us unique and show us our place in the world. When you work to figure out your passions and use them to find your direction you will be best able to find out where you belong.  

Above all, embrace that we are all different. Embrace this because it is the greatest gift we’ve been given. If you don’t believe this, take a moment and think about a world where everyone is EXACTLY the same. How many inventions, pieces of art, experiences, and opportunities would not even exist if we all shared one perspective?

To find your place, take a moment, and think about the things you love. If I were to give you 24 hours and unlimited funds, what would you fill your time with? Now think to yourself, can I make this a job?

If no job pops into your mind, what about those 24 hours brought you the most joy, and is there a career path that will surround you with these things? If you cannot think of a specific path, are there fields that have jobs or internships that provide the exposure and connections necessary to find the right career?

Don’t get frustrated while trying to answer these questions. We all have different approaches. While some have zero clue about who they are, much less what they want out of life, others know the shape of their career path even before most give this question thought.

I coached someone like that years ago. From the age of three he knew he wanted to be a pilot, and every year for his birthday his parents would take him to PDX to watch planes take off and land for hours. He now flies for Southwest.

I envied him for years because his passion and direction made me realize how far behind the curve I truly was. This changed when I realized that I had within me the power to create my own direction. 

That first step is figuring out what YOU want out of life, not what others may want for you. This means finding a career where most of your daily work consists of things you would choose to do willingly.

As the saying goes, “When you love what you do, you will never truly work a day in your life.”

We all matter

Though I meant it when I said that the easiest thing in the world to do is to say hello, I do understand how scary this exact endeavor can be.  People are not always as kind or as welcoming as we hoped they would be.

Just as we tend to anthropomorphize animals both real and inanimate, we all often mistakenly forget that not everyone views the world the same way we do.  This projection can sometimes make reality feel like it is crashing down around us.

It doesn’t have to be this way though.  Realize that every person you see, no matter how cool or popular they may pretend to be, is insecure at times.  Everyone has walls and, no matter how haphazard or irrational they may seem to you, it is not your job to forcefully attempt to crash through them.

Start small.  By simply sharing a hello you are showing another person that you see them, that they are indeed a part of your world.  If the person ignores you or, worse, treats you poorly, know that this is a reflection of some innate character flaw they are battling with rather than a judgment of you.  Believe it or not, the people who shun others based simply upon outward appearance are usually the ones battling the heaviest insecurities.

Every person in the world wants to be loved; every person wants to know that they matter.  Even the ones who push people away do so out of fear of rejection.   We have all been there.

It is sad that every human alive has experienced moments of self-doubt and low self-worth so powerful that running away seems the only logical choice, but it is a common experience.  We did it as children when we threatened to run away from our parents, and we all still experience it from time to time even today. 

What I ask in these moments is for you to stop and think about what you are specifically running from.  I would wager that it is not all of humanity.  Rather, it is more than likely a certain moment in time that went the opposite direction you hoped or expected it would.

Learn from these moments.  Take a step back and ask yourself why they went the way they did.  Did you hope that your crush thought about you the way you think about them, even when they hardly know you?  Did you hope for an invite to an event even though no one knew you actually wanted to go?  Did you expect an instant connection with someone who believes that the simple act of opening up to another person is a risk?

Life is truly about lessons.  It is about us stepping back and learning from what happened in any given moment.  Most important, it is about us learning to tell the difference between what we control in that moment and what we don’t.

Trust me when I say that not everything is going to go as you hoped it would; life is not supposed to be easy.  We would not grow to become our best self if everything was handed to us.  All of us are meant to struggle, to have doubt and fear, anxiety and stress.  We experience these things because they best help us figure out not only who we are but also what we truly want out of life.

Every person possesses the power to make the world a better place.  Choose to face and understand your pain instead of hoping for a miracle to come knocking on your door.  This means leaning on and opening up to others; just know that sometimes the ones we choose to lean on are not strong enough in that moment to support our weight.

Whenever this happens don’t give up.  Instead, keep searching.  I promise that the world is full of people willing to help.  It just so happens that sometimes you need to do the work necessary to find them.

Send us to Space

Who knew that a community college could work with NASA?  As it turns out, LBCC's own Parker Swanson did.  

In fact, for the second year in a row Parker's pride and joy, the Space Exploration Club at LBCC, is working on a project with America's space agency.  This time their goal is to send a cosmic ray detector into space.  But first, they need your help.

For those who don't know, a cosmic ray is high-energy radiation that originates mainly outside of our solar system.  What makes understanding these rays important is that they produce showers of secondary particles that penetrate and affect the Earth's atmosphere.  Though the atmosphere absorbs most of the radiation, the pieces that do make it through wreak havoc on software, CPU units and even flight control systems on airplanes, increase ozone depletion, and increase the overall radiation exposure for humans.  

Though at least part of the above paragraph probably gave you a momentary pause, it turns out that are a group of student at LBCC that think about cosmic rays daily.  They think about them so much that even NASA believes that they can help in the collection necessary to better understanding their  harmful ways. 

As one of only two community colleges nationwide chosen to participate in the annual "RockOn" rocket-instrumentation workshop at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the sights of this years’ team is to build off of the success of the 2014 “Rocket Women” team (Hazel Betz, Ariel Stroh and Ashley Trout) that literally launched the aerospace program at LBCC. 

Led by holdover Betz, a passionate organizer who wears her enthusiasm for the cosmos on her sleeve, the goal of this year’s team is to improve upon the issues currently plaguing cosmic ray collection technology.  This means creating not only their own detector (with the help of three mechanical engineers at OSU), but also designing and programing the software and hardware necessary to make it function properly.  

If their design works as envisioned, students at LBCC will actually change the way space agencies around the world collect data on cosmic rays.  As current member Levi Willmeth, a soft-spoken but insightful sophomore put it, “Where else are you going to build something and send it into space?”.

As amazing as this opportunity seems, NASA is still a struggling entity and cannot afford to cover all of the costs associated with this dream.  This is where you come in.  

Currently $6000 short of the funding necessary to make all of this a reality (and with a rapidly approaching deadline of Feb. 15), making a donation of even $1 can make a difference in the lives of your fellow Roadrunners and help LBCC continue to set itself apart from community colleges across the nation. 

To help out, and to learn more, go to: http://GoFundMe.com/LBCCRockSatCteam

Remember, college is not all about classes and grades, it is also about branching out beyond your comfort zone by finding things that challenge and intrigue you, just as the 14 members of the Space club have.  As you walk around campus, look up and read the posters and bulletin boards around you.  There are clubs and projects all over campus that you can join.  As Brianna Sparks, a high-spirited blond driven to study nuclear engineering puts it, “What a great stepping stone for my future”.


At a Glance:

Who:  LBCC Space Exploration Club
What:  Help them fund their sending a cosmic ray detector into space
Where:  GoFundMe.com/LBCCRockSatCteam
When: Fundraising deadline is Feb. 15
Why:  Help out your fellow Roadrunner.  Where else can you help someone work with NASA?

Ever feel alone out there?

Life is an interesting journey.  Full of hills and valleys that can swallow us whole or raise us to levels not believed possible, it is interesting to reflect on the commonality of every unique experience. 

While there has never been another YOU in the history of humanity, how many times have you heard the line, “Man, if only I knew then what I know now”?  It is almost as if those who utter this phrase believe that to transport back in time with current knowledge intact means an end to every regret, bad choice or missed opportunity. 

When you stop to think about it, have you ever noticed that almost everyone you know spent their childhood desperately running forward into whatever comes next?  If you are under the age of 25, you probably still feel this way.  The saddest reality is that most people are destined to spend their adulthood desperately wishing for that same passage of time to slow back down. 

As one who has already passed this threshold, I feel it is a good idea to try to help you with your journey.  My goal during my time at LBCC is to pass along knowledge gained over my two decades in academics (both as a grad and undergrad student and as an educator).  My hope is that something in each column I write will resonate with you and that this newfound awareness will help you make the most out of what is, truthfully, a very brief existence.

Know that the first step in any journey is to stretch your comfort zone.  It is an infinitely sad reality that far too many people spend their lives trapped inside their own heads, lost in the shuffle of a playlist or, worse, afraid to interact with others. 

The simplest thing in the world is to say hello. 

Every day we come into contact with people we know nothing about.  Keep in mind that while there is the possibility that you may have nothing in common, the chances are greater that you do.  Remember, none of us know the future.  For all you know your spouse or boss may be the person sitting right next to you.  Keep this in mind always when you interact with people.  

Always think about who you are presenting to the world and strive to make that persona one of kindness and likability.  Remember, you are now an adult.  No longer are you walking the halls of your high school, trying desperately to fit in.  As an adult making your way into the world, how you treat people is not only a reflection of who you are, but it is also a great indicator of how far you go in life. 

The most important thing to remember is that a successful life (getting a job, advancing a career, finding a partner, etc) is no longer about what you know.  There are literally THOUSANDS of people out there working harder than you in the same pursuits.  This means that of utmost importance is to spread your social network, not only for the doors opened and the opportunities created, but also to branch out your support group.  Trust me, you will need more than family to know, love and trust you if you want to truly succeed and survive in life.

So, if you do nothing else this week, step out of your comfort zone.  Say hello as you walk across campus, talk to the person next to you in class, on the bus or at your work.  Join a club, a team or a project.  Find people who are like you.  Above all else, find and follow your passion.  Though there is no one else in this world EXACTLY like you, I hope you start to seem the similarities in us all.