Religion Matters: Do you really know your Religion?
Throughout my career, I have navigated the gap between teaching Religion and working in technology, concentrating on technology strategy discussions. Most of my teaching has focused on comparative religions, which I have taught at the high school, college, and adult continuing education levels.
I've witnessed the transformative power of studying comparative Religion through my teaching. It often leads to 'AHA' moments for students, sparking a journey of self-discovery and a deeper understanding of others and humanity.
They learn more about their Religion even if they no longer practice it. Hopefully, they all understand why humans are interested in their Significant Other.
Comparative Religion should be required, just like US History or English.
Religion Matters
Regardless of your perspective, whether profoundly religious or somewhere in between, Religion remains a significant topic. It is always present, even when atheists and agnostics occupy the space.
Religion plays a significant role in shaping our identities, cultures, and the communities we belong to. It influences how we engage with our sexualities and the physical and virtual realms, underscoring its pervasive influence.
While Religion can provide personal meaning, it can also foster intolerance and ignorance, and sometimes lead to hatred and violence in society. It shapes our views on ethnicity, class, race, and beliefs concerning medicine, contraception, and end-of-life issues. It approaches poverty, immigration, social justice, and conflict. Religion is everywhere. Religion matters, and Religion is always in the Room.
Throughout my career, I have bridged the gap between teaching Religion and working in technology, focusing on technology strategy discussions with a philosophical perspective. Most of my teaching has centered on comparative religions, which I have taught at the high school, college, and adult continuing education levels.
Lent arrives next week. The Latin Rite begins Wednesday, March 5, and the Eastern Rite begins Monday, March 3.
John Paul II told those of us Catholics, "The Church breathes with two lungs." I would suggest during this Lent that we "SEE" the other Lung. To OBSERVE the other Lung. Please get to know the other Lung and understand what it means to be Catholic. Discover all 23 Rites of the Catholic Church. What are the views of the East and West as we come to understand Catholic Social Teaching? Why do Eastern Catholics receive baptisms, confirmation, and first communion simultaneously as infants? What are the cultural influences between the East and West, and what do they mean for us to help us better understand our history?
"DISCERN" the differences. Examine your own biases regarding the other Lung, and come to understand that we are all part of the same Catholic community. Recognize and discern the liturgical discrepancies, such as the variations in fasting and prayer. For example, did you know the Eastern Rites do not use ashes on Ash Wednesday? They do not observe Ash Wednesday, and Lent begins on a Monday. Did you know that you will not find musical instruments in Eastern Rite liturgy, and the liturgy is sung a cappella?
"ACT," I urge you to experience a liturgy of the East if you are a Latin Rite participant, and vice versa. Take the initiative to explore another Eastern Rite that you know little about. If you live in a region with no rites other than your own, use the internet, particularly YouTube, to experience a liturgy of both the West and the East. As the liturgy raises questions, write them down and research them during Lent. Be an active participant in your learning journey.
Some Resources to help jump-start your discovery:
https://www.catholic365.com/article/32187/yes-eastern-catholics-are-different.html
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/orientalium-ecclesiarum-vatican-ii-eastern-catholic-tradition
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-rite-not-to-be-roman
https://www.catholicicing.com/eastern-catholics/
https://onlyearthlings.com/12-differences-between-eastern-and-western-catholic-churches/
https://www.byzcath.org/
https://catholicconvert.com/the-catholic-church-and-her-23-liturgical-rites/
https://media.ascensionpress.com/2019/01/21/the-other-23-catholic-churches-and-why-they-exist/
So please spend some time this Lent reflecting on what it means to be Catholic and who all those Catholics are, why we are the same and different, and most significantly, why we breathe with two lungs.
