Being Wrong!

What's wrong in religion?

Now it's best to be careful and qualify that. I didn't ask what's wrong WITH religion... I asked what's wrong IN religion? Throughout the world today we see conflict everywhere... with many people saying the root of the conflict is within their individual religious pathway, or their faith. This seems to be ridiculous...

Take for example the conflict between Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam throughout the world. What's the difference between the two?

It comes down to authority. Who has the authority to speak about religion? The answer varies depending on whom you ask. Sunni's would say that after the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), authority lies within the individual, and each individual's own personal search using the word of God and the example of the Prophet. Shi'a would argue that the authority to lead the community in spiritual and temporal matters was passed on to the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, 'Ali (peace be upon him).

Besides this there are differences in interpretation of verses of the holy book and specific practices that vary... but what else? That's the issue... there isn't much else. In fact, if you look across the board at most faith traditions around the world - there are more similarities than differences. The principle messages, the inner meanings, they're all very similar.

There's a story told of the Prophet where once there were 2 men who would write down the verses of the Qur'an as they were revealed through the Prophet. These men would always argue about who had written it more correctly. One day when the 2 compared what they had heard the Prophet say, they had differing, contradictory statements. There was an uproar between them until finally it was decided that they would ask the Prophet himself which one was correct. The following day they both presented what they had written based on the revelation that the Prophet had delivered. After reading both versions, the Prophet said, "they are both correct."

What does this story tell us?

It tells us that there is no WRONG in faith. It's not possible for faith to be wrong. Faith is belief. Someone can criticize your faith, someone can point to what they see as flaws in it or in the reasoning behind it, but it is not possible for true faith to be wrong. The concepts of right and wrong do not apply to faith. Rather the concepts of sincerity and falsehood are far more important. Is your faith important to you because you are sincere in your interpretations of it and your belief? Or, is it because you wish to impress others with your perceived piety? Does a person truly believe in this, or is the belief based on a lack of other viable options?

The pathway one takes in life is hard enough without each of us disparaging what another chooses to believe or not believe in. One person can believe in just the power of their intellect and that's okay as well. It isn't for me to judge another person's belief system. Rather my belief system is predicated on not judging another's faith. What's right for me is not right for another, what's right for another is not right for me. In the end if you believe that the Almighty chose to talk to mankind, in whatever manner, there must have been and continue to be something here that is worth talking to.

Keep believing!