Here in illinois, I've made friends with some new people. These people are very easy to make friends with, granted that you never insult them.
But I'm not one to tell them they're wrong.
How it all began: in my effort to make something out of my long stay at "home" I found a group from www.meetup.com which featured people who all have an interest in Japanese. This was about two months ago. I went in and met some new faces however I felt slightly out of place as a youth and the only girl amongst middle aged men. Except for one.
His name is Robert and he's 29. His experience in Japan was living in southern Kyushu for 4 years doing missionary work. He's a non-denominational from East Texas. Usually when I think about people who hold his religious ideas, I think about people standing in the street protesting something unethical like stem cells or gay marriage, shouting out verses from the bible. Also I think of mega churches with movie theater sized screens, a man with a microphone pushing down members of the congregation proclaiming that Jesus has healed their cancer or swine flu. Allelujah!
While he's not exactly this, his perception of how to worship is new age. Yet he's educated, earned his college and masters and is going to graduate school again for another masters. I think this helps us have a good, non accusatory, judgemental free conversation. In fact, ever since we've started Japanese lessons together, hanging out with him has been fun. Our personalities are pretty dynamic when we're together. Apparently he likes me enough that he invited me to meet some of his friends here.
Thus I've begun a group of friends and all of them have a personal relationship with the savior Jesus Christ... and I'm the oddball Episcopalian reverend's daughter who's found Agnosticism. Robert knew this within the first week we started hanging out. Before meeting his friends he told two of them about my position so "they won't bombard you, Miko." And anyone who is my facebook friend can easily find out that Jesus isn't my shadow.
In come the, "We'd LOVE to have you come to our church and bible studies!! Why not come to this Uprising Conference too?" invitations. I'm happy that I'm welcomed... but I know that they're carrying out their duties to spread the love of Christ to those who do not know it. In fact, since they were told to not bombard me, in case they might... this is actually quite a round-about way of doing a Christian's duties. Passive aggressive, perhaps?
Robert, whom I know the best out of the short two months since Graduation, knows that I'll become a Christian if I want to become a Christian. So he doesn't push things like this on me, which is good because I want a friend more than a missionary to hang out with. Of course, as a Christian, he does pray that some day I may change. However, the deal between us was that he accepts me for who I am even though we may disagree, and we can give each other the pleasure of our companies. And it is fun.
I believe that there's more than one way to do something and get an end result. As simple as tying a shoe, or making dinner... or as complicated as solving a marriage. Religion also has many approaches but the same end result: faith and good morals to living life.
If a personal relationship with Jesus solves your problems and creates a community that you're happy with, then go on and live your life that way. If you'd rather use Ram rather than Maya to get to Krishna's level of enlightenment after your cycles have ended, then do so. If you feel that living a godless life makes you most comfortable, then be comfortable. Live it, but don't push it. Or, don't hurt anyone for the sake of what you believe. What is right is what is right for you and not what is right for me. This is how I feel and I wish the evangelical Athiests or some Bible Thumping Christians could feel the same way too.
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