Spirit and StoryWelcome to Spirit and Story, where you can find the latest thoughts and reflections by CLAL faculty and associates on the contours of our contemporary spiritual journeys. To access the CLAL Spirit and Story Archive, click here.
September 11th was a devastating day for
people all across the nation. The effects of the day were not only
physical, but many people were emotionally affected, too. Religion played a
variety of roles with regard to 9/11. Many of those who were affected by
the horrible tragedy looked to religion for support and comfort, while
others believed that religion was to blame. On the one hand, after September 11th,
people reached out to their churches, synagogues, and other places of
worship. They were seeking the comfort of other people as well as spiritual
guidance to help them deal with the destruction, pain, and vulnerability
that they were feeling. On the other hand, it was religion in the form of
radical Islamic fundamentalism that had inspired other people to blow up the
two towers and kill thousands. Thus 9/11 confronted Americans with the fact
that religion and belief in God has two sides: a violent and destructive
side, as well as a loving and compassionate side. These two sides of
religious faith have been apparent since the time of the Bible. The same
Bible that commands the Israelites to love thy neighbor as thyself also
commands the Israelites to exterminate all the Canaanites when they enter
the land of Canaan. All religions include these two contradictory sides of
religious faith. Christians believe in a God of love, yet in the name of
this same God they carried out the bloody Crusades. Jews believe in a God
who tells us to choose life, and yet Yigal Amir believed that same God
commanded him to kill Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin who was working for
peace in the Middle East. September 11th invites us to reflect upon
the complex and contradictory ways in which religion shapes human life and
behavior. Religion can bring out the very best in people -- including love,
empathy, and compassion; but it can also lead to death, murder, and hatred,
all of which were in evidence on September 11th. The passion of
religious commitment drove terrorists to kill thousands, and the passion of
religious commitment drove thousands to offer their love and support to help
people overcome the tragedy. Reflecting on 9/11 we must ask ourselves – and
decide by our actions -- which side of religion will win out for us? (Gabi Kula is a student at the Abraham
Joshua Heschel High School in New York City.) |
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