Tuesday, April 21, 1998
‘The force’ isn’t always established
RELIGION: Other beliefs, non-affiliation can lead to individual
spirituality
By Dominic Carrillo
I am writing in response to Connie Cho’s article on religion and
spirituality ("Line between spirituality, religion not easily
drawn," April 16). Connie, I both appreciated your effort to
encourage spiritually ambivalent UCLA students to become
Christians, and also admired your enthusiasm on the matter.
However, in your brief yet valiant attempt to lure me (and others)
into the "righteous" ways of Christianity, I’ve discovered some,
well … problems. I’m not going to bash Christianity by any means
– for that would be hypocritical – and I do espouse Christian
values and ethics. Nevertheless, in your short article, I found not
one, but two major problems that I have previously encountered with
Christian doctrine.
First of all, in your effort to define "spirituality," you
casually denounced the Taoist religion and (perhaps, of lesser
significance) the powers of "the force," as Yoda nobly put it. I
come across this type of self-proclaimed righteousness quite often
in conversations with Christian friends (and solicitors). My simple
suggestion is this – embrace a little cultural relativism please.
This perspective basically includes respecting other cultures and
religions for what they are (rather than for what they are not),
and being a bit more open-minded. After all, what is true for one
is not necessarily true for another.
Secondly, and I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, God (as
far as I’m concerned) has no gender (or race for that matter). For
example, you stated that "he loves me" in your article, with the
emphasis on "he." I’d like to suggest that God is a woman. In fact,
I’d also go so far as to say that the legacy of patriarchy in the
Western world can be directly attributed to the chauvinism
instituted within the Bible.
Finally, I wanted to mention a word on "spirituality." You
keenly observed that just because one goes to church doesn’t
necessarily mean one is spiritual. I agree. In accordance, I
believe that one can be spiritual without being affiliated with an
established church, such as the Christian church. I think true
spirituality can come to individuals in a variety of different
ways, including through Taoism, Christianity, the Jedi force,
personally devised syncretic views, etc. And you are right,
skeptics, I have no holy book or sacred text to back me up; these
are simply my original thoughts (rather than regurgitated
doctrine). And, I do agree that some people reject established
religions and proclaim personal "spirituality" out of mere
convenience to their immoral lifestyle. However, denouncing myself
and others as such is not only an ignorant standpoint, but also a
prejudicial one.
In the end, I advocate any religious or non-religious vehicle
that may lead one to a more peaceful, harmonious and benevolent
life. May the force be with you.