Couchimentalism
I’m back on solid ground in Vancouver. Well, at least physically…and temporarily at that. Mentally, however, I’m not so sure. Couchi, as it’s so affectionately called by some, had an impact on my approach to religion in general and the state of multiculturalism in Canada. I could have predicted that my intensely secular and quasi-atheistic approach to life that I carried with me going into my second Couch conference was to be challenged fundamentally over the course of the four day event outside of Orillia, Ontario. But it was impossible to predict that it would be to this extent.
No, I haven’t converted to Buddhism or gone out and bought a bible (as you certainly wouldn’t find one in my house), nor have I even visited a religious institution since I’ve returned home (only yesterday). While I won’t be stepping into a synagogue, mosque, temple or church in the near future in order to pray for forgiveness for the lack of compassion I’ve exhibited towards the idea of religion itself over the last several years, four days spent talking and thinking about God (in its most abstract sense) gave me the opportunity to step into the minds of those who feel compassionate towards individuals such as myself not because we share similar views, but because we haven’t had the chance to feel the warmth that accompanies the spirituality they experience every day.
The polls tell us that Canadians are a very secular bunch, even when compared to Americans who are in fact one of the most religious of them all. Our firm belief in the sanctity of science and reluctance to see the sense in depending upon a higher power to determine our own fate identifies us as a distinct minority on the global scale. Lacking a unifying moral compass, we’re drifting in a sea of spiritual neutrality while the storm of religious fervour rages around us. We’re kept anchored and afloat by our own unsubstantiated and naïve belief that we’ve somehow reached some higher moral plane by adopting secular fundamentalism as our state religion. What the diverse range of panellists from a variety of faiths would all agree on is that this in itself is a dangerous position to take, and I would add that it’s equally as discriminatory as adopting an official religion based on a particular conception of God and morality. The mutually beneficial middle-ground, however, might be found with the help of a strong ethical foundation. As Karen Armstrong said in her keynote address (click on 'Session Summary') to the conference,
The most profound lesson I will carry with me as a result of this year’s enlightening conference – an event which not only brought together great thinkers on the idea of religion and secularism and representatives of the world’s most enduring and influential faiths but also which also serves as a model for the cross-cultural dialogue which will prove to be the most effective means of tearing down the barriers of fear and ignorance that sustain the schisms and fuel the fires of religious extremism in the world of today and tomorrow – is one concerning the power of language. One’s lexicon, (a favourite word of mine for those who aren’t already aware), shapes the way one sees the world. When it comes to religion and our perceptions of the Other, a compassionate and informed lexicon will open doors to the celebration of diversity and the attenuation of faith-based conflict. A narrow lexicon, however, will only perpetuate intolerance. Religion, fundamentalism, God, and spirituality are four of the most critical components of one’s vocabulary in this context. Each has multiple definitions and connotations, none of which is superior to the other. Assuming that one represents the final word from the ultimate authority and excluding competing definitions of the same term will only breed isolation and resentment rather than understanding and compassion.
I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul,
Where I’ll end up, well I think only God really knows.
I’ve sat upon the setting sun, but never, never, never, never,
I never wanted water once.
I listen to my words but they fall far below,
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.
I swam upon the devil’s lake,
But never, never, never, never
I’ll never make the same mistake.
-Cat Stevens, “The Wind”
No, I haven’t converted to Buddhism or gone out and bought a bible (as you certainly wouldn’t find one in my house), nor have I even visited a religious institution since I’ve returned home (only yesterday). While I won’t be stepping into a synagogue, mosque, temple or church in the near future in order to pray for forgiveness for the lack of compassion I’ve exhibited towards the idea of religion itself over the last several years, four days spent talking and thinking about God (in its most abstract sense) gave me the opportunity to step into the minds of those who feel compassionate towards individuals such as myself not because we share similar views, but because we haven’t had the chance to feel the warmth that accompanies the spirituality they experience every day.
The polls tell us that Canadians are a very secular bunch, even when compared to Americans who are in fact one of the most religious of them all. Our firm belief in the sanctity of science and reluctance to see the sense in depending upon a higher power to determine our own fate identifies us as a distinct minority on the global scale. Lacking a unifying moral compass, we’re drifting in a sea of spiritual neutrality while the storm of religious fervour rages around us. We’re kept anchored and afloat by our own unsubstantiated and naïve belief that we’ve somehow reached some higher moral plane by adopting secular fundamentalism as our state religion. What the diverse range of panellists from a variety of faiths would all agree on is that this in itself is a dangerous position to take, and I would add that it’s equally as discriminatory as adopting an official religion based on a particular conception of God and morality. The mutually beneficial middle-ground, however, might be found with the help of a strong ethical foundation. As Karen Armstrong said in her keynote address (click on 'Session Summary') to the conference,
At its best, religion must have an ethical component. It’s possible to have bad
religion just as its possible to have bad sex because religion is a human
activity and, like sex, it’s hard to get right.
The most profound lesson I will carry with me as a result of this year’s enlightening conference – an event which not only brought together great thinkers on the idea of religion and secularism and representatives of the world’s most enduring and influential faiths but also which also serves as a model for the cross-cultural dialogue which will prove to be the most effective means of tearing down the barriers of fear and ignorance that sustain the schisms and fuel the fires of religious extremism in the world of today and tomorrow – is one concerning the power of language. One’s lexicon, (a favourite word of mine for those who aren’t already aware), shapes the way one sees the world. When it comes to religion and our perceptions of the Other, a compassionate and informed lexicon will open doors to the celebration of diversity and the attenuation of faith-based conflict. A narrow lexicon, however, will only perpetuate intolerance. Religion, fundamentalism, God, and spirituality are four of the most critical components of one’s vocabulary in this context. Each has multiple definitions and connotations, none of which is superior to the other. Assuming that one represents the final word from the ultimate authority and excluding competing definitions of the same term will only breed isolation and resentment rather than understanding and compassion.
I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul,
Where I’ll end up, well I think only God really knows.
I’ve sat upon the setting sun, but never, never, never, never,
I never wanted water once.
I listen to my words but they fall far below,
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.
I swam upon the devil’s lake,
But never, never, never, never
I’ll never make the same mistake.
-Cat Stevens, “The Wind”
posted by Per at 2:07 p.m.
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