Let's start with a little history. I was not raised to be a part of any religion and so I was never religious. That's usually how religion goes, it's passed down from the parents. Though I was never raised this way there was always a slight leaning to the mono-theistic christian religion. Occasionally my Dad would drag me to church on Easter or Christmas, and I would either oblige him or put a fuss up until he gave up.
Because of my rebellious nature and the music I listened to, I was very against religion as a whole in High School. I may or may not have been a self-proclaimed satanist for a while (there are certain corollaries from listening to a lot of Marilyn Manson). It was only until I got out of High School that my opinions cooled off a bit and I met this wonderful Muslim girl. She shaped me into the person I am today and I have so much to thank her for. My eyes were opened to the possibility that religion can mean more than going to church and feeling bad about yourself for not following arbitrary rules.
She isn't the only reason I am doing this. I had this project where I had to go to a place that was out of your comfort zone - whatever that means to you. That place for me was a masjid, or mosque. Once I decided that that would be my place, I contacted my university's Muslim Student Association to find a person that would take me to a Jumu'ah (friday prayer) and show me the Muslim ropes. (Jumu'ah is like Sunday service, in that it is a special day where everyone able should go to the local mosque to pray and listen to the Imam (a type of priest) give Khutbah - a type of sermon where current events and hot topics regarding Islam are talked about).
I found my dude and we were on our way.
The complete details of the event are a bit hazy now but the overall atmosphere upon which I was welcomed was one I have never experienced before. Everyone was so nice to me and I was overwhelmed with kindness and sincerity. Which is saying something because I was entering not only a religion in which I was not knowledgeable about but a complete culture. I will definitely rehash the complete story, if I can remember, on a later date. The point is, that experience shook what I thought I knew about the culture of religion. It could be something where people reflect on themselves, think about the world, analyze their own religion critically, welcome others, and sustain friendships.
But, this whole god business tripped me up, and still does.
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