Faith and tolerance

I walked into the classroom and sat down. I was early, class wouldn’t start for another twenty minutes, so I pulled out my schedule. I had a busy semester and needed something light. A friend had suggested Religious Studies 101 with a particular professor. He claimed that it was an easy A. I just needed to make sure I had the same professor.

When a different professor walked in and announced that he would be teaching the class, I changed my plans for my afternoon. Once the class was over, I would run to my advisor’s office and drop the class and add something new. I contemplated getting up and walking out immediately, but I was sitting close to the front and it seemed rude like such a rude move. I was carrying 18 credits and needed a strong semester. The last thing I wanted was a class that was going to take everything out of me to get a good grade.

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My bad luck

I listened half-heartedly as the professor handed out his syllabus and started talking about the objectives of the course, to study the history, origins, rituals, and basic tenets of the world’s major religions. He had an easy-going manner. He explained that he wasn’t out to convert anyone, we all had our own personal beliefs or non-believes for that matter and that was fine, we would instead be taking an scholarly review of the religions and their religious texts. We would review various stories from the Torah, Quran, Bible, and the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita, and other scriptures. We would be learning critical thinking skills and comparing and contrasting what we found.

I looked around the classroom, many of my classmates sat bored, but I was fascinated with the stories he was telling. One minute he was talking about Noah in the wilderness, being told by God to build an ark and collect two of every kind. He somehow managed to transport you from our cold, stoic lecture hall, back in time, standing with Noah and imaging how frightening that must have been. The next minute he was talking about the Angel Gabriel approaching Muhammad, the prophet, and founder of Islam, and revealing to him the beginnings of what would become the Quran. In the same vein, he told the story of Jesus getting on his hands and knees and washing the apostle’s feet and telling them, “Where I go you cannot come, so now I say it to you. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you.”

After each story, he questioned the class on what they would have thought in the moment and whether the story changed our understanding of that particular religion. He talked openly about why some might believe and why some might question and not believe in any religion at all. He left belief up to the individual.

I had never been in a situation like that. I had never been challenged to see beyond broad stereotypes and see people of different religions as people — not some broad stereotypical category.

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Time to make a decision

When the class was over, I sat a few more minutes in my seat. Most of the students had left. I stayed behind, because I needed to make a decision on what I was going to do: drop it or add something else. The professor came over and asked me what I thought. I guess he had figured out I was thinking.

We chatted a bit, nothing all that memorable. I just remember him emphasizing again that the class would help with critical thinking skills and taking nothing at face value. He left me there to think some about my decision.

Of course, I ended up keeping the class.

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A blessing in disguise

I ended up loving it. The class still ranks as one the best-led discussion classes I ever had, it was less about religion and more about questioning what you see and read, challenging the status quo, searching for meaning and being tolerant of others. You believe in X, I believe in Y, we can disagree and still get along. Heck, we can still be the best of friends.

I find that I think of the class often when I see others of my Christian faith espouse their deep love of Jesus Christ, but in the next breath complain about refugees or the sick or the poor or call for the death penalty. I wonder if we’re reading from the same Bible. I think of the class too when I see members of one faith claim theirs is the only way and to heck with everyone else. I wonder where the tolerance has gone.

So yes, all these years later, I’m glad I stayed. I’m glad I kept the class I wanted to drop. I learned a ton about the world’s religions, but what’s more important, I learned a ton about myself.