Alchemy and Esoterism, Islam and Popularity: a joint post written by Charlie Tee and Jen

(To read Charlie's post on this topic, click here.)

Okay....Friday was "one of those days"....One of those days where fire comes shooting out my ears. And as a regular visitor atop the soap box, happens quite frequently. I received a forward in my email inbox about how I should "boycott the upcoming release of the United States Postal Service stamp" which commemorates a Muslim holiday. To read the entire email message, click here. After reading this "harmless" email, I realized that not only was this message wrong in content, it was also COMPLETELY intolerant and ignorant. To read the press release with the correct message, click here. What I find a little amuzing is that the press release for the release of the stamp was back in 2001. I guess this group hoping that we will boycott this is a little late in the game....

So, here is my response to this message....

If we judge a whole entire community on the actions of one person or a small segment of that community, such as this email message does, then we have many more problems to face than I thought. (I tend to be positive and 'nieve' in thinking that we are becoming more tolerant and compassionate.) Was the entire Christian Community judged after the Timothy McVeigh bombing or after WACO? Is the Christian community seen as having the same beliefs as the extreme right (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, etc.)? I've not seen it.... Do we judge every police officer in the United States for the brutal acts of a few corrupt officers? Once again, I haven't seen it. So, why then, is it "patriotic" and "acceptable" to judge a peaceful religious community for the actions of a few radicals?

I honestly can't understand. So, let me remind people of something that I learned when I was a child.....Something that I learned in Sunday School many years ago....I learned that respect and compassion is very important and is a core value of my faith and beliefs. Something else I learned as a child is that one rotten apple can spoil the bunch. It may be a "old saying", but it still shows itself everyday.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, people were talking about the looters, the gang members, the "community of sin", and many other "generalist" comments. Why are we always looking to the negative? What would you do in that situation? Why can't we remember all of the people who needed help and couldn't get it? Thankfully, through all the volunteerism and donations that have been provided, we finally show compassion...something that we should have been doing all along.

So, as a step off my soap box once again, I encourage everyone to learn about things outside their own community. I am thankful to have friends and resources that provide me with a multitude of learning opportunites...and I am grateful. I feel that it is important to understand the culture and lives of my friends and neighbors.

So, when it comes to judging a whole community, stop and think before you speak or act...and most of all....EDUCATE YOURSELF!!!

(Once again, to read Charlie's post on this topic, click here.)