BELIEF

Belief comes at any time.

Sunny, early Saturday afternoon cricket. It comes now in the belief that I will take this catch that the batsman hit my way. No doubt, just dread set certainty, (dread for the batsman that is) that he knows of my firm belief. He finishes looking up from the shot to see final destination of the ‘middled’ ball. As the fielder would say – “bit high mate, comin straight for my mitts and I don’t drop em.” Final destination reached and mitts firmly and comfortably wrap up the prize.

Batter walks off the field having a deep ponder about that ‘middled’ shot he played straight to Roundy. He would prefer to not talk about it after the game to his teammates. Again, no doubt that other playing buddies will remind him.

This firm belief that I was going to catch the ball, was unwavering. It was built on 50 plus years of trying to catch a ball in cricket. Over that time, based on experience it became natural to get very good at catching a Hard red (sometimes white) ball . Just takes belief. In my case it took until the age of 43 (bit late, but better late than never) to get that Catching belief. Has never left, even though eyesight isn’t quite what it was. Much fun is had.

A pleasurable application of Belief that works until your eyesight finally fails!

Belief just is.

Cloudy early Sunday. Day of rest as prescribed by the Christian variety God. I do. Is soulful, relaxing. “Sunday morning coming Down” streaming off RTR FM (google em) in the background. Am a firm believer in Sunday day of rest. Seems to fit the life I lead. Have occasional contemplation about God, Universe and Everything. Sunday seems to fit into the mind psyche of the day.

It had been mentioned to self many times before that the base structure of Christian tenets is pretty clear and concise. Not too much for people to remember. Clean and simple the Ten Commandments combined with God’s six – seven days to create and rest on Earth. These basics of 10 Commandments and now established society norm as Sunday day of rest are the core engine to my existence. It has been this way for many years.

Born Christian, lazy people would now call me a lapsed Christian. Label me aetheists, agnostic/ gnostic, I don’t care. Some 50 + years of reading, considering and discussing has led to a mash up of the three.

The thought that my Belief transcends yours, does not exist in my daily life. Why should it? After all, I am just living as best as I can. My basis of Belief is for me alone. If someone asks I will answer politely and concisely. Other’s beliefs? I expect a reciprocal will from those people to not impose their beliefs on me. Am always happy to have a chat though!

Life now is the experience of being officially Muslim for four years since Marriage. My atheism, agnosticism, gnosticism mash up has NOT suddenly disappeared overnight due to becoming Muslim. It cannot, is naturally within like DNA. Obviously no need to change as the Wife reckons I am pretty good just the way I am. I believe the same of her.

Now, Sunday has shifted to Friday, being the main day of God contemplation for the majority population. No change to the existence, just a bit of name day adjustment with time and space doing time and space and their space and time thingy stuff. (most scientific of me).

“Sunday morning coming Down” still streams from time to time. God, the Universe and everything contemplation’s still randomly runs through that day. Old ingrained habits at play.

Daily existence has certainly taken on a new twist with some pretty strong labelling to go with it. Islam is everywhere I walk, see, hear and go. Never before in my life has a religion been so strongly in the face, as Islam is here in Malaysia. It has to a certain extent become background noise over time, and life goes on.

The Quran description of God, for some reason fits in the psyche. God cannot be defined. It is something and nothing, it is all. Humanising God as Christianity did, never really sat comfortably, but I never lost sleep over these theological conundrums. Certainly didn’t get offended and angry about these things as some do. Those offended and angry people really need to kick back and relax some more on Sunday mornings as I do. Whoops I meant Friday morning, actually any morning is fine just to chill and relax…….. Am I trying to coerce them to my belief? Looks like it! Try it. You might like it!

More than a few Quran dominate the highest shelf of our main bookshelf. Small desktop Bible is in there somewhere. Am sorting my Sci-Fi shelf down below. Quite cute the small collection accumulated in a couple of short years in KL. Shakirah’s shelves are over to the left of the Sci Fi. Has a really solid range of philosophy and belief books backed up by usually really good fiction writers on the two shelves below. Some High school English Lit classics throughout. Down low the bookshelf accommodates kids school portrait photos, various random school year books, kids test results. board games and other fun stuff. Some business folders as well.

The bookshelf represents our combined beliefs. When I saw Shakirah’s books it was as if I had met my mirror Belief mash up. She is comfortable in her Islamic beliefs, coupled with good knowledge of the writings. (understatement).

Neither is attempting to turn the other to their belief. We firmly believe in no harm to others. Love not hate, be true and honest. We have random ongoing discussions about God, the Universe and Everything. Never argue, just talk, don’t take the conversation to bed unless one has found a really good Joke to tell about God, the Universe and Everything.

A good chuckle is a nice way to finish off the day. That’s about it. Can’t let Belief get too complicated.

Belief betrays us.

We have become observers of the organised religious machinations, neither of us having any interest of developing harsh desires to become ‘fierce’ defenders of faith or belief. Quite often bemused by comments and advice from the more talkative conservative religious people. Quite often horrified by the savage and corrupt actions of some in the name of God.

Our conversations skew towards Belief and what it can do. Much blood has and still is soaked into Earths soil in the name of differing Beliefs in God. Churches have a terrible now proven history of child abuse. In Islam here, indicators are that it is not much different. Is still kept quiet and behind closed doors. One day the abuses will come flooding out…..

Professed religious people the World over, running donation appeals and siphoning off money, gathering material possessions at the expense of their poor followers. Having marital affairs has been exposed many times. This is just the tip of the Sin (under religion) Iceberg. Can their Belief be all those things too? There may be no limit on the goodness or badness of belief.

I firmly believe Saint Kilda Football Club will win an AFL Premiership within three years. Going on results for last three seasons, future reality for the Belief is drifting away. We are getting worse, not better! All the experts are basically saying the same thing. Do I as a rusted on Supporter change my belief? Not even by a millimetre. It is unwavering. Truth to the otherwise is yet to prevail. But it will in 18 – 24 months with Proof of failure. No avoidance of fact.

Does the Belief just go away? Never, is just so singular towards one purpose. It diminishes a bit through the emotional hurt of reality, sort of a re-sets and after a time (usually short) Belief of future Grand Final success being just around the Corner is restored with revised time lines. It all starts again. Mindlessly this happens, yet the end result is the same- failure. Belief betrays me.

Similar Belief exists for those who choose to argue that “my religion or belief system is better than your religious or belief system and that all must exist in this belief. Occasional setbacks occur – a speech done is found to have many holes in it and easy to dismiss. Diminished belief happens, but that reset Belief button gets pressed and away they go again, to argue. Belief never to move, never to shift, maybe a light sway with the wind, but is always trapped by the circling howling gale of selective ignorance of other beliefs.

Christian, Muslim, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism Belief systems at their core have the commonality of the ethics and morals described in the 10 Commandments. No need to argue that your belief is better than mine and that all must live as you do. The fundamentals are the same and written by completely different people at different times and places in our History. To a certain extent I exist with fundamental core bites of all the Beliefs above. Labeling of my belief is not required. Is how I live that matters.

Just remember this – my belief does not present any danger to anyone at any time. It is not criminal, hate filled, biased or selfish. It just is. I pay my bills most of the time on time, pay the parking ticket, not discard like most do here. Love and respect pervade the house. Stupid exists in one or all of us at various times . We are honest and trust each other, to argue a point knowing that there is no hangover of malice after. Offence is difficult to contrive.

Us oldies do not demand the younger generation follow our Belief as gospel. In time it is up to them to critically look at and make up their own minds. Conversations or comments are never closed off because it may not quite fit into the Belief. Our minds have the ability to think, question, form opinion and analyse. Our minds are not there to Believe only one thing just because it is what we have been told. To argue and coerce for others to change to this singular Belief, really does go against the common core of religious and belief systems.

Please do not betray this commonality for the game of one-upmanship or facile feeling of superiority. Our base beliefs were formed by humans who only had the best intentions for us to live as well and in harmony as we can. You betray this with your actions.

Just Believe

Believe me when I tell you this, my story of Belief, sport belief analogies, to live my life as I see fit within a core moral and ethical Belief founded in the Ten Commandments. This is my personal right. It is a waste of time for anyone to argue and coerce otherwise as my Belief is rock solid.

What is there to argue and coerce about anyway? There is nothing. Our core Beliefs are the same. Open the eyes and peer past enforced ignorance to others and their beliefs. Drill down and drink in the wonder of our similarities.

Understand that our DNA strands are basically the same all over the Planet. We are already one. That is the way it is now, it was then and will be forever more.

Postnote: Am following American Writer and commentator Matthew Cooke. It was a recent posting roughly titled – “A radical, fundamentalist perspective”, that really solidified the long term ideas for the piece above. Much thanks Matthew.