Theology Discussion Paper

Annalisa Clough

3/20/16

Taberski p.3

Discussion Paper #11

  Answering question #5, some similarities and differences do you see in the essential attitudes and outward relations between Islam and your religious experience? One Islamic quote that easily relates to the Christian relationship between God and an individual is “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” “Most Jews and Christians are convinced their God is loving and kind, provident and generous, as well as thirsty for justice and equity; most Muslims believe the same.” (Theological Foundations)

     As humans we are sensual beings, we have senses, we see, smell, hear, touch, one of the ancient “wisdoms” of our predecessors, is that understood sensuality, They understood this term, in a way that I think we tend to not pay attention to, though some are heavily influenced by it. A great example of sensuality in today’s world is the popular Disney Company. When one walks into either a Disney theme park or simply a Disney store, they are immediately immersed in it. The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney world was built in a way that you must walk under the train tracks through a tunnel before you can get to the park. However the creators didn’t just build the tunnel so the train could pass above, it was built in a sensual way to get you to leave the gate area, and get you to go through the dark of the tunnel and you emerge to the light of this whole other world.

     “Images of God are central to virtually every religious tradition and crucial to one’s understanding of how religious motivation works. For example, most people tend to believe that God is on their side—even people who do not believe in God except when it suits their purposes.” (Theological Foundations)  By being able to come from 2016 and suddenly step into the 1900s, the park visitors are able to embrace and believe it. From the costumes the cast members are wearing, to the type of music that’s playing, you are so immersed that it doesn’t leave people questioning, but at that the huge castle at the end of the street is simply accepted. In a way the visitors have been almost “deceived” or “manipulated” to see something different.

     Therefore, how Disney detail relates to God and Islam religion is that in part of the human quest, we long for God. What better way to remind ourselves of longing than to fast. Both in Christian and Islam we share the tradition of fasting to remind ourselves of longing. “Non-Muslims are often surprised, even shocked, to hear that Islam’s central spiritual and ethical presuppositions are virtually identical to those of Judaism and Christianity. Why then, many people ask, do Jews, Christians, and Muslims not get along better, especially in the Middle East? Perhaps the best response to that and the similar queries is that strife is simply endemic to the human race.” (Theological Foundations) Fasting doesn’t just happen in an abstract, fasting is happening but ideally what we are also doing is prayerfully using the hunger that comes from fasting as a reminder of how we want carbs, and reminding ourselves how our soul feels without God.