This Post is About Religion

Last year I was backpacking and found myself in Barcelona a.k.a the most awesome city in the world. While I was there I did one of those free tour things, and our guide (amazing fellow, completely bonkers and completely brilliant) told us this story about how centuries ago, a leader from each of the major belief systems (i.e. Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, atheist etc.) sat down together to calmly discuss Jesus. The debate went on for several days. Such a gathering had not been seen again since, and the only way it was able to exist in the first place was because of the enormous amount of mutual respect between the people involved.

I’m not sure if this story is true, and I suspect it isn’t because I haven’t been able to find a shred of evidence anywhere else. I mean, there are several documented religious debates that went on in medieval times in Barcelona, but none so specific and so idealistic as an open forum for discussion between people of opposing faiths.

So I’m guessing the story isn’t true, but I like to think that it is, because it gives me a little bit of faith in humanity. Considering the number of wars that have sprung up over religious conflict, the number of lives that have been lost, the rights that have been suppressed, the scandals, the fights, the protesting, it gives me a little seed of hope that maybe one day humanity will sort itself out and realise that what they’ve been fighting for and dying for all this time, was something so pathetic and insignificant as the details in a book.

To quote the 1977 speech “Statement To The Knesset” by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat,

“I come to you today on solid ground, to shape a new life, to establish peace. We all, on this land, the land of God; we all, Muslims, Christians and Jews, worship God and no one but God. God’s teachings and commandments are love, sincerity, purity and peace.”

I don’t know much about the details of religion, but my vague understanding is that, at the end of the day, it’s essentially the same god, isn’t it?

The man makes a good point. I’m not saying President Sadat is some kind of martyr, on the contrary, this was a man who though Hitler was an alright guy. He did however, win a nobel peace prize for bringing about the Egypt- Israel peace treaty, but he was also assassinated. Click here if you want to know more. But do it in your own time.

Sorry, got a bit sidetracked there, back to my point.

Relating this to networks, I feel like the major letdown from most major belief systems is their inability to communicate in a way that’s open, honest, and respectful. Now before I get struck down by lighting, I will chuck in that I mean atheists as well. We are just as guilty as anyone else of being unable to see the forest for the trees, of shouting louder and louder instead of just listening and letting someone else speak. No one in this situation is innocent. Read, no one.

My point is that functioning, effective networks can’t exist without mutual respect. And I think the ongoing thousand year old religious debate epitomises this perfectly.

The reason this came to mind is because I was watching TV the other night (That’s a lie. I was watching ABC iView.) and I was watching Q&A. The panel was made up of a catholic priest, a Muslim leader, a Jewish Atheist (don’t ask me how that works), a Buddhist, and another Atheist who is also a gay man. (Click here for the episode in question. It’s well worth your time, I promise.)

It was really brilliant. Normally I avoid watching Q&A because the people on it are usually idiots who make me scream rude things and storm off in an indignant huff, but I really enjoyed this episode because for the most part, what was going on was cool, calm conversation about various aspects of religion and belief. Things got rocky towards the end when the catholic guy got started on homosexuality being a “warp in gods plan”, understandably pissing off quite a lot of people, and the subject of young people grappling with their sexuality and their beliefs was raised. But even though I felt myself getting a bit tense around then, it’s comforting to think that despite everything, a debate like this can exist, can be broadcasted on national television and then cemented into the Internet archives of forever. That it can showcase a range of views with no one ending up dead and nothing bad happening. Open, honest discussion. Yay for technology. Yay for societal change.

I loved that this panel existed. I loved that my Barcelona tour guide was wrong, that this kind of open and mutually respectful discussion was able to take place beyond the medieval ages. I loved that people were listening, and that the representatives spoke so clearly and concisely and there was very little bigotry and very little yelling. There was a little bit, but no one’s perfect.

I think, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much technology revolutionises networking, or how much more of a global community we are, or how much of an effect globalisation has on our international relationships. At the end of the day, humanity can’t function without effective networks, and networks can’t function without respect. We see networks as a very technical and structured thing, but, like always, a little humanity is always needed.

(Note: I realise I didn’t mention any other religions, such as Hinduism for example, but that was mostly because these are the major ones that stick out when going into religious debates that cause shit to hit the fan.)