Wednesday 25 February 2015

Religion Talks

Guten abend, everyone :D

Hi, I hope you all guys fine today, because honestly I'm not. Recently, my body seems not really fit. Maybe because I go out too often and breath too much unhealthy toxin and carbon dioxide and cold air of nights. Beyond that, I hope you guys can stay healthy, because being sick is suck.

Okay, enough for the preamble. Let's get to the point. Remember on my last post when I wrote about my discussion with Germany's student last week? I promised you I would share that to you, so here I am.

Diversity is heard pretty and peace in some of people. But I just found out that some of people feel the contradiction. In fact, diversity seems so strange for them. That's what my friends from Germany feel. 

In Indonesia, we have adjusted with differences of background, ethnic, tribe, and religion. It's all because of our ideology that based on Pancasila and Bhineka Tunggal Ika. That ideology succeeds to bound us together, unites us as Indonesian people. We care about our diversity, but we don't take it as the problem our nation has. Nonetheless, we do take it as the quality and identity as Indonesian people.

In that discussion, mostly my friends asked us (I was with some of my friends) how to live among of those people who have different background of religion with us. In this case, I and my friends are all Buddhists and my friends from Germany are all Christians. They are about going to be nuns and pastors and learning Theology. 

My answer was because of the reasons I've written above. Then, they also asked if the situation where we are living now (Indonesia) with that tittle of the Biggest Muslim's Country in the world affects our faith or not.
If you (whoever you are who is reading this now) have a deep believe of your faith now, you must answer that question with your head shaking, just like me. Though there are still several problems that offend some religions in Indonesia, I think it's just a common one. Just like having a discussion group, for instance. It's almost impossible for all of the members to have a same opinion. There must be one or two people who have different opinions. And what we should do about it? Yes, accept that difference and find how to figure it out. In the case of that question, what we (me and my friends) do to face that problem is just keep silent. Buddha once said, just keep silent, listen, and you will understand.

After their time asking question had ended, that was our time to ask. Because they were all keep busy with their dinner (we cooked them Nasi Goreng and they liked it), I asked for Miss Claudia for a question.

"Miss, I wonder something. You know that news about the attack of terrorist -who is believe the member of ISIS- in Paris of a magazine office few months ago. I just wonder, are you guys as Germany people feel threatened with that attack? And what your government do to protect their citizen from that kind of terrorism?"

More or less my question was like that. Then Miss Claudia replied with a surprising answer. Some Germany folks have done some movements against ISIS. In fact, their rights to acknowledge more about someone or something that related to ISIS is limited. Some parts of the land are also forbidden to be visited. That's all what government can do to protect their people. As for Germany people, they protect themselves by keeping their religion or faith as their secret. It's better to interact and socialize with people without knowing what their religions are. 

Talking about ISIS, I follow some news about them. In addition, Indonesia also becomes their target to expand their politic, religion, and territorial. That also frightens me sometimes, but I believe Indonesia will remain the same. I also hope that whoever you are, you will not be hypnotized or effected by that wrong ideology of ISIS. I know you'll stand in a right path. I know you better than that. 

After having that discussion, I feel so much grateful living in Indonesia. I know that Indonesia is the only country in the world that stands on Pancasila and Bhineka Tunggal Ika, which purely came from the elderly, our ancestors, based on our culture. I'm also amazed with my own country. How come that our country -which has so many islands and separated by oceans- can bound so many kind of different background people under those ideologies? That's what we should be proud of and we should keep until the next generation comes. 

For you who have the same thoughts as my friends for Germany before, please be open minded. Take diversity as something pretty and something that can power up your identity instead of lose it. If you can respect one another, I believe you can live in such a peace of life, too. 

That's all for tonight. Cherio :))