Vitabu Vinavyopinga Dini

Ingawa mimi ni muumini wa dini, m-Katoliki, ninapenda kuzifahamu dini zingine. Sijiwekei mipaka. Sina tatizo na watu wa dini tofauti na yangu, wala watu wasio na dini. Ninajifunza kutoka kwao. Mtu unajifunza mengi kutoka kwa watu wenye mawazo tofauti na yako.

Ninasoma vitabu vya dini zingine, kama nilivyowahi kueleza katika blogu hii. Vile vile ninasoma vitabu vinavyohoji au kupinga dini. Fikra za wapinga dini zinafikirisha. Mfano ni kauli ya Karl Marx: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

Ninaipenda kauli hiyo ya Marx kwa kuwa inafikirisha na kusisimua akili. Kuna ubaya gani kwa mtu kuiponda dini namna hii? Kuna sababu gani ya mimi muumini kumchukia mtu wa aina hiyo? Kama vile mimi ninavyotetea haki na uhuru wa kuwa na mawazo yangu, naye ana haki na uhuru wa kuwa na mawazo tofauti na yangu. Ana uhuru wa kujieleza na kusambaza mawazo yake.

Ninavyo vitabu vinavyohoji u-Kristu. Mifano ni Jesus: Prophet of Islam, kilichotungwa na Muhammad Ata Ur-Rahim na Ahmad Thomson; The Gnostic Gospels, kilichotungwa na Elaine Pagels; na The Essential Gnostic Gospels, Including the Gospel of Thomas & The Gospel of Mary, kilichotungwa na Alan Jacobs. Nina vitabu vinavyouhoji u-Islam, vya waandishi kama Ayaan Hirsi Ali na Nawaal el Saadawi. Kuna vingine ambavyo bado sina, ila nitavinunua, kama vile vya Wafa Sultan na Ibn Warraq.

Kama mtu umejengeka katika dini yako na unatambua umuhimu na maana yake, kuna sababu gani ya kuvichukia vitabu vinavyoihoji dini? Jazba au masononeko ya nini, kama si ishara ya udhaifu na ubabaishaji wako mwenyewe? Binafsi, niko imara, na wahenga walisema, kelele za chura hazimzuii ng'ombe kunywa maji.

Fikra zinazohoji dini ninaziona kuwa zenye manufaa. Mimi kama muumini ninazichukulia hizo kama fursa ya kuimarisha imani, sawa na misukosuko inavyomkomaza mtu. Wakristu tunafundishwa uvumilivu, na hii ni njia ya kujipima tuna imani kiasi gani. Kama kawaida, nakaribisha maoni.

Waumini Waikumbuka Hotuba Niliyotoa Lands Lutheran Church

Niliwahi kuandika katika blogu hii kuhusu hotuba niliyotoa tarehe 11 Aprili, 2015, katika mkutano wa waumini wa Sinodi ya Minnesota ya Kusini Mashariki ya Kanisa la ki-Luteri la Marekani. Nimeona ripoti fupi ya hotuba katika jarida la kanisa la First Lutheran la mjini Red Wing, Minnesota, The Spire (July/August 2015) uk. 4. Ninaiweka hapa kwa kumbukumbu yangu.

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CANNON RIVER CONFERENCE REPORT

In April some representatives from First Lutheran, United Lutheran, and St. Paul’s Lutheran attended the women’s Cannon River Conference in Zumbrota. There was a very thorough explanation of the history of the beginnings of the Lutheran church in this area of the country, so there was less time for the main speaker, Joseph Mbele, a St. Olaf professor.

Besides teaching, Professor Mbele works with groups in the area to mediate cultural conflicts. He asked us to look at the positive and the potential in all people; do not rush to judgment. What is natural in one culture may not be correct in another, and what is an issue in one culture might not be an issue in another. 

For example, in Faribault the storekeepers were upset because the Somali men stood in front of the stores or nearby and talked. The storekeepers felt this was loitering and bad for business. In Africa this was the custom to talk together outside stores and it was considered impolite to make a quick purchase and leave. Americans are very concerned about being on time. In Africa it is considered rude to rush by people and not talk to them, and in small villages many are related. On the way to a meeting an African might stop and talk to a number of people, and probably will arrive late to a meeting.

Other examples: In Brooklyn Park other residents were complaining about loud music. In Africa everyone in the small town is invited to a wedding and no invitations are sent out. Child raising views are quite different too; Africans take the phrase, “It takes a village” quite literally. Everyone is supposed to help watch the kids while Americans believe they should only watch their own children and don’t want any help from other people. 

Professor Mbele wrote a book about some of these differences, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, which we purchased for the church library.

The next meeting of the Cannon River Conference will be held in April 2016 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Red Wing with United and First assisting.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Thorson, FLCW President

Makafiri

Ingawa watu wengi wanaamini kuwa masuala ya dini ni hatari kujadiliwa, blogu yangu haina kipingamizi kwenye kujadili masuala hayo, kama ilivyo kwa masuala mengine. Kama kuna tatizo, tatizo haliko kwenye mada, bali tatizo ni wahusika, kama nilivyoandika hapa.

Leo napenda kuongelea suala ambalo limenikera kwa muda mrefu. Ni suala la watu kuwaita wengine makafiri. Nimeshasoma taarifa kutoka sehemu mbali mbali za Tanzania ambazo zimenifanya niandike ujumbe huu.

Leo katika mtandao wa Facebook, nimeona taarifa kutoka Mbeya ambamo mtu analalamika kuwa kuna makafiri sana kule. Miezi kadhaa iliyopita, nilisoma taarifa kutoka Zanzibar, kwamba watu wa kijiji fulani walikuwa hawataki makafiri kwenye eneo lao. Ukipita mtandaoni, utaona kuwa jadi hii ya kuwaita wengine makafiri inajitokeza mara kwa mara miongoni mwa watu wa Visiwani.

Sijui hao wanaowaita wengine makafiri walipata wapi uwezo wa kufahamu undani wa watu wengine kiasi hicho. Nilidhani kuwa sote tunaosema tunamwamini Mungu tunafahamu kuwa mwenye uwezo wa kumhukumu binadamu, uwezo wa kujua yupi ni kafiri na yupi si kafiri, ni Mungu tu.

Hatujui ya Mungu, na bora tuwe wanyenyekevu. Hao wanaowaita wenzao makafiri huenda Mungu anawajua kuwa ndio makafiri wenyewe. Binafsi siwezi kumtambua kafiri, kwa sababu sina njia ya kuona yaliyomo moyoni au akilini mwa yeyote. Sithubutu kumwita yeyote kafiri, kwani nitaona kuwa kufanya hivyo ni kufuru, yaani kujifanya mimi ni Mungu.