Thursday, August 27, 2009

Inter-Religion Discussion - Chapter One.

Today, i was just having a dinner with my new international fellow students. Well, i am not really having dinner, since i was still fasting this evening. There are a Bulgarian, two Dutch, a Swedish, two Latvian, and a German sitting on our table.

As usual since the first day of the orientation days, every time they are having meals and drinks, i always not consuming one since i am fasting. And today, again, i say that i am not ordering yet. Then, they start questioning the thing that i do, i mean the fasting thingy. They are wondering why i should control my hunger during the day from the sunrise till the sunset although it is summer, and it is a long day. They also questioning me about the five times prayer a day. Moreover, they also asking me about Indonesia as the biggest Moslem country in the world. And many more.

And here, i should explain it. It feels good to share what you know and understand, and also having people telling their opinion. Although it is not easy since, i am explaining my belief and it may reflects the whole religion. For me, this is my first time to got a chance to involved in such inter-religion conversation and i enjoyed it so much.

Moreover, on this occasion, i am the object of the question. I mean, they are questioning me, and i tried to replied. As one of my friend, Erwin, said : the thing that become our biggest enemy now toward this issue is the stereotyping and prejudice. Therefore, on this occasion i try to deliver the message :

Every person got choices. Every one has their own right to choose about what they want to believe in. The only thing is, no single human in this earth having a right to force what he/she believe to others with any mean. Then, we should respect each other.

And after that, everyone on the table are agreed upon me. Then i come into the conclusion that, it is not that hard to live side by side with people from different culture, religion, race, color, and what so ever it is, as long as we still have a will to learn, understand and respect each other.

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