There's a burning question swimming in my head for some time now, although I still don't quite understand why I even bother myself with it.
What I used to see were the mutual trusts and faith in people: people being with people, people caring for people. Nature provides, and as much as it gives, people were endearing, not greedy, and very mundane towards full-blown developements.
Since young, I knew about places of worship taking in people, helping and feeding those in need. I've seen it in the movies, and I've seen it when I go to temples. Was at this old church once when I somehow chatted with the caretaker, whom, in all honesty, bluntly told me he used to be a bad person. When he was finally released from jail, he was homeless and had no one to turn to. The church gave him a chance and took him in, paying him a token fee for shelter and manual work.
Even in the newspapers, I've read about halfway houses whom received many ex-drug addicts, gave them jobs and a new shot in society (no puns intended), coupled with counselling and advice.
So it became very strange that, of all things, I found many temples, churches, mosques, and places of worship in general, walled up behind some kind of...wall.
Intentional, that's for sure. But to guard against what? Non-believers? Thieves? or pure inconsiderate brutes who might break a glass or cast a stone against the doors?
I mean, look at it this way. I'm not a strong faithful, but knowing there are others who believed in something else - sensibly - I wouldn't intrude into their spaces for what it is worth. True, there can be accidents, but in the house of gods and deities, who would really dare venture in to cause a deliberate reckus?
For centuries, high walls provided a defence, a shelter, against the elements so that the monuments of religion could stand as long as possible. And without skyscrappers to block and deflect winds, high walls ensured some amounts of safety against the weather, but most of all, against wild animals that roamed in a sparsely lived arena.
But now that we have strong building materials, tall buildings and have caged practically all known species of animals (in general), what do we really need these walls for now? Why? I seriously wonder.
Now that faith stands on a thin fine line of wrong and right, godsend directives and human nature, and most of all, believers and non-believers, what then does religion still stand for?
Fire a missle at my territory, and I pray it won't hit me?
Mental comfort, or pure propaganda of self-interests?
If we actually narrow this down, people do not go far from religion. And they certainly won't go farther with their family, cos it still says so in their names. Until the time of spaceage thinking where people may eventually be conceived artificially, grown like fruits in an orchard, strong cultural bonds would still build a city, or destroy a country. And who would you think of when a missle is fired at your house?
Why walls when we are all defenseless against one another. You kill me today, and you get shot tomorrow. What now? Nuke earth might as well.
Fact is, why walls round a temple when the only intruders might be stray cats that obviously would need the shelter. Why fence a church when it's supposed to welcome, not keep away? Why a lockable gate for a mosque when it should be opened at all times to those who need shelther any other time?
I honestly would advise the homeless to seek shelter at these places of worship during office hours. After which, they better set up their own tents right outside. Oh wait, you'd be fined $2000 for trespassing private property, and if you're homeless and broke and you can't pay, you might want free food, lodging and entertainment in jail. Hold on, your church is actually owned?
Think back now: if you're roaming the streets without a penny, all you've got is freedom in already a dead-locked place. Might as well take up my jail idea if you can't manage to be as rich as Bill or Donald.
Ok, I think you can stop laughing now. Sleep time, night cyberspace.
|
