Forming platforms of comprehensive communication and understanding the
differences of philosophies on the subject of creation of universe, that
is the meaning of life... These are the main questions of human being to
be analyzed and studied. There are thousands of interpretations made by
humanly thinkers or those of belief systems derived from various religions.
Which one of those reflects the real essences and attributes of existence
of universe?
Through the history, the East and the West have constitute two blocs' fronts
clashing against one another. Till which time this struggle will continue?
Depending on the changes of social, political, cultural, educational and
intellectual conditions of human being we can predict that. For the time
being , we will observe the structural and relational changes between two
blocs.
For centuries the East generally represented by the Muslims and the west
generally represented by the Christians and Jews, the last two of which
was conceptualized by Qur'an as "the people of the book", have resisted
against understanding each other. Unfortunately, many attempts to form
a platform of dialogue and communication in between these two groups could
not gain sufficient success.
Today forming a medium of communication between different religious cultures
specifically between Muslims and Christians are one of the most important
problems in front of the humanbeing. Some inevitable conditions in the
past constituted a kind of barrier for various social or religious groups
and nations against thinking, learning and understanding the correct meaning
and essence of the existence of universe . But depending on the gradual
changes in these conditions today, the human being specially Christians
and Muslims are about to understand each other and thus being persuaded,
be united under universally shared pure and perfect realities related to
logic and essence behind existence.
Regardless of the belief systems, it is definite for those who are the
believers that the meaning and the essences of life , the reason of existence
, the relation between the creator and the created are the same and common
for everything in the universe. Only differences are the types of understanding,
perspectives and interpretations of this common reality. Now the question
at this point is those different belief systems although having some resembling
characters and sharing same beliefs, include many differences in their
main suppositions or in some details.
The meaning of life and question of creation are common to all humanbeings.
Therefore the most important effort of humanity should be on investigating
the performer of existence, maintenance and mechanization of the universe,
the role of human being in this system and what the past and the future
are.
Although there have been many attempts to find out answers to these questions
-without doubt the answers were given to human being- neither answers found
were the same as all pointing out to the correct reality , nor all humanbeings
have shared the same true belief systems depending on their answers.
Many reasons and conditions effected the attempts for bringing the East
and West together on a platform of communication. The socio-political or
intellectual conditions of the past ages, which can be said to cause clashes,
wars, prejudices or false communication between especially Muslims and
Christians can be classified as follows:
1.In past ages human life was proportionally wild; tendency towards
savageness could easily be observed. This character was and is without
doubt against pure and true communication. Relations between people were
depending on physical force rather than intellectual activities. Only solution
to disagreements was physical force rather than dialogue and discussion.
2.We know that human being can be influenced either mentally or spiritually
or both Spiritually affectable, sensible people, who are those mostly behaving
in reference to their senses and feelings cannot easily be persuaded by
means of intellectual activities. People in the past had proportionally
affective personality, which means tendency towards bigotry or fanaticism.
Fanatic one who tent to behave in accordance with his or her internal references
rather than external references, has specific opinions and beliefs of himself
or herself, that cannot be changed easily by means of such activities as
expression or discussion. That character of the people and of the societies
of the past ages have formed a barrier against communication. No matter
how perfect the efforts to broke the walls between the societies were,
it was not possible to bring the people of different belief systems together.
3. Imitation was one of the main characteristics of the past ages.
Opinions, values or beliefs were derived absolutely from those of the ancestors
or the religious and political leaders of the societies rather than individual
investigation and research. This meant that mental activities of human
societies were very weak and all the behaviors were under the effect of
those being imitated. In case all the mental activities are left under
absolute effect of leaders or ancestors, new and better perspectives can
be limited. Frame of behavior gets shape under the effect of the interests
of a certain amount of persons. Even in parallelisms with the enlightenment
and changes of societies towards perfection no reflection could be observed.
4.Another character of the past societies was that education system
was not effective and broad. Absolute majority of the people were illiterate
and uneducated. Absence or weakness of education was and is one of the
reason for absence or weakness of communication and understanding. Without
doubt intellectual exchange requires thinking and evaluation from as much
different perspective as possible. Uneducated individual without questioning
himself or herself or others, tends to behave in accordance with those
being identified with him or her. No tendency is there to make analysis
on the differences of perspectives.
5. One more thing was that all the socio-political systems were depending
on gained power pressure and despotism. Those gained power in their hands
were the head of absolute rule. Totalitarianism and despotism were not
only the character of political systems but also have effected all circles
of life; family relations, educational systems, social behaviors. Within
these conditions thinking and behaving outside determined rules were requiring
courage and self confidence. Furthermore for those who want to act no support
could easily be gained from the societies for the kind of activities breaking
the structure formed by despotic understanding.
Human history shows us that these five characters had been observed in
both Islamic and Christian societies, but they much more had been reflected
on Christian societies. Furthermore different from Islamic societies, Christian
societies were under the effect and the authority of Church. Church, the
representative of religion was placed between people and God the creator.
Attempt to get into contact with other belief systems had been possible
within the limits as allowed by the Church. Islam can not be characterized
as such since Islamic belief system leaves individuals alone before God
without any interference by others.
On the other hand as the time has gone on, Muslim societies had distinguished
their life to some extent, from their belief system. Some kinds of immorality
like fraud, embezzling or gambling have flourished in Muslim societies.
One more thing was that under the effect of bad conditions of the Islamic
nations Muslims started to lose their despair and hope. In addition to
general characters of the past societies these specific situations of Muslim
societies camouflaged the beauty of the belief system that is Islam in
their hands.
Islam declares that there is only one God the merciful and the compassionate;
Mohammed and other prophets(be peace and blessings upon them) are all His
Messengers. From this perspective just as Islam is the religion of God
so are Christianity and Judaism. Then why those who believe in these different
religions could not have united themselves under universally shared, correct
realities? Until this time the reasons were the common characters of the
past societies and the specific characters of the Christians and the Muslim,
which have not allowed them to exchange those being in their hands and
minds. Today and in the near future these conditions cannot be and will
not be the reason for being two blocs of fronts struggling against each
other. If this position stays unchanged then there should be some other
reasons or factors helping the position to continue.
Today societies are living under gradual changes that will have eventually
forced them to sit on the same table. What are these changes and what will
be the probable results of them in the future?
Risale-i
Nur and The Positivism
Reflection
The
Concept of Religion
