I read a story in the Sunday L.A. Times about the Dali Lama meeting with some American Muslim leaders to discuss ways of improving the public's perception of Islam. The article intrigued me in several ways. First, I thought how wonderful it is that a spiritual leader from one religion would offer support such as this to another religion. Secondly, I thought how sad it is that a religion would have to improve the public's perception of it. Because of the actions of a small minority of a religious group, the public needs to have their perceptions improved about the religion as a whole.
It started me thinking about my own perceptions of other religions. I am Jewish by birth and a Scientologist by choice and training. While I do have some familiarity with Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism and Islam due to my studies when I became a Scientology Minister, I consider my knowledge to be relatively limited. How can I understand everything about these religions if I haven't read their scriptures? Even with the limited knowledge, I have always respected others' religious choices and beliefs. Do some to the beliefs and customs seem foreign to me? Of course they do, especially with my limited contact with Buddhists and Muslims and others. But I am respectful of the adherents to these religions because I believe most of them are all seekers of truth and believe in the goodness of their fellow man.
Start a campaign in your own home and your own community. Whenever you hear somebody degrading a religion, call them on it and ask them what they know about that religion. Get them to see how their prejudices are based on ignorance of the religion and its beliefs and, probably, on bigoted statements they might have heard in the media or from some friend or acquaintance.
How about learning about others' religions? It can't hurt.
