We're aware of the irony: three atheists are driving from Cambridge, through Somerville, and into Medford, Massachusetts--en route to a Gurdwara while blasting Christian hymns on the radio. The church organ's hazy echo transforms Chelsea's stereo into a time machine, conjuring images of sweater vests and Sunday mornings past. It's nice to have an excuse to wear a tie. I realize I don't mind being up before noon on a weekend, a rare thought for this twenty-something.
We pull up to the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar and I am immediately struck by its simplicity. The building could easily pass for any of the restaurants it borders on Mystic Avenue. We join a group of more than 25 in front of the Gurdwara, gathered by Assistant Humanist Chaplain Chris Stedman: Muslims, Christians, Pagans, Zoroastrians and atheists stand united in their support of a community recently hit with tragedy. A Sikh man bows towards the Nishan Sahib, a holy flag raised high outside the Gurdwara, before entering. A small group stands outside the building, holding posters that state their support for a community touched by tragedy. While we make small talk and wait for the last members of our group to arrive, a Sikh woman embraces a Muslim woman in our group and thanks her for coming. The love and gratitude felt by the Sikhs of Medford is palpable.
We are led inside, where we are invited to part with our footwear. Shelves by the door are lined with a surprising amount of Converse: if nothing else, Chuck Taylors serve as a reminder that some similarities can always be found in diversity. We are handed headcoverings, and my fumbling attracts the help of a Sikh man to secure the bandana to my head. We smile and enter the next room.
Long carpets stripe the floor where we sit side-by-side and enjoy brunch. Traditional hymns sung in Punjabi are projected over strategically placed speakers--though it took me a few minutes to realize they weren't professional recordings, but were actually being performed upstairs. We make our way up a flight of stairs, passing encased displays of elaborate fabrics along the way, and find ourselves in the main room of the Gurdwara. A red carpet splits the room in two and ends at an intricate shrine, over which an equally intricately dressed man is waving tassels and chanting silently. To his left three musicians expertly perform traditional hymns as a screen displays the Punjabi lyrics alongside English translations. These translations, combined with an informational pamphlet provided by the Gurdwara, provide a cursory insight into the theology of Sikhism for those of us who were ignorant of the beliefs and the history of their religion. As Sikhism doesn't ordain holy leaders, the entire service is progressing without any discernible leaders. Rather, a large portion of the self-sufficient congregation is involved.
After these hymns, community leaders in attendance were called before the congregation to offer words of condolence. Religious leaders spoke of how their faith compels them to aid other communities and Chris had the opportunity to call attention to those without faith in attendance. State Senator Pat Jehlen spoke with rising emotion of the necessity for public officials to connect with communities fractured by disaster. By the time she had finished, she was in tears. After a memorial service, spoken in both English and Punjabi by members of the Gurdwara, we were led back downstairs for the langar.
We sat again on the long carpets while many members of the congregation brought us a variety of vegetarian dishes. As we ate, other Sikhs made their way back to us and replaced what we had managed to eat in these brief interludes. Even in the face of tragedy, this community was focused on hospitality and the needs of their guests. My plate was never empty and a new face accompanied each new helping. After doubling my weight, I turned to Chris and asked: "Why can't we have this?" Why can't atheists and Humanists prioritize community and inclusion more? I'm not sure I have an answer for this, but I suspect it has something to do with why we as a movement utterly failed to recognize the shooting at Oak Creek.
I don't need to remind the atheist community of the oppression we face. We've all lost friends and alienated family members for simply advocating an end to religious privilege. What I do wish to remind the atheist community of is the fact that oppression doesn't stop being important when another community is its target. It was very disheartening to see that atheist blogs and news sites covered the hate crime in Oak Creek even less than the mainstream media did (which is saying a lot). I have not seen a single atheist webpage cover the subsequent shooting of two members of the Oak Creek Gurdwara on August 16th, which resulted in another death just days after a white supremacist opened fire on the congregation. Because of their outward appearance, it is not safe to be an American Sikh. American Sikhs are so clearly deserving of our compassion and attention, but the atheist community has been less than forthcoming. I'm not sure of the exact reasons, but I wonder if this is because we have interpreted "rationality" as opposed to empathy, among other emotions. This predisposition to be disinterested in our neighbors inherently limits the atheistic quest to end injustice; if we are only for our own causes, we can't claim to be agents of justice or rationality.
We can change. There is a growing interest in the atheist movement in the concern of other marginalized communities. I've seen this mindset take hold at my own university and it is starting to materialize at the national level. I want to see compassion placed as our foremost priority. To this end, we will be coordinating monthly visits to our religious neighbors in the Boston area. We want to learn what is important to the religious, what their rituals are, and let them know that atheists are here. The Sikh call to feed all who enter their house of worship is laudable and worth emulating. I would love to see Humanist communities adopt a similar model of outreach and solidarity. Who knows what other traits we can repurpose for a new Humanism?
If you'd like to get involved, please email me at info@harvardhumanist.org.
Spiritual Spectrum - Sikh Dharma, Religious Science and Humanism
Humanism of Guru Nanak - Sikh Philosophy Network
A Challenge for Naturalism: Humanists Need a Ready Answer
Memorial Service for Sikh Gurdwara Shooting | The Humanist ...
But thanks for feeding another stereotype. Not that I think your stereotype of atheists is accurate either.
The reason is obvious: atheists aren't a community, in particular atheists aren't a religious community. Atheism is merely a philosophical position on one small topic. From that nothing much follows about your culture, politics, ethics, etc. It may follow that you wish to advocate for that philosophical position being correct or to protect the rights of those of the same philosophical position. But it doesn't follow that one values tolerance or feminism. That doesn't imply that one comes from the same cultural tradition with particular songs or food. There's just no real commonalities amongst atheists to base forming a community.
Since there's no atheist community, why are we expected to have a response to the Oak Creek shooting? Did you ask for a response from other social movements such as the gay rights movement? Or from those of other philosophical opinions, say compatibilists? Do you ever wonder why gay people or compatibilists don't have music and big feasts? I mean, when you ask this of atheists, this is basically what you are asking.
Stephen, if you want community or to take interest in particular social justice issues, that's fine but you are going to have to do that on your own as a person. Just because I share one philosophical opinion and a few similar ethical/political opinions does not mean I owe it to you to provide you with a social life and assistance on social justice.
Just be a normal person?
I mean, I'm not sure what you are looking for here, but I dont belong to a religious community...I belong to a community in general, The my apartment building community, the Hudson County community, the New Jersey community, the America community, and so forth. These communities include a large cross section of different people, but that is my 'community'. I see no reason to add a religious community, when I can do all that stuff without the superstition.
Personally, I think 'real communities' would be a lot better if people stopped trying to squeeze into sectarian religious communities, and embraced the larger community with inclusiveness and so forth. Heck, if ya came to one of our block parties we'll give ya all the food you can eat too.
IDK, join your local Rotary club or the Elks lodge or something...you'll get the same thing but without the superstitions.
Because my community literally means my community, and not a group of people who share my superstition.......I mean, what you want from me? To open a temple and do stuff I would do anyway?
If you come to my party I'll give you all the food and beer ya want, or you can join a rotary club or something.
My understanding is that Sikhism calls 'God' as Waheguru which is a combination of three words Wahe (meaning awe-inspiring/amazing) + Gu (darkness) + Ru (light). Sikh 'God' is the amazing force/power that removes the ignorance of darkness through the light of knowledge. Since there is no acceptance of heaven/hell, angels, demons, supernatural beings, gods and goddesses, Whaeguru is not the traditional God of other religions.
Waheguru, the higher force/power, is without gender, without form, unborn, self-existent, unfathomable, immeasurable, non-discriminating, without hate and enmity and this is why Sikhism can inspire all people including atheists.
There are dimensions of existences with infinite variation just as the physical experience on earth is not dualistic but infinite variation of experiences and modes of being in the world.
One must stand between materialism and religionism to find evidence on these other dimensions for to stay within one's beliefs limits a person's ability to see outside their beliefs and hidden paradigms.
Materialism and religion have much to offer just dont take either as absolute truths.
Now personally, as an atheist and stone cold skeptic, I have no desire to replace religious clergy with Humanist clergy. Care would have to be taken to make sure these are clubs rather than congregations.
It is a toss up to who is less aware. those that believe something can come from nothing or those that worship a personal god made in their image with traits of jealously, anger, revenge, has chosen people and nations.
Atheism and religionism are interesting aspects of the human mind as they reveal both the ability of the human mind to experience at a subconsciousness level the herd effect and the paradigm effect and the ego's desire to want to be known for knowing in spite of the evidence.
With that explanation for their differences, no religion is that perfect, as they are all man made.Sikhs killed thousands of unarmed Hindus all over north India by taking them off buses in a separatist movement. It has not been that long ago that they blew up a plane full people from North America. No religion is quiet so perfect.
Sikhism is a revealed religion must be a desire to reinvent history. No wonder I hear the new 'Ibrahimic religions' used for revealed religions. Must be to discourage the newly revealed religions.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7597109/Caste-discrimination-against-Indias-untouchables-is-an-international-issue.html