calmSo we're at lunch, me and two coworkers. And we're discussing table manners, and then we segway into customs, including the ubiquitous handshake, and I mention that I remember a bible story about the left-handed warrior who killed the king and got away with it because no one expected him to have anything on the right side of his cape, because well, most people don't wear their swords there. Both the people I was dining with remembered the story and were able to discuss it with great relish, and as we got deeper into conversation, I remembered that the third person of our party was also a very religious guy. And suddenly I blurted out what a joy and a relief it was to be able to discuss religion so freely in conversation.
It's the kind of thing everyone hates to bring up, not so much for different religions, because I'm a different religion than the other two guys, but for different levels of religion. Religious people have a base-level commonality, an willingness to be open before man as they are humble before G-d. I know it sounds like I'm generalizing based on the conversation I had today, but I've had others like this, and they share that characteristic openness and willing to listen.
One of my coworkers said something that I thought was particularly salient and interesting: that all religions divide into basically two elements. 1) G-d is supreme. 2) You are supreme. And some religions are designed to promote the idea that humanity is supreme and the individual can control all aspects of his or her life. Christianity, Judaism and religions of that ilk are designed on the premise that G-d is supreme and god controls all aspects of life.
I plan to think about this for the weekend. Enjoy it, ya'll.