Do you understand the draw of a particular geographic
location for spiritual or personal reasons?
Might the danger in this case be part of the appeal? To what extent should pilgrimages be supported
by governments, NGOs and/or religious organisations? Have you ever gone on what you would
consider a pilgrimage?
Hi. Welcome to the blog for my IB English B class at Jur Hronec High School in Bratislava, Slovakia. Below you will find links to other websites and discussion questions. My students are required to comment on one of these postings every month and also respond to each other's comments. Feel free to add your two bits, but be aware that all comments are monitored before being posted.
ReplyDeleteAs I find the topic of the religion and its influence to be deeply interesting, this article enthralled me. Discussing the extreme conditions under which some religious people are willing to participate in their traditions honestly took me aback. I can understand the draw of travelling to a particular geographical location for spiritual reasons. Some locations hold great value simply because of the events that occurred at the specific place and their value is not easily transferrable. For instance, the rabbi’s gravesite described in the article could theoretically be moved, by creating a memorial in another place, but it would not be the true place of his burial and the memorial would not reach such levels of significance as the original location. As a non-believer, however, I cannot understand the religious aspect of the reason behind the pilgrimage. To me, travelling to a war-stricken country to visit the grave of an individual who passed many years before my birth is past the line of rational action. The danger of the situation might add to the appeal of the pilgrimage, with the risk adding to the spiritual significance. I enjoy taking risks for the adrenaline rush and believe many do as well. However, I believe that there must be critical thinking behind taking such life-threatening steps to a greater extent than relying on the fact that “God will protect me, as He always has.”
Additionally, I find it quite unsettling that the people participating in the pilgrimages under these dangerous conditions bring along their young children. I firmly believe that children should not have to join any religion or be exposed to such risks as described in the article, simply because their parents decided it would be best for them. Children should be allowed to give time to mature before deciding for themselves what religious beliefs and traditions they wish to partake in. A friend’s uncle decided at 15 to be baptized, because he wanted to, despite none of his family members being religious. I think this is a very good example of how incorporating religion into children’s lives can be handled. They should be informed of the various religions the world has to offer while being allowed the option to remain atheist. I do not believe that anyone is inherently born religious and that people should have a right to choose before being assigned such a potentially restricting label at birth.
-Veronika
Veronika, your last point where you mention how children should not join any religion and choose the traditions they wish to partake in truly interested me. I do agree with this statement to a certain extent. I completely understand your concerns and I think that it is important to prioritize children’s safety and freedom of choice. However, I do not think that waiting for them to mature to join a religion and robbing them of many traditions (such as Christmas) in their younger years is the best idea. Children do not have as much experience in life and decision-making, their opinions change daily due to the large amount of information they gain, and they may many times hold grudges to anger their parents. By introducing children to religious traditions early on, parents can provide a strong foundation for them to make informed choices as they mature. It is not necessarily about assigning a restricting label but providing a cultural and spiritual heritage that can prove to help them. I believe that it is crucial to balance this with an open-minded approach, where the children are also exposed to different religions and have the option to choose their own path when they are ready. I would say that the key is to find a middle ground that respects the children’s freedom while allowing them to explore their religious/cultural heritage. I could imagine it being hard for religious parents not to share their experience with the religion with their children. I must add, that I myself am not religious and was exposed to the existence of different religions my whole life, so I may not be able to interpret things the same way as someone religious might. While I agree with you on the fact that children should have free choice, I do not see them being religionless and traditionless from birth up to them being considered “mature” as a realistic solution.
DeleteNina
I, myself, am not religious, therefore I cannot fully understand the significance and spiritual meaning, and value a pilgrimage like this can provide to an individual. But as seen by the vast number of Israelis who have undergone the Uman pilgrimage this year, the dedication to follow their faith and traditions is unwavering. The willingness to undertake a now even more challenging and dangerous journey, some even bringing children along, is a remarkable display of commitment to their faith and traditions.
ReplyDeleteThe Uman pilgrimage is not just a religious journey, but a deeply spiritual one, allowing participants to connect with their faith, heritage, and community in an unique way, perhaps even more when risks such as the ongoing war are present. The added danger, and further complications such as transportational, can create a new challenge for travelers that can further strengthen the sense of spiritual commitment and highlight their devotion to their faith as they complete the journey.
Regarding the role governments should play in this case, it’s difficult to assess the extent to which they should support the pilgrimage. Israel is a predominantly jewish state, and religion is deeply rooted within it. Government’s role is to guide its citizens and prioritize their safety, therefore, their main aim should be to discourage people from taking part in the Uman pilgrimage. Open willingness to support pilgrims prior to the journey will weaken the seriosity of warnings. But it’s apparent that religious devotion can often transcend rationality, and some are willing to undertake the journey anyway. The Israeli government should therefore provide some financial help to NGOs and religious organizations to indirectly protect its citizens.
A verbal discouragement from the pilgrimage by all NGOs and religious organizations should be clearly present, as it might have a stronger impact on the decision of potential pilgrims. They should however also provide assistance such as logistical, informational, and humanitarian support in order to minimize danger throughout the journey and ensure a better and safer experience for pilgrims. The religious organizations can also provide financial help, to enable devoted believers in a bad financial situation to undertake this spiritual journey.
-Michal