{"id":1615,"date":"2011-09-13T16:16:03","date_gmt":"2011-09-13T20:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beginnersheart\/?p=1615"},"modified":"2011-09-13T16:16:03","modified_gmt":"2011-09-13T20:16:03","slug":"doubts-and-loves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2011\/09\/doubts-and-loves.html","title":{"rendered":"‘doubts and loves’ ~"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I ran into an old poem-friend today — Yehudi Amichai’s “The Place of Right & Wron<\/a>g.” I’m thinking about the images — how ‘the place where are right\/ is hard and trampled\/ like a yard.’ But doubts? ‘doubts and loves\/ dig up the world.’<\/p>\n

Right is a kind of scorched-earth policy, if you think about it. I’m trying (hard, as usual :)) to be less opinionated. Given that I spent class today discussing why white people need to be allies — re: pro-active — against racism, ethnocentrism and prejudice, it may not even be possible for me to separate ‘opinions’ from ‘beliefs.’<\/p>\n

I still think it’s possible for folks to get along. But increasingly, as religions require ‘stands against,’ I find myself up against folks’ religious beliefs. Which I don’t believe I have the right to try to undo. In fact, I don’t believe anyone<\/em> has the right to try to convert someone. If you’re living an exemplary life, full of joy and love\"\"<\/a> and compassion, folks probably will want what you have :).<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if your ‘religion’ calls for beating up gays, disrupting funerals, bombing clinics or banks, then probably folks won’t<\/em> want what you have.<\/p>\n

So I’m going to try to cultivate more ‘doubts & loves.’ Doubt is a good navigator — you may not know where you’re going, but chances are you’ll enjoy the journey more. Especially if there’s love in the pilot’s seat…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I ran into an old poem-friend today — Yehudi Amichai’s “The Place of Right & Wrong.” I’m thinking about the images — how ‘the place where are right\/ is hard and trampled\/ like a yard.’ But doubts? ‘doubts and loves\/ dig up the world.’ Right is a kind of scorched-earth policy, if you think about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,17,15],"tags":[11,1181,1187,1228],"class_list":["post-1615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-belief","category-buddhism","category-compassion","tag-beginners-heart","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-engaged-buddhism"],"yoast_head":"\n'doubts and loves' ~ - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I ran into an old poem-friend today -- Yehudi Amichai's "The Place of Right & Wrong." 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