By Irene Conlan -

Today I was playing a computer game on a game site that has a chat area alongside the game so people can chat with their friends or with anyone playing the game at the time. There is the option of having a private chat but two people did not opt for privacy. One player was talking about how her boyfriend dumped her because his religion did not allow him to date someone who was separated but not yet divorced as she was.  She quoted the boyfriend as telling her that his religion did not permit this and he was “not going to hell because of her.”  They had been dating for four months and evidently it just became a problem for him.  The person responding was giving her advice about what God had to say about the matter (all negative) and the chat continued. It soon became a free-for-all of people with different religious beliefs telling her their version of what God demands. It became a very lively chat for all to read.  There were multiple pieces of advice as well as outright telling her she was not a very good person. It was amazing to me that people would have such a discussion in a public chat room and that they would presume to speak as though they were the chosen spokesperson for the Divine.

It was also amazing to me that people, when talking about religious beliefs, could get so vitriolic with someone they have never met and didn’t know.  All kinds of opinions were put forth. Two chatters were quite adamant that they were the only ones with a handle on “absolute truth” and what God said – but their opinions were widely diverse.  All of the comments were judgmental and most derogatory. I found it all to be very sad.

I consider myself spiritual – not religious (there was a day that I was more religious than spiritual). I have a deep faith in God and I am trying to become familiar with the sacred writings from a number of belief systems in an attempt to address my own questions.  What I keep reading is that “God is Love” and that human beimgs  are to “love one another.”  The sacred writings also all seem to speak of  “Oneness.”

In light of this, Love and Oneness, I wish to voice an appeal.

If we’re all in this together, isn’t it time we put aside our differences and help each other out? Isn’t it time we begin to truly love one another and show respect for each other’s differences while recognizing our similarities?  Can’t we say to someone of another faith “Namaste – the God in me recognizes and honors the God in you” ? I realize doctrine and dogma enter in to the way we view other faiths, but can we continue to ignore the teachings of loving one another? If God is love, are we not also love?

Would it have helped the lady in the chat room if someone had responded lovingly?  Perhaps they could have said something like,  “I really don’t know the answer but I will pray that the right answer be made apparent to you.” or “We, as human beings,  make the best decisions we can make with the information and experience we have at the time, and you will make the best decision you can make as well.” Perhaps one of  them could have suggested that they go to a private chat room so the discussion could have been private instead of blasted out to the 20 – 30 people who were playing there?

Did she have to go to a chat room for help because she was looking for someone who wouldn’t judge her but help her figure it out? Perhaps she assumed that if no one knew her, they wouldn’t judge her.

There are way too many questions and so many different opinions. No answers.

I would love to hear your comments. What would you have told her?