Distinguishing Religion from Culture

How has Religion and Culture influenced your identity? In this episode, Maheen delves into the intricate relationship between religion and culture, exploring how the two concepts often intertwine and influence each other. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or simply curious, this episode promises to offer a unique perspective on the interplay between faith and societal norms.

Transcript

0:02

Hello, everyone. This is my And Sohail and you're listening to season two, a fake ID podcast. I want you to imagine this. It's 7:00 PM in November in Brooklyn, New York. And you come across a poster that says fake ID live event. You decide to check it out. You go into this warehouse, like experience and notice that there is a room full of very inquisitive and curious people having extremely deep conversations. You start to talk to some other people and realize that everyone is really interested in the topic of identity. You're learning about who they are, what brought them to this space. And you start to share your own story of your own journey with identity. You notice that at the end of the room, there's four different rooms with different themes. One of the rooms is named religion and culture. You're curious. So you walk into that room. The room is small, only enough space for one person to sit. And there's a lot of religious books from different religions in this room. With a lot of different symbols from these various religions also pasted around. And you notice that there's a recording experience in front of you. A laptop and a mic. You're curious. So you hit play. This episode reflects the stories of people that attended the live event in Brooklyn, New York, almost two years ago. And they left their stories in this room, religion and culture. I hope you enjoy.

Maheen: 1:35

Hello, hello! Welcome to Fake ID's live experience. I am so happy that you could be here with us today. First, I want you to know that everything in this room is fully anonymous. Next, throughout this video there will be some instructions that might pop up to advise you. So just follow them. Your very first task is to start recording this interview, for which I'd like you to press the red button over there. Yep, let's start recording. Hit that button. And now that you've hit that button, it should be pretty obvious it's recording, but now I need you to not worry about that. I want you to just focus on having a conversation with me. If you stumble on your words, if you need to repeat anything, if you need a minute, or two, or three, or four to think, that's totally fine. That's where my editing skills come into play afterwards. Alright, now let's talk about religion and culture, and why you're in this room. So, when it comes to religion and culture, and identity, this one has been a tricky one for me. It's because I've grown up in a country called Pakistan where the boundaries between religion and culture are really confusing. the religion that I grew up with was very cultural and it's taken me a long time to disambiguate the two and to understand what parts of religion I want to form that are mine. Or what types of cultural norms do I want to either shed off or keep holding on to? And a lot of these are tied to just years and years of sort of generational trauma in the country or just things that have evolved over time that do not serve the purpose that I think is meant for religion. And also just even questioning of like, am I agnostic? Am I Muslim? Like, how is that evolving? Who am I spending my time with? What do I want in my future partner? How does that relate to who I want to be? All of these things. And so, it's a very, it's a very tough topic I would say. so that's a bit about why religion and culture matter to me and my identity. But I would love to learn from you. Why did you choose this room?

Code Geass: 3:46

So why did I choose this from religion and culture? religion and identity is something I've been exploring a lot more, And I'm consciously trying to shape, who I am and who I want to be. you know, trying to find the inner sectionality between religion and the person I want to be and what the society I'm living in.

RickandMorty: 4:11

So I chose the religion room just because it's a topic that's very, prevalent in my life. I kind of grew up going to church, from a very young age. I'll go every Sunday and every Wednesday for youth group. And kind of just told this story my entire life of what, you know, what religion is and what it means to me. How I should see a higher power. And something just didn't, something just did not sit right with me. especially until I, when I got to my thirteens and fourteens. something just was not sitting right. You know, I searched for answers left and right and I wasn't able to find answers to my liking, to the, to the deftness of my liking. And it kind of just sent me on this journey of like talking to others and reading books. And understanding history, kind of how I got to this point. Even to this day, you know, I kind of take a harder stance on my beliefs and religion. and kind of where I, what I see the purpose of religion being as a whole. And, I get a lot of flack for that, depending on the circles I move in. But yeah, religion really interests me, and I think there's a lot of, there's a big psychological component to it. And, that's why I chose this room.

5:22

So I'd say that religion and culture have had a front facing role throughout my life. growing up Muslim, growing up Egyptian, growing up American, have kind of set the foundation for a lot of the best parts of my life Religion started as something that wasn't very important to me. But now it's the underlying philosophy that dictates my present and my future. And I'm okay with that. And I reject the western notion that, that there's something wrong with religion. And that the future of human dynamics is going to be one that is secular. And I reject that notion because... I believe that religion has played a very important role in guiding us as a species. And I believe that religion offers us so much as individuals to improve the state of our domains, whether that be spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical.

Maheen: 6:25

If you haven't shared this already in your previous answer, I'm curious what role religion or culture has played in your life?

Code Geass: 6:34

So I was born in Buxton. I lived there for a year, came to New York city with my family when I was one, you know, pretty much raised in. And, you know, I grew up always knowing that, you know, I'm, I'm a Muslim. I follow the religion of Islam, but never really knew what that meant A lot of my friends going up war from China and Malaysia and very good friends of mine from, you know, third grade, I'm very good friends with, to this day. And I was the only, south Asian, darker complexion person in that group. So part of my identity was shaped, through their culture So. It was very hard to, express, you know, my side of things because, because how can I express something that I don't even understand myself? How can I express my culture, my roots, my religion, in a community that doesn't look like me, I guess. fast forward, to senior year of high school, I think that's really where my relation. With religion began. I was navigating some life experiences. my parents actually had gotten a divorce, you know, grew up in a very abusive household with my father and finally, you know, convinced my mom to break away from that. And then from that event, you know, there's, there's a lot of thoughts to navigate and to reflect on because it was a dark place, you know, I really didn't have any. Towards why these things happen and where to go from there. So I explored, different ideologies, religions and stuff like that. really took a deep dive into Islam And it was a moment in my life where I had found some actual. And that's what told me that, you know, this is the lifestyle I want to follow it. It gives me peace. So, and it gives me, gave me answers, right? Give me answers, purpose, and some direction in life. and yeah, man, I was very grateful for that.

RickandMorty: 8:43

Yeah, so maybe like the way, the way I referenced it earlier, right? I grew up going to church every Sunday and every Wednesday. I would sit there and listen to the pastor, you know, during the 30 minute sermon, exactly how things go down in your life, what should be expected, how I should present myself every day. And, you know, I would mainly go to church because my mother is very big to her. She grew up this way. My grandfather, also saw it as a very important thing. Even in the way we talk to each other, there's always, God this, God that, or, you know, bless you, bless that. So it's really intermingled in the way we speak with each other and our culture. I'm from Colombia, South America. I think In that area, there's still very traditional thinking when it comes to church and attendance and going every Sunday and, you know, contributing a part of your, income to it. so I kind of grew up like hearing all these things and, when I got to my early teens, I kind of had to make some tough choices for myself, when I was no longer required to go to church. and the way I interact with my mom and my parents has been affected by it as well. I think that, to answer that question, it probably depends on what circles I'm moving in. What the context is. If, you know, if I'm hanging out with my friends or people my age or people in the U. S., you know, it's probably more acceptable that I'm agnostic or atheist, usually more. You know, easier, easier to tolerate. If I'm hanging out with people who are like Latino or South America, if I say that it's probably usually like harder for them to stomach and it kind of throws me into like, well, who exactly am I and what do I stand for?

10:37

I think that the Western philosophy and the secular Western philosophy was, negatively influencing me. And I feel that it injected itself into my consciousness and started giving me the belief that religion is useless and that religion has no point in that God is. It's not relevant to my life And so now, after many, Years I feel ease in my path and I feel comfort with. The decisions that I'm making because I know that they're in alignment with a greater philosophy that improves not only my world, but the world around me. Culturally, I struggled to find harmony between my Egyptian and my American identity. I didn't understand the history of Egypt. I didn't understand the history, of my own family. And so, when I grew up in America, thinking about being American and being Western, and thinking about the music and the movies and the role that all of those things played in the world. In some way, I enjoyed learning about Western culture and Western society and Western music And the role that Western culture plays in the world at the same time the role that my own people and my own blood and my own DNA have played in this world and the influence that we've had on this world. I wasn't really in a position to appreciate those things. And I'm grateful now that I've been studying Arabic Since the beginning of this year, 2021, And... Realizing that there's a whole different philosophy and there's a whole different framework that exists out there in the world And that the more I develop my skill in interpreting that philosophy of my own people, the more sense of comfort I have as a whole, as an individual. And I think that's really important for people like me. To be able to look back at our roots and to be able to understand them and appreciate them in a way that Western society cannot. You know, English is not the default language for many countries in the world, and it's definitely not the default language for history. And so there came a point where I realized that if we took a bunch of Westerners and put them in the philosophy of the Arab world or the, or the Egyptian world to be specific, they wouldn't know where to go. And they would be suffering in the same ways that our parents who came from those countries suffered here in the United States because the philosophy was being challenged. And the ability to articulate oneself through this society in the States is a great challenge. it's important for us to appreciate our cultures and it's important for us to appreciate where we come from. And the experiences that our ancestors have had and what those experiences mean, not even necessarily to the world, but what it means to us and allowing that to guide us. As anomalies in this Western culture and Western world so that we can thrive and bring more value, not just to ourselves, but to our communities. that's what religion and culture means to me. b

Maheen: 14:06

My last question for you is, have you always felt this way about religion and culture, or has it evolved over time, and why is that?

Code Geass: 14:18

It ties to something I've been exploring this year with, spiritual development, and specifically like dusky, which is like a purification of your heart purification of your. And, you know, in Islam, you know, there's five pillars of Islam, which are very important. and I'm, I think I've been exploring spiritual development in terms of the interaction that we have with one another with people. you know, the way we treat one another, the way we interact with one other. All the actions that we do. it's a reflection of what's in our heart and it bleeds into our actions. So I'm trying to shape my identity into being a person who's positive, tries to create depth with people because that's what I want to be remembered for

RickandMorty: 15:05

That's a great question., I have not always felt this way. I used to pray and follow religion pretty closely. I studied the Bible, go to youth groups, try to be the best I could be. you know, the religion and God and this higher power. So again, in my early teens, I kind of started this transition of like gaining knowledge and asking hard questions. And I think by the time I was 17 or 18, I kind of, I kind of, I guess evolved or I, you know, fully came into who I am today more, more, more so. So yeah, it's changed a lot over time, but I would say over the last six years, five years, it hasn't changed much at all.

15:51

think religion is the greatest foundation that we have to navigate. Life's most difficult challenges that in some sense are novel to us as individuals, but are not novel to God And so if I seek the word of God, then maybe the challenges that I am facing can be simplified and easier to navigate. that is the foundation. And then culture is really the expression the expression of myself and that then connects to my confidence and that connects to the the pursuits that I have and the interest that I have and the things I want to do in this world and the harmony between religion and culture then sets the stage for exponential growth. enjoying the harmony of the Western philosophy and the philosophy of my ancestors, and the cultural expressions of both of those worlds. And allowing that to just come out of me in a beautiful way that is organic and unique and novel not just to myself But to the world around me Thank You for listening to fake ID. This is my hand speaking from the comfort of her room. Years after these stories were recorded in Brooklyn, New York at the live event. And I want to spend some time reflecting on what I took away from these stories. We heard two different sides of the coin. Scenarios where religion and culture can either be in harmony with one's identity. Or in conflict. But what's common amongst both scenarios is that they contribute to both personal growth and an understanding of your own identity. And it is true that through religion and culture, people can really find a sense of belonging. Ability to guide decisions and potentially it offers a framework for navigating life's challenges. Some people just do that through religion. Some choose that through culture and community. And others find that through other aspects of what's around them. And what all of that leads me to thinking is that it's honestly a bit humbling, right? We're all just on different journeys. And. Depending on the scenarios that you found yourself in, maybe you grew up in very religious households. Maybe you grew up in a country that is. following one particular religion, or maybe you grew up in a country that dismisses religion entirely. And then there's the scenario of who is around you, who is in your community? What situations you went through in life that either made you affirm or deny what you believed. And as a result, your identity has evolved over time. And. That in the end creates your box of values through which you live your life today. So the humbling thought for me here is that we're all just living in a big experiment. At least that's how it makes me feel. Right. We're all making decisions every day that are based off of our scenarios. And it gives me some. Empathy. That this is not easy. It's incredibly complicated. It makes me feel the grandiosity of things and it makes me feel. More comfort too. No. That there's many ways that one can go about this. And that's okay. Anyway, that is what I took away from these stories. And I'd love to hear from you as well. What was your reflection on identity when it comes to religion and culture? And did you agree with some of the opinions or disagree with what was said in this podcast? If you enjoyed listening to this episode, I think you will also really enjoy listening to some of the other rooms from this live event. So please go give those episodes of listen. If you really like fake ID, please consider subscribing to us on wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. And hopefully I will see you in the next room. Bye.