Religion is one of the defining characteristics of a person's identity as much as culture is. Each religion in the world has its own story to tell; some have more similarities between them, and others are separated by larger differences, therefore each tells its own single story. This means that they all tell parts of a story but they also leave out a lot of information that can be crucial to the perception and judgment of others. Hence, the perceptions we have of some things become just one side of the story and not the whole truth about something, someone, or somewhere. In religion the single stories that we choose to believe affect the process of selecting, interpreting and organizing information, as well as how we relate with other individuals from different religions. Depending on which religion you are, is going to be the point of view that you have your whole life. Intentionally or not, it place you against other points of view, and that is the biggest reason for the division of society. The religion in which we grow up in and the way we are raised in those parameters, shape the single stories that we develop, and affect directly the perceptions and judgments we have about other people, cultures, and religions.
In the ted talk “The Danger of a Single Story” made by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the author talks about the dangers of creating single stories around cultures, people or even objects. The specific example she used about the books she read when she was young and the single story she had about literature. We do create many single stories around the culture and religion that we are immersed in while growing up. When we grow up in a common single story about a belief, as a child we do not have the tools or the knowledge about the existence of other beliefs to ask questions or refute it. Consequently, that single story becomes stronger and after years it is difficult to break it down. The author supports my idea when she said, “What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children”(Adichie). Based on this, speaking specifically about religion, we can say that when we are children it is easier to believe in what people tell us, creating a single story that will shape our thoughts and actions according to a God or a family belief.
In addition, when we are children someone teaches us what is good and what is wrong, the special dates, the prayers, the rituals, and other particular characteristics of the religion in which we are raised. What we do not often learn at a young age is that these parameters are for our family or culture belief therefore it is not the same for everyone. For example in Turkey, where 99.8% of the population is Muslim, there is a religious rule where women have to wear something named Burka to cover their hair, shoulders, and legs; furthermore if a man has to talk to a woman, and her father, husband, or son is present, the man turns to the masculine person and never directly to the woman, not for disqualifying her but for a sign of respect towards the man. Also, some differences between Muslims and other religions are that they consider Jesus as a prophet like Moses, and that they do not believe in the virgin Mary. This exemplifies the beliefs, rules, or manners, showing us that the way we are raised is from where we create our single stories about religion.
Further, in my own experience I have noticed how the fanaticism of different single stories about religion make huge divisions in our society. Two years ago I went on a trip with my parents to the Middle East. I found many things that differentiate me from that countries and that I did not know about religions and cultures. I felt the biggest division for religion at the entrance to Israel where they give us a small paper instead of stamping our passport since we were going to Jordan and Egypt. There is a rule that if you have the stamp of entry to Israel you could not enter to other Muslim countries. Moreover, we noticed that there was a concrete wall more than four meters high dividing the border between Israel and Palestine, I had never heard of its existence before I saw it. Also in both countries there were military planes that were flying over all the time, and too many army officers walking down the street armed with all the weapons as if a war was going on. I was intrigued to understand clearly what was happening in that place, and I asked Tal Taublefend our host in Jordan about it. He explained me that they hate each other because of a religious difference and conflict of political interests, but mainly because of an opposite single story that they have of each other. According to Adichie, “So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.” This statement relates to Palestine and Israel conflict. One the one hand, Palestine only sees Israel as one thing, the enemies who had stoelen their territory and are killing their folk, they only have hatred towards the Israelites and their motto is NO recognition, NO peace, and NO negotiation. On the other hand, Israel only sees Palestine as one thing too, the enemies who try to steal the territory that they conquered, and that are killing their people when they want peace. Adichie also brings up thought that relates to this idea when she says, “The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar.” Because of single stories people create divisions between themselves making it difficult to recognize the similarities of their cultures, religions, and others.
Furthermore, the single stories we create, influence and most of the times, reinforces the stereotypes people have created about some religions or cultures. In the text called “Superman and Me” written by Sherman Alexie, he writes about the Indian reservation education system, and how people from minority groups are oppressed under a stereotype that is defined by a single story about the Indian culture. One example of the cultural stereotypes that appear in Alexie’s text is when he states, “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid.” This stereotype defines all indians as stupid, and expected to fail in the eastern Washington state, is broken down by the dad being an avid reader who loves books and passes his devotion for reading to his son, who ends up being a writer and teaching creative writing to Indian kids. What is more, Alexie writes about the way he sees the world in paragraphs. Not in the formal sense, but in a new, non conventional, and memorable way. He uses a metaphor to state how certain objects are paragraphs. I like to think in the same way about religion. A religion is a paragraph, and as Alexie describes it as “a fence that held words”(110). But religion instead of holding words it hold beliefs. I agree when he says,
Inside our house, each family member existed as a separate paragraph but still had genetics and common experiences to link us. Now, using this logic, I can see my changed family as an essay of seven paragraphs: mother, father, older brother, the deceased sister, my younger twin sisters and our adopted little brother. (Sherman Alexie)
With this idea I define our world as an essay, composed of seven paragraphs as well; where we have Christianity, Islamism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, tribal religions, and others. Where each religion exist as a separate paragraph but they still having similar points in common that connect them, like the belief in a God or that there is good and evil.
In conclusion each religion tells each side of the story. As a result we end up with different single stories and each one have different perception. Perception is about how distinct people can interpret the same message differently. Correspondingly we should believe but do not be obsessed with the single stories that we have been told about religion, “when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise” (Adichie). In terms of religion, people should stop noticing the differences between their beliefs about the same God and interpreting his message of love in different ways. We should not get too attached to the single story because they create stereotypes and they may affect the way we interact and how we judge people who has different beliefs. We should respect others beliefs as we want them to respect ours, and try to make a better world.