Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.12.2004, Side 19

What do you consider proof of God’s
existence, or do you operate on faith alone?
If your belief is strong, you don’t need
proof, but in the Bible there is certainly
proof in the form of miracles. Also, any
scientist will tell you that the conditions
required to create human life are
tremendous, that it’s impossible that life
just came out of nothing.
Is it possible for otherwise good people who
don’t believe in God to go
to Paradise?
Yes, I think so. The Old Testament says,
“There is a place in Heaven for all righteous
men.” It doesn’t say “only Jewish men.”
Should Scripture be interpreted literally,
allegorically or both? If
both, how does one decide what to take at
face value and what to
consider “open for interpretation”?
You can study the Old Testament all your
life and, with a lot of effort, you might
come to know one thing. You can’t just
read the Scriptures so easily and say you can
understand - you have to read through it to
get the whole message.
If God is all powerful and all good, why do
bad things happen?
Sometimes the Israelites aren’t listening,
and they need to be tested by God.
Sometimes God has a plan. The Old
Testament says that once there was a
famine in Israel, so the Israelites went to
Egypt, where they did pretty well. Then
some new people came along and made
them slaves. The Israelites cried out to
God, and He sent them Moses. God has
a major plan for everyone. We might not
understand it, but we can choose what we
do with it.
Is violence in God’s name ever justified?
No, never.
Why is it that bad people tend to enjoy
great earthly success, while
good people tend to live meagre existences?
If evil people are more successful, that’s one
thing. But when Judgement comes, the evil
person will have no chance.
Should children be raised in a faith, or
should it be left to them to
decide as adults what, if any, faith they will
follow?
Nobody is ever forced to be Jewish.
Religion is an integral part of any culture,
whether you´re talking about holidays, the
clothes we wear or the food we eat. But it
also teaches us how to live. If I think my
religion gives me good tools for how to live,
I’ll want to give those tools to my child.
Do we decide our ultimate fate, or has God
already done that for us?
There are points in our life that God has
reserved for us already. How we get from
one point to the other is up to us, but in the
end, we always end up at those points that
God has reserved for us.
Is there only “one true faith” or are there
many? If there is only one, how do we know
which one that is?
In all religions, what you have are people
believing in something greater than
themselves, working towards something
higher than themselves. The most
important thing is to stay simple and
respect others. I can sum up the entire
Bible for you in one sentence: “Love your
neighbour as you love yourself.” That’s it.
There’s a story I know about a man, not a
Jewish man, who went to visit a great rabbi.
He told the rabbi, “I’m a good person, I
donate money to charities, and I’m kind and
respectful to others. If I convert to Judaism,
will I be a better person?” The rabbi replied,
“No. You’re fine just the way you are.” I
think if you can do that, you understand
everything.
God: The Interviews
What do you consider proof of God’s
existence, or do you operate on faith alone?
My belief in God has to do with happiness.
True happiness is not in material things.
I’ve felt happy for reasons I couldn’t
physically explain.
Is it possible for otherwise good people who
don’t believe in God to go to Paradise?
I believe that this life is like a child’s life.
When we are truly born, it is because we
have developed self-knowledge, which
leads to independence. It’s not about what
club you get into. I don’t think anyone is
punished for not believing, but believing
does open up your heart.
Should Scripture be interpreted literally,
allegorically or both?
If both, how does one decide what to take
at face value and what to consider “open for
interpretation”?
Basically there is a Universal Hall of Justice
which devotes itself to answering believers’
questions. As it always turns out, the
answers to these questions are found in the
writings themselves.
If God is all powerful and all good, why do
bad things happen?
It is necessary sometimes for bad things to
happen so that we learn how to grow. We
must realise that there are consequences to
enjoying freedom - without them, there is
no real freedom.
Is there only “one true faith” or are there
many? If there is only one, how do we know
which one that is?
Our sacred writings refer to “the searcher.”
Bahá’u’lláh encourages us to study the
writings of all the prophets, and says that
truth is spoken from heart to heart. When
the truth reaches you, it goes beyond words;
it is felt.
Why is it that bad people tend to enjoy
great earthly success, while
good people tend to live meagre existences?
I think that question answers itself.
Should children be raised in a faith, or
should it be left to them to
decide as adults what, if any, faith they will
follow?
Parents are encouraged to teach their
children the writings of all the prophets
in order to understand where Bahá’í came
from. I couldn’t imagine talking to my kids
about God without mentioning Bahá’í.
Do we decide our ultimate fate, or has God
already done that for us?
We have free will. If I drop a cup, the
moment I let go of the cup it’s destined to
fall. So some things are destined to happen
- you can delay them, but you can’t stop
them.
Is violence in God’s name ever justified?
No.
Who do you think God sided with during
the teacher’s strike?
I can never imagine a human argument
where God is taking one side.
What do you consider proof of the Gods’
existence, or do you operate on faith alone?
I believe in the Gods, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean I think Odin is up there
making thunder. I think that the Gods are
truth conveyed through poetry.
Is it possible for otherwise good people who
don’t believe in the Gods to go to Paradise?
Warriors of course go to Valhalla to help
the Gods in their fight against chaos, but
most people go to Hel. Even though this
name has been taken today to mean some
horrible punishment, Hel is actually a
rather nice place. But people mostly choose
their own afterlives. Some people “die into”
stones, their families, or sacred mountains
like Helgafell, which is basically a 24-hour
party place.
Should Scripture be interpreted literally,
allegorically or both? If
both, how does one decide what to take at
face value and what to
consider “open for interpretation”?
We have a number of sacred texts, like
Hávamál, which discuss honourable action,
how to handle enemies, and how to deal in
business. These texts are practical guidelines
for living and we take them literally. But
we also have the Poetic Edda and Völuspá,
which concern more cosmological things,
and these are taken allegorically.
Are the Gods all powerful and all good, and
if so, why do bad things happen?
No, the Gods are not all powerful. But
we have this idea of fate, that bad things
happen because they were meant to.
Is there only “one true faith” or are there
many? If there is only one, how do we know
which one that is?
I don’t think there is just one true faith.
You can choose a God or Goddess for just
about every occasion or day of the week.
Life is too big and wonderful to confine
yourself to just one set of beliefs.
Why is it that bad people tend to enjoy
great earthly success, while
good people tend to live meagre existences?
Being an asshole has it’s advantages, but
I have yet to meet a happy asshole. Being
unhappy is what makes them assholes.
Should children be raised in a faith, or
should it be left to them to
decide as adults what, if any, faith they will
follow?
I think they should be left to make their
own minds up, but I think children should
be taught different belief systems, as I
think there’s a primordial truth behind
all of them. Doing this has never been
more necessary than today, with all the
ideological clashes which we’re seeing.
Do we decide our ultimate fate, or have the
Gods already done that for us?
We do choose our ultimate fate, but
the Gods have also set down the idea of
honourable actions which are aligned with
nature. I think as long you align yourself
with nature you should lead a happy life.
Is violence in the Gods’ name ever justified?
That’s kind of a trick question, as the
Viking way of life has often been associated
with violence. But actually the old religion
sought to maintain order and keep
fighting to a minimum. The good fight is
maintaining order, which doesn’t necessarily
have to be done with weapons.
Who do you think the Gods sided with
during the teacher’s strike?
The teachers. Knowledge is fundamental,
and Odin is the god of wisdom and poetry.
He’s all for the young being instructed in
the best possible way. I’m sure there’s a god
of bureaucracy, but I wouldn’t dare guess
who that is.
Six spiritual people speak about their beliefs.
Interviews by Paul F. Nikolov
Hákon Atli Halldórsson,
member of the Bahá’í Faith
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson,
chairman of Ásatrúarfélagið
Anonymous
(Two Jewish people living in
Iceland who asked that their
identities not be disclosed, stating
in part, “Sometimes you’re friends
with someone, then they find
out you’re Jewish, and suddenly
you’re not their friend anymore.
But these are very few people.
Icelanders on the whole are
worldly, open, nice people not
ruined by a few bad apples. I like
to focus on the positive.”)