Foreword

Our lives laid down in war and peace may notBe found acceptable in Heaven’s sightAnd that they may be is the only prayerWorth praying. May my sacrifice Be found acceptable in Heaven’s sight. Robert Frost, A Masque of Mercy

Subconsciously we make the mosaic of of our lifeevery day – piece by piece, nugget by nugget, pebble bypebble. Sometimes it seems tous that theMaker’s handhadshapedusalone,detached,unique,solitary,lonesome.Thecolourswearecoveredwith(aswithaveil)arespecial,sharp,separated...Untilwecometounderstandthatthesecolours, just like the shades on a gifted painter’s canvas,iridesceandenrichawholenewworld.Thisworldisnotjustabubblingmotley–sometimesitisatangleofcontradictionandbinaryoppositions,of sourand sweet fruits,ofdeepsadnessandunutterablejoy–butitisaworldgiventousas a legacy. Its underlying concept and what permeatesit, consciouslybutmoreoften subconsciously, is the faithindeed.

Therefore, it is interesting to see how the youngpeople,whohavejuststartedtomaketheirownmosaics,graspthatall-permeatingforce.Isthefaithonlyanabstractnotion to them?Do they dealwith seemingly pettydailyactivities(whicharebynomeanspettyorirrelevantintheendless order of things) in a faith-observingmanner andholdingtowhatthefaith iscommanding?What ishistoryto them and are they attached to their ancestry? How

mucharetheywillingtogivefortheirfaith?Doesthefaithenlightentheirwaysandpathstoself-realization?WhereistheTruthforthem?

ForuswholiveourtemporallivesonthecrossroadsofdifferentculturesandreligionsthequestionofOtherisextremelyrelevant.WhoistheOtherforus–isitamemberofanalien religionandalien cultureorperhapsevenour co-religionistwhoisnotsharingthesameviewsasweare?What do we think about the atheists? How our attitudetowards faith shape our attitude towards the Other? Doweeasilydismissall thatarenot likeusordoweseeour differencesasamanifoldDivinegarden?

Indifferentandcharacteristicways,theseessaystriedtogive theiranswers for theabove-mentionedquestions.In theirobservations, someof themponderedupon faithfrom the scientificperspective;however, theirpositionofbelieverswasclearandstern–whichistheevidencethattheauthorsoftheseessaysarewillingtoreflectuponthegiventhemesfromdifferentangles.Theopen-mindednessandtheabilityofcriticaljudgementwasshownintheessayswherewasrevealedtheunmaskingofhypocrisyandever-presentabuseoffaithforselfishandbaseaims.

Theseessaysdonotgivethefinalanswers;theyarethereflectionoftheyoungpeople’squestontheirlife-journey.Thesestandasaconfirmationthattheall-permeatingshadeinthelife-mosaicisthefaithindeed.

Dženita Karić

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Through my everyday life with religion

The shadow of religion in history

Manybelievenowadaysthatreligionisthecauseofunrestsandconflictsbetweenpeoplesandnations,andintheendofthewarsthatshakemankind.Indeed,differencesin religious understandings led to conflicts many timesthroughhistory,even to thoseof theworstkind–armedones.

LetustakeasanexampletheCrusadesthatChristianswaged against Muslims in the Middle East during theMiddleAges:somanyvictimsfellfornothing,withtwistedmotivationofconqueringaterritory“inthenameofGod”.EvengreaterevilhappenedduringtheSecondWorldWar,whenGermany,ledbytheNazileaderHitler,performedthebloodiestandmosthorriblegenocidefoundinthehumanhistory:wholeethniccommunitiesweredecimated,mostlythemembers of the Jewish national and religious group,whowereoutof jealousyandenvyproclaimedunworthyoflife.

There were many more conflicts and persecutionscausedbyreligionandreligiousintolerances,butthesehadnot escalated to full-scale wars; instead, they remainedhidden from the history. No one should keep secret theatrocities performed because of religions, moreover:

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individualsandthewholehumanityshouldtryandgetoverthembyspeakingopenlyofthem,togetamutualsolutionforquestionsnotresolvedtothisday.Weshouldturnthenew page of history and look what is the importance ofreligiontoday,inourtime.

Weareallawareofthereligiousdiversityintheworldandweknowthatamanasa freebeinghas the right tochoose his life path, committing himself to the religioussystemhis fondof, that he thinksfits himbest. But, thatdoesn’tgothateasyinreality.Thereforeweaskourselves,if we are so familiarwith the religious truths concerningallofus,whydowemakeoureverydaylifeharderbynotaccepting other’s choices? Why so much discontent andhatredforamanwhochoseawaysomewhatdifferentthanours,ifhedoesn’tacceptthereligionwedo?Ifthereisthefreedomofchoice,whydoweliveintheworldthatdoesnottoleratereligiousdiversity?Wouldn’titbeeasierforallofus to live in friendshipandunitywith themembersofotherreligiousgroups?

Religion in my country

SituationinBosniaandHerzegovinaisevenstrangerthan the abovementioned. There live three nationswhocanrarelyrespecteachother.Wearewitnessesofwhattherecentwarhasdone toour country. The reasonsarenothidden innationalitiesonly: there are intolerances in thereligious sense. Strange phenomenon, present in BosniaandHerzegovina,makes the thingevenharder andmorecomplex.Namely,religiousaffiliationofmostofthecitizensisequaltotheirethnicity.

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Like in other world countries, there live membersof other, less represented religions. In every major citylive people of all three religions, there are shrines thatareoftenmorevisited thanmoviesorconcerts,and sucha phenomenon cannot be found anywhere else to thisextent.Churches,whetherOrthodoxorCatholic,mosquesandsynagoguesbecamelongagowhattheyarestilltoday,favorite gathering places for a large number of somereligiousgroups.

Religion from the beginning

Already in the ancient Greece – the cradle of theEuropeancivilization–questionthatarenotansweredeventodaywereasked,“Whatisman?”,“Whywashecreated?”,“Whocreatedhim?”.Atfirstthemythologytriedtoanswerthese questionswith its stories and anecdotes about theinvincibleandimmortalgodsfromOlympus.ContrarytotheancientGreekand thepeculiarpolytheismof theancientRomans,todaywearegivenasheritagemostlymonotheisticreligionsofourancestors:Judaism,ChristianityandIslam.

Religionisdefinedandunderstoodasanattempttoexplainsecretsthatwerepeculiarlyinterestingforhumanity,secretsonlypartlyornotclarifiedatall.Throughouthistory, religion often had a great power, very often misused bythose in power. Thatway, in themediaeval hierarchy thePopehadthepoweralmostequaltothattheemperor;usingtheignoranceofpoorcitizens,JewishsadduceescontrolledtheincomesoftheTempleofJerusalem,andvariousIslamicfanaticsthoughtthattheywillhaveanadvantageovertheotherMuslimsonenteringtheJennet.Noneofthisserves

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thehonorofreligionstheleast,butitdegradedanddegradestheauthenticityoftheirmessages.

Nevertheless, we should take in considerationthe positive side of religious life, all the good deeds thatindividuals, whether they were so called small or greatmen,didthroughouthistorybecausetheywereinspiredbytruereligiousfeelings.Everyreligiouscommunitykeepsinitonegreattreasure,greatenergythattransferstocertainpeoplesortothehumanityingeneral,sowecansaythatallthepeoplearethesuccessorsofallthevaluesofallthereligions. None of the religions or religious movementsissosmall that theycouldn’tactivateat leastonepersonoragroup towork forgeneralgood.Therearecountlessexamplesthatprovethat:fromEgyptianpharaoh,whogaveaway grain supplies to the poor people during dry yearstoavoidgeneralhunger,toMahatmaGandhiandMotherTheresa who, with their lives and work, have positivelymarkedlivesofmillionsofpeopleofthemodernage.

Religion and politics

Itseemsthatreligionandpoliticshavetoliveunderthesameroofunconditionally,thatonecannotgowithoutthe other. Nevertheless,we shouldmake a clear divisionbetween them. If someone had thought of defining andlegalizing this border earlier, I believe that many of thehorrorscausedby the Inquisition, socalled religiouswarsand assassinations, conflicts between the emperor andthePopecouldhavebeenavoided.Religiousandpoliticalauthorityshouldworktogetherforthebenefitofallcitizens,regardlessofthereligiouscommunitytheybelongordon’t

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belongto.Thatistheonlywayforpermanentcontributiontothebenefitofeveryindividual.

Besides, religious and political authoritymust eachhaveitsownmethodsandaims.Religiousauthoritieshavemoralpower,buttheydon’thavemilitaryorpolice,whichareatthedisposalofthepoliticalauthority.Therefore,asreligiousauthoritiesdon’taccessanddonotneedtoaccessthepoliceandmilitaryapparatus,politicalauthorityshouldnotseekforreligion’smoralauthority.Anyconfusioninthisareacouldeasilyresult inthemisuseswith longandhardconsequences.

Conclusion

Onceuponatimeawisemanansweredthepoorman’squestionabouthowtomakeotherstobemoregeneroustohim:“Tobeabletochangetheiropinionofyou,togainvalue in other’s eyes, you have towork on yourself first,thensitandwatchhowtheworldaroundyouischangingforbetter.”Indeed,lifeismutualacceptingandgivinghelp.Itisanundisputedfact,thoughweareoftennotawareofit.Wearecreatedbyonehand:whetherwecallitYahweh’s,God’sorAllah’s– it isthehandofthesameAlmightyandGoodBeing, thatputus into spaceandorderedus to loveandrespecteachothermutually,thewayitfitsGod’screatures,regardlessofthereligiontheybelongto.

Danijel StanićFranciscan Classical Gymnasium in Visoko

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Religion through the life in the Church

„Your faith has saved you. Go in peace”.(Luke 7:50)

AswehaveintheScriptureoftheNewTestamentthecallofJesustotheapostles,todaywehaveacallfromGodtobelieveinHim,tofeelthatcall.AccordingtothewordsofHilarionAlfeyev:„Godgivesmanasignofsomesort,apresentimentofHispresence...Godinvitesmanpubliclyorsecretly,noticeablyorevenimperceptibly.ButmanfindsithardtobelieveinGodunlesshefeelsthecall“.1

The one who believed in God, who felt the call;he should want a personal relationship with Him. HristoJanarasisspecificwhenhetalksaboutreligion.Hesays:„IfyoubelieveinGod,youdon’tdothatbecauseyouarebeingdictatedbysometheoreticalprinciplesorsomeinstitutionshows youHis existence. You believe inHim becauseHisPersonality,Hispersonalexistence,giveyouconfidence.Hisworksandhistorical„activity“,Hisinterventionsinhistory,

1 BishopHilarion(Alfeyev),The Mystery of Faith, An Introduction to the Teaching and Spirituality of the Orthodox Church,Kraljevo2005,pg.15.

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makeyouwanttohaveapersonalrelationshipwithHim“2, faithisthewayonwhichGodandmanapproacheachother.ForApostlePaul,faithistheworkofGod’smercythatbringsthefallenmanintothestateofsalvation,becausehesays:„The righteous will live by faith“.(Romans,1:17)

Attheverybeginningofourspiritualbirth,i.e.,duringthesacramentofbaptism,webecomethetruemembersoftheChurch.TheveryactofbaptisminscribesinustheiconandengravesoursoulswithaformwhichmakesuspartsoftheSavior’sdeathandResurrection.3RightherestartsourlifeinChrist,andaccordingtothat,wehaverighttocallbaptismthebirth,orsomesimilarname,amongothers,becauseitawakesinthesoulsofthenewbornsthecognizanceoftheGod.4 After the baptism, the sacrament of Anointment isperformed,whereweget the sealof theHoly Spirit, andthebaptizedgetstheenergiesappropriateforthislife.AfterthesesacramentscomesthesacramentofEucharistsinceitisnotpossibletogoanyfurtheroraddsomething.AfterthesacredEucharist,though,wehavenowherefurthertogo,weoughttostopthereandtrytolookformeanswithwhichwewill be able to keep the treasury of good. ThepromisewearegivenabouttheHolyMealsettlesuswithinChristandChristwithinus.Becausehesays:“He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him“.(John,6:56)AndwhenChristdwellsinus,whatelsedowe

2 HristoJanaras,The Alphabet of Religion,Beseda,NoviSad2002,pg.24.3 SaintNicholasKavasila,About the life in Christ,Beseda,NoviSad2002,pg.54.4 SaintNicholasKavasila,About the life in Christ,Beseda,NoviSad2002,pg.101.

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need,whatgooddowemiss?AndwhenwedwellinChrist,whatelsecouldwewishfor?5BecauseeachEucharistunionshowstheimpassabledesignationoftheworld,showingitnot theway itwas throughhistorybut theway itwillbeintheKingdomofGod.Therefore,wegotothetempletoreceivesomethinginit.Temple,it’sthewallsbuiltaroundthesacramentofEucharist.Andthesacramentisaboutthehandwith gifts stretched out tomen. That’swhy visitingtempleisnotsuchadifficultduty,butawonderfulprivilege.WearegiventherighttobecometheattendantsoftheHolyMeal.

We are given a possibility to touch the energy nopowerplantintheworldiscapableofproducing.Thosewhosaytheydon’tneedmediatingtemples;theyhardlytakethewordofGospelastheirauthority.Butperhapstheywillfeelthehumanverityandcredibilityofthewordsofeveryone’sfavoritehero–WinniethePooh:“Butit’snotthatsimple.Becausepoetry–it’snotathingyoufind,it’sathingthatfindsyou.Andallyoucandoistogotherewhereyoucanbefound”.Godlookedforusandhasfoundus,andweshouldsimply go and stand on a place where God approachespeoplecloserthananywhereelse,aplacewhereHegivespeoplethemost incrediblegifts. If theChristgivesusthecupofEucharistbehindtheEmperor’scastleandtemple,shouldwe, really, turn our faces away and claim “God iswithinmeandmysoul”?Christsaidwherehewaitsforusandwhathewantstogivetous.He,theEternal,wantstomeetusandunitewithus inthis life,sowedon’tremain

5 SaintNicholasKavasila,About the life in Christ,Beseda,NoviSad2002,pg.120.

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irreparablylonelyinthenext,oureternallife.6

The presence of the divine energies in the worldcontributes not only to the preserving of the harmonybetween theman and the cosmos, but it takesman andmatterintounitywithGod.ThisunityofGodandcreation,undermined by the man’s outlawry, is reestablished byChrist’sincarnation,withpre-eternalLogos,throughwhichtheworldwasbuilt,takinghumannaturetorenewitandtakeitintounitywithGod.

WeshouldaskourselveswhydowemostoftengotoChurch and ask something fromGod?BecausenowadaysmanyareinclinedtoseeGodasageneratorofhumanitarianaidonlywhentheyneed it intheir lives.Theymostoftenspeak thisway: “Give us, o Lord, a lot of health, a lot ofsuccessanda lotofmoney…!”ButwhydoesGodask forus, doesHewant to take something away fromus, or togiveus something?WhyHisword calls: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden“.(Matthew,11:28)Thiscalldoesn’t contain an offer like: „And you giveme that andthat...“Thiscallendsdifferently,ittalksaboutwhatGodwilldoforthosewhoanswer:„I will give you rest... and ye shall find rest unto your souls“.So,GodinvitesustoHimselftogiveus something.What’s that? The knowledge– „Learn from me“,TheSpirit–„Receive my Spirit“,Love,PeaceandJoy–„You will inhabit my Love... I will give you my Peace... My Joy will be in you...“ButChristgivesussomethingelse,somethingunimaginable...„You will dwell in me, and I will dwell in you... Know this is My blood that is spilt for you...“

6 Seewww.vjerujem.org,DeaconAndreiKurajev,Why should I go to Church, if God is within my soul?

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Christgiveshimselfinwholetothepeople,HisdivinityandHishumanity.7

DivineandgreatApostlePaul,definingwhatthefaithis,says:“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews,11:1) If someonedefined itas innergood,orthetrueknowledge,onethatconfirmsthesecretgoods,hewouldn’tdowrongtotruth.Afterall,theLord,teachingusaboutthesecretthingsandthatwedon’tseebutwehopefor,says:„The Kingdom of God is within you“. (Luke, 17:21) Therefore, faith in Godequals the Kingdom of God. It differs from the Kingdomonlybytheidea,becausethefaithistheKingdomofGodwithoutshapes,andtheKingdomofGod is thefaiththattookshapeinadivineway.8

Religion helps us in our relationship towards theothers,becausewe,OrthodoxChristians,ifwetrulybelieveinwhatissaidintheGospel,thenwebecomethemercifulSamaritan(Luke,10:30-37)whodidn’tlookatotherpeopleashisenemies,butashisrelatives.Therefore,taughtbythisexample,wedon’t lookatother9 peopleasourenemies,but as our relatives. Since, according to thewords of St.John, it is impossible for aman to loveGod truly, and tohatehisrelative,for anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.(John,4:20)LordChristhasgivenanorder:„Thou shalt love

7 Seewww.vjerujem.org,DeaconAndreiKurajev,Why should I go to Church, if God is within my soul?8 ProtojerejJovanBrija,PhD,The Dictionary of Orthodox Theology,Belgrade1999,pg.79.9 Whenwesayotherhere,wemeanthoseofdifferentnational-ityandreligion.

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the Lord thy God with all thy heart...“ (Mathew,32:37)and„Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself“.(Matthew,22:39).ThesearethetwogreatestcommandmentsChristhasgiventothepeople.Because,whatyoudon’twantpeopletodotoyou,don’tdoittothem.

Wetriedtopresenttheteachingofourreligioninthiswork,forbetterunderstandingofourbeliefandthewayweseefaithandwhatisourattitudetowardsothers.

Nedeljko GoranovičThe University of East Sarajevo

Faculty of Orthodox Theology„Saint Basil of Ostrog“ in Foča

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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My view of religion

WhoamI?WhereamI from?WhereamIgoing? Idon’t know how many times have I asked myself thesequestions,butIdoknowthatthereisnotapersoninthisworldwhohasn’tdonethesameatleastonce.Though,therealquestioniswhatisitthatmakesusthinkthisway.Isitthesoul,orperhapsthespiritofGodinus?

Sciencehasprovedtheexistenceof thesoul, ithasevenmeasured itsweight, butwhat it has not done andneverwillbeabletodoistoexplainit.Whatisitinusthatmakesusspiritual,thatmakesusaskourselvestheeternalquestions,ormoreeasilysaid,whatisitthatgivesustheneedforfaith?Religionistheonlyonethatcanhelpusanswerthesequestionsat leastpartially, feedour soul, satisfyingourspiritualneeds.Theman,awareoftheexistenceofmorethanafewdeterminersinhislife,turnstowardsreligion.Weoftenfindourselvesinasituationwherepeoplecannothelpus,sowerelyonGod.Everyreligionhassimilarelementsinitsdoctrine,aswellasdifferences,justasthereareindividualfractionswithinthosereligions.Theproblemappearswhenfollowersof certain religiousdoctrinesor fractionswithinthose doctrines take their religion as the only true onewhichresults inconflictswhichhave theaimto imposeareligious affiliation. Unfortunately, this is not a rare case,sincemostofthewarswerewagedforthisreason,aswell

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asthemisuseofreligionisnotrare,whichiswitnessedbytheCrusadesduringwhichtheChurchreceivedenormousauthorityandpower,withnoonedaringtostandupagainstthePope’swill.Insteadofreligionurgingpeopletodogooddeeds,weoftenhaveanoppositesituationwherepeopledoactsinappropriatetohumanreasonandmind,allcausedbymisinterpretingtheirreligiousdoctrine.Thedifferenceofreligiousdoctrinesmustnotbethereasonforconflicts,andpeoplemustnottakereligionastheirideal.HermanHessesaidinhiswork“Steppenwolf”:“There is no more fatherland for me or ideals, because all of that is only a decoration for the gentlemen preparing the next slaughter”. As a Muslim, I am dedicated to my religion andperforming its services and everything it obliges me todo,butIthinkthatpeopleofdifferentreligiousaffiliationsshouldmutuallycommunicateandspeakaboutthingstheirreligions agree upon because every religion has similarelements that should be used to prevent conflicts andachievegeneralprogressingood.

Mekić EnsarGazi Husrev-bey’s madrasa in Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Religion in everyday life

“Someone is watching us, someone watches us all the time” EKV

Situation one: Increasing number of Bogumilsis noticeable in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are verynoticeable, picturesque and more or less they drawattentionwherevertheyappear.Thesearethemachomenwhomanagetomarrybeautifuland“chaste”girlswhoaftertheygetmarriedputonablackveilofinvisibilitytopreventtheir beauty from escaping them, and chasteness fromwaning,allundervoluntarypersuasionoftheirhusbands.Andtheyhaveevenmorebenefitsinthesociety:oniftarstheygetadistinctplace(instrictlymencompany,ofcourse),theytakethemiddlepathoftheroadbecausepeopleeithereschewthem(thoughlesslikely)orhonorthemtoomuch(morelikely).Itisawellknownfactthattheiropinionsarerespected–agirlmarriedhercousininthefourthgenerationbecauseherBogumilbrotherallowedherexplaining:“ItcangowithArabs”.

Situation two: Large number of choirs performingreligioussongshasbeennotedinBosniaandHerzegovina.

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Someofthemarefamous,theirmembersrespected.Thoseare usually choirs inmajor cities that record CD’s and goontours.Though,weshouldnotneglectthelocalchoirsinsmallerplacesthatareespeciallyactiveduringthemonthofRamadan,Eid,mevludsetc.Manygrandmassighinecstasywhentheyheartheangelicvoiceoftheiryoungneighborperforming “Šehidski rastanak” (The Parting of Martyrs)whosemother like anyothermember’smother is proud,happyandasgreatasaminaret.Ofcourse,thegirlhasanightoutafterthemevlud.Shetakesoffherscarfquicklybecauseshe’salreadylate.Atanappointedplace,sheisfarenoughfromthemosquenottobenoticed,herboyfriendawaitsherandtheygointothedark.

Situation three:StudentA:Dude,I’vereadthatDanBrown’s“TheDaVinciCode”.StudentB:So,whatdoyouthinkofit?Student A: It’s really good, packedwith action and thereisa lot to learn,arealhistorybook. I’vebecomeabetterbelievernow,trustme,Iunderstandthatstuffbetter.StudentB:Whatstuff?StudentA:Well,theHolyGrailstuff,thepersonaeofJesusandMagdalene.Andbelieveme,I’mconvincedthereisGod.

We can see in these situations that religion reallyhelpsineverydaylife.Ijustdon’tknowwhetherwebelieveenoughorwearebelievable?

Amila VinčevićGazi Husrev-bey’s madrasa in Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Religion and society before and now

Anytalkaboutreligiontodayisverydifficultandrisksbeing vague.We cannot speak about religion in general,onlyaboutreligions,thatisaboutfaiths,whichmakesthisspeechverysubjectiveandoftenbiased.

Religion came into being as man’s aspiration forsomething greater, as a wish to fulfill his purpose. It’s asimple attempt to respond tohis existence. Thequestionappears:whywouldpeopleatall liveon theplanet,whywouldtheyinhabittheEarth,withouthavingagoodreason.Itwasnotonlythereligionwhichtriedtogivetheanswerto this question, but philosophy aswell,with its roots inGreece.

Through history: from myth to philanthropy

Inthebeginning,mythologywasborn,substantiatedbytheogonyandcosmogony.Theattemptwastocreateanimageoftheworldbasedontheexistenceofgodsthatwouldbeappropriatetotheworldofthattime.Forthatreason,allchanges intheworldwereexplainedbymythology:allphenomenaaretheresultofgodsacting–fromOlympus,fromtheUndergroundorfromthesea.

AtthesametimewiththeGreekmythologicalreligion

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which was polytheistic, the monotheistic Judaic religionappears.ItisthebeliefinoneGod,theCreator,Whogovernseverything,makesaCovenantwiththechosenpeopleanddefeatsitsenemieswithHismuscles.Onthebeginningofthenewera,ChristianitydevelopedonthebasisofJudaicreligionand600yearslaterIslamaswell.

In the Antique, like in ancient Israel, states werecreatedinwhichreligiontookoverthemainroleofshapingthewayof life of the individuals and the community, i.e.thestate.HolyBooksinawaybecamethecodebooksuponwhichthestatelawsweremade.Simplyspeaking,stateandreligionwere closely connected: religious leadersbecamethestaterulers,campaignsofconqueringwerepresentedasholywars,and people with different opinions andreligiousminoritiesweredescribedasstateenemies.

It is enough to look back only at two greatmonotheisticreligions,ChristianityandIslam,whichofferedpeople unlimited source of spirituality, to understandhowincredibly fastthesereligionsspreadontonewareasand how powerful means they were in establishing andmaintainingpoliticalstability.

The problem appeared when religions stood upagainsteachotherofficially,whensometriedtoprovethatone of them is better ormore capable, holier andmorespiritualthanothers,meaningthatonlyourreligionistheright one. In my opinion, we should accept the religiousdoctrineinwhichwewerebroughtup.So,itdoesn’tmatterif one is aMuslim, a Christian or a Jew:whatmatters isthat he believes in oneGod, because that is the basis ofallmonotheistic religions. In consistencewith this, all so-called religiouswars, including theCrusades,wereonly a

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reflectionoftheprimitivehumanwishforconqueringandvictory.Therewasnothingreligiousinthem,becauseGod,Who is the Absolute good, is no conqueror, He acceptseveryonethewaytheyare.Theexampleofsuchcleanunderstandingoffaithinsoulandfaithinlifewasgiven,notonlytoChristians,buttoothersaswell,bySt.Francis,poormanfromAssisi,whoacceptedwithloveallthecreatures,peopleaswell,becausehesawthem as God’s creatures. While Christians and Muslimsfoughteachotheratthebeginningof13thcentury,hestoodbeforethegreatEgyptiansultanandshowedhimwithhislifethateverywarispointlessandempty,especiallythewarbetweenbelieversbowingbeforeoneandthesameGod.Hisexamplehas itsmessage thatgoesbeyondtimesandspaces,andIthinkthathehasalottosaytous,ChristiansandMuslimsinBosniaandHerzegovina,atthebeginningofthe21stcentury.ItwasnotonlySt.Franciswhorealizedthestrengthoffaith,thepurefaiththatchangesmanandworldforthebetter:therearemanyexamplesofmenandwomeninotherreligionswhotookfaithastheirlifepath.

Faith in man: Treasure in a clay pot

LifewithoutGodishard,lostandmeaninglessinitsend.One cannot do anythingwithout it. Religion definesmanasacreaturelowerthanGod,butdoesnothumiliatehimwiththat,moreover:itmakeshimhuman,returnshimtohimself.ByestablishinghisrelationwithGod,manenricheshimself,notbeinghumiliatedatall.Tobelieveistoacceptcertain moral principles, on which religious and general

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socialvaluesaredefined,principleswhichunmistakablytellmanwhatisgoodandwhatisbad.

Inmyopinion,oneshouldnotbeextremelyorientedin religion. Admitting God’s divinity and one’s humanityby fulfilling religiousdutiespresents thebasis foraman’snormallife,becausereligiondoesn’tteachevil,butalwaysgoodandgoodonly,andwithitthelovetowardseveryman,even towards his enemy. Religion teachesman that lovetowardsanothermanisasimportantaslovetowardsGod.Weshould standup forothersandaccept themwhetherthey are believers or atheists. It is everyman’s duty, andespeciallythebeliever’s,tobethereforothers,andtoliveforthem.

Man’s body is the shrine of spirit: only theman asanimal rationalecanrealizewhatisgoodandwhatisbad,thinkandcomprehend,discoverandobey.Forthatreason,religion, by which I refer to praying and talking to God,presentsarestforme.Forme,itisthetimewhenIcollectwhat I have achieved andwhat I am, the space to thinkaboutmyselfinthetruthofmybeing.Ilookatmyactions,deedsandthoughtsaskingmyselfwhatisright,whatisnotrightandwhatshouldandcouldbebetter.

Religion in the society: Blessing and Risk

Question often asked is whether religion createsdivisionbetweenpeople.Isitsinfluencerealandtrueorisitcorruptinitself?If,let’ssay,religionwouldnotexistandpeople lookedupon themselves,would therebesomanydisagreements and conflicts between people? Besides,

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religionhasbeenusedasmeansofachievingrichness.Whohaseverseensomereligious leaderpoor, livingmiserablyandpoorly?Many justpretendtobeholyandthatGod’sspirit is present within them. After all, if we look at theinfluenceofreligionduringhistory,wecaneasilyseethatithasbeenan important sourceof inspiration forwagingwarstomanycommandersandwarriors.Perhapsreligionitselfdidn’twantitthatmuch,buttherulers,commandersandotherconquerorshadtoincreasetheircitizens’moralesotheywouldbebetteratwar.Movedbythat,soldiershadthefeelingtheyarefightingforadivinecreature,andtobeworthsuchafightisbetterthananythingelse.

Nowadays, the social role of religion is lesser thanbefore,anditseemstobebetterthatway.Religionismoreperceived at spiritual level, which is its primary sense:spiritualgrowthofman.Itisabsolutelyrightthatbelieversand religious leaders are asked for their opinion aboutcertainsocialproblems,butitisthebestthatreligioustruthsarenotimposedasthemeasureforpoliticsandpublicsociallife. Regulating social relations on principles of only onereligioniscompletelysenselessbecauseitnecessarilyleadstodiscriminationofindividualswhoregulatetheirlivesontheprinciplesofotherreligions.

Iwouldgivereligionasecondary importance inthesociety,butprimaryinlife.Nomatterhowhardamanwantstorunawayfromit,hemeetsitoneverystepofhis,thoughitisnotgoodthatreligioninterfereswithsociallifebecauseitcreatesconflictsbetweenindividuals.Manywars,murdersandother similar dirty games appearwhen somepeoplemisusethetrustofbelieversandallthepositiveenergyandstrengthreligiongives.

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Life on our planet would be impossible andunimaginablewithout religions. Although there aremanymisunderstandings about them, religions are urgentlynecessaryforthemankind,becauseGod’spresenceenterstheworld through them.But, if they turn into somethingelse,aspaceofpoliticalhatredandpropaganda,thentheylose theirmeaning,and to losemeaning isworse than toceaseexisting.

Ivan DilberFranciscan Classical Gymnasium in Visoko

Bosnia and Herzegovina

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My view of religion

WhentheydescribedPopa’spoetrytheysaidthatinsomepartsastubbornendeavorisemphasizedonthewaytothetopicsthatPopaleftas„dropsofbloodinacornerofthesky“thatbothertherestofthesky.Andtheskyoutsidethedropofblood,pressedbytheground,wingless,place is ofincomprehensivenumberofpossibilitiesnotboundtothecornerinwhichthedropishidden.Farawayfromthedrop,peoplefightoverwhichgrassishealthier,theredortheblackone. If it is theblackone,howcomewhenyousoakitinthewater,thewaterturnsred.Andifitistheredone,howisitthateverythingturnsblackfortheonewhotries it.Theirvoicesareblendingwiththevoicesofthosewonderinghowmuchof thedirtywaterruns inaminutewhenyou lookfromtheDrvenijaBridge intotheMiljackaRiver,andhowmuchoftheclean.Andisitfordrink.Afterthattheygohomeanddosomecalculating.

Somedo itwithwomen, somewithout them.Boththeircalculationandwatchingandtheirkeenobservationeffort travelwith echo to the cornerwherePopahid theblood,buttheydon’treachit.Firsttheyreachtherighthandstrokingthetriggerandthemouthspeakingtotheson“This

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isyourdestiny,wehavetofinishthemoff”,andanotherrighthandthatdoesn’tknowwheretogofirst,gettingnowhere.A left hand that goes to the toilet tries to handshake it,beingdisgustedwiththefilthasitwasnotitsown,andgoesoutofthattoilettomeetanactoftherighthandthatwilltell it how it is closer toGod than it seems.And theydonothingslowly,theydoitalloverotherhands,laughing,andthehandsoverlap,collide,notpayingattentionanymoreto whichoneisleftandwhichoneisright,buttheleftonenowlooksforthefragrancewhiletherightrunsfromodor,leftonetakingtherightonesometimes,sotheyfight,andthebloodgetsspilled,but it isnotevenclosetotheonethatPopahid.Itishiding.

Itishidingevenfromthosewhoarrivejustattherighttimewhen thebloody trail of the rightand the lefthandshouldend,thoughtheyarethosewhodon’tneedhandsatall.Well,theydoneedthema little,becausetheypraymostofthetime,makeprayers,askfromGod,askforthedrybread,butforthem,andtheyprayforthemselves,andpray to themselves.Good isgood, if it iswith them, theyforgottheancient lessons.Theblood ishidingfromthemaswell.AnditishidingfromthosewhogoaroundwithCDsinscribedwithArabicletters,orsomelitaniescomeoutofthemthroughspeakers,andGodsnameisheardfromthoseCDs,andthebloodisspiltinthatname,andthedroprunsawayfromthatblood,thedropthatPopahidsowell.AndthesoundsfromthosespeakersreachthosewhograspthewordGodwhenitcomesoffthespeakersandtheypauseit,thenraisetheirvoiceandsay:WeknowwhereGodis,HeistherewhereVaskoPopahidtheblood.Andwesawwhenhehadhidit.Andthatbloodcanspeak.Andittolduswhat

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isontheseCDs.ListentotheCDsandfollowus.Followus!Andthemajoritylistens,thenthemelodytravelstothosewhoobserveMiljackaandtheysay:Nicesongthisis.Asfortheblood,wedontevenbotherlookingforitanymore,theymusthavefoundit.Andeveniftheyhavent,wecannotdoituntilthenoiseoftheseCDslowers.

Ahmed ŠečunovićGazi Husrev-bey’s madrasa in Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina