As many of you know, I was in the hospital again last week. It was my third hospital stay since the second week of March. As has been my experience, on the first morning of my stay, the hospital chaplain usually visits. In the past, I've told them that I'm atheist, and they tell me to have a nice day and walk out of the room. This time was remarkably different.
It was 9:30AM Monday morning. Roughly 13 hours earlier, I had seen President Obama announce that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan. I fell asleep the night before watching New Yorkers sing the National Anthem at Ground Zero from my hospital bed. Monday, May 2, 2011, was the dawn of a new era for the United States and for the world.
The chaplain was a dead give away. The nurses all wore soft soled shoes. None of the patients on my floor walked past my room (I was at the end of the floor). And, all of the visitors either wore tennis shoes or sandals. I could hear his wooden heals on approach 45 seconds before he got to my room. He walked at a very calm and even pace.
He entered my room and sheepishly peeked his head around the curtain to see if I was awake. When seeing that I had already eaten my breakfast, he walked up to my bed and introduced himself. His name was Ahmed. He explained that he was Muslim. Upon seeing my beard (albeit unruly and unkempt at the time), he asked if I was Islam as well. Honestly, I probably could have entered a bin Laden lookalike contest at the time. I told him I wasn't. I explained to him that I was an atheist.
I could only imagine the type of conversations he was having that morning, with bin Laden being shot the night before. Immediately, without even hesitating, he started defending his religion. You know, he started going into the "Islam is a peaceful religion" bit. I had to interrupt him.
I explained that I knew that the Prophet Muhammad was a messenger of peace, and that Allah is a peaceful god. I told him that for centuries, people have killed others in the name of their prophet or their god. Sometimes that prophet's name is Jesus. Sometimes, that's their god's name. Sometimes, they don't even know the name of their god.
"There is fanaticism in every religion", I said.I explained to him that I used to be an "ordained minister" (what a joke). I told him that the reason why I am atheist now, is because I saw the fanaticism in the church I was in as well. Religion attracts crazy people. There are crazy Muslims, just as there are crazy Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Lutherans, Catholics, and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Then I dropped a bomb on him. I told him I owned a Koran. I purchased one last September 11th on
International Buy A Koran Day. He was surprised that 1.) a "non believer" would own a Koran, and 2.) that there was actually an international show of support for the Muslim community in which people would go to a bookstore and purchase one of their holy books. He was almost moved to tears. He asked me if I had read any of it, which I said that I did. The copy that I have is in both Arabic and English.
He asked me if I was married. I told him I was. He asked if I had a "good wife". I told him that I had a wonderful, supportive wife. I said that with the health problems that I have been dealing with recently, if it weren't for her taking care of my daughter and myself in and out of the hospital, I don't know how I would have made it. Ahmed extolled the virtues of a good wife, though the way he did so was somewhat antiquated.
"A good wife will take care of your children. She won't spend all of your money. She'll make sure you have a clean house to come to when you get home from work."
I found it to be a bit laughable, but I got his point. I have a wonderful partner. I have spent most of the last six weeks on my back. Not only has my wife taken care of our two year old single handedly, but she has also waited on me hand and foot. She has cooked my meals, refilled my drinks, and brought me my medication. She has picked up my share of the household chores. She has also driven me to and from appointments for the last few weeks. I really am lucky to have her.
My conversation with Ahmed lasted the better part of an hour. It was the most pleasant conversation I have had regarding religion in recent memory. Considering what had happened the previous day, I'm sure Ahmed had thought the conversation was going to go into a different direction. It's a rare and wonderful thing when two individuals with such varying concepts on religion can come together, have an educated conversation about their beliefs, walk away feeling respected, and have an untold respect for the other in return.
