Visiting Rwanda's museums

Rwanda is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture and history.  Unfortunately, much of her history was passed down as an oral tradition which was been part lost during the colonial years.  Some of that oral tradition did get written down, however, and some of the more recent history has been preserved in photos, artifacts and reconstructions which one can experience in Rwanda’s museums.  A few weekends past Anne and I went to visit the museum of the Palace of the King (Mwami) in the town of Nyanza.  There we saw traditional grass homes like those which most Rwandans lived in before Europeans came.  The Mwami’s palace was a very large version of the same sort of round, thatched hut which any other person might have.  He also had many other buildings in his compound, including a house for his milkmaids (yes, they had to be virgin to handle the royal milk) and his chief brew-taster (a man who also had to be virgin).  There is a specific breed of cows which was also reserved for the Mwami, and which was included in certain royal presentations and ceremonies.  They are large, placid, a rich brown in color, and have huge, hollow horns.  (I would love to try using one of their horn as a wind instrument, like a shofar.)  The last Mwami had a more conventional building for a palace, with rectangular floors, walls, and ceilings forming rectangular rooms with rectangular doors and windows.  Instead of an indoor hall connecting the rooms, though, most of them opened to an outside portico (kind of like the rooms at a Motel 6.)  The interior decoration was of interesting Rwandan-style geometric patterns, so the place was not quite European in flavor.  Interestingly, the queen-mother (mother of the Mwami) had significant power in the realm, despite the patriarchal trappings of the culture.

After leaving the Mwami’s Palace, we went to the Ethnographic Museum.  Well, we went there after a break for lunch and soft-serve ice cream at Inzozi Inziza (Nice Dream) which is the only place I know of in Rwanda which is famous for ice cream.  We enjoyed both the lunch and the ice cream, and neither were too expensive.   We arrived at the museum at 1:30pm, which didn’t leave us enough time to tour the whole place, so we will have to go back soon.  Perhaps next time we will being another person or two. 

During the drive out and back, I was admiring the scenery with the eye of a photographer.  A few times, I had Anne stop the car so that I could photograph a particularly nice piece of scenery.  I also took some photos outside at the museums: of the special cattle, of buildings and of Anne, etc. I had to pay a few dollars to use a camera in the museum area, and was also told that photos in the rooms of the more modern mansion were not allowed.  The only camera I had available was the one on my phone: a dual SIM, unlocked, BLU Advance 4.0 smartphone with Android version 4.22 that I got from Amazon for less than $100.  The image quality is OK, but I have no zoom, which I really want. The Olympus camera with 24x zoom that I bought used during the summer has developed a problem which makes it impossible to charge the battery by plugging in the camera.  I look forward to getting an external charger and spare battery so that I can take some photos of the countryside, and of people as well.  Perhaps I can figure out a way to insert photos, or a link to photos, into this blog. 

Finally, a word about Baha’i activities:  A few weeks ago all of the Baha’i pioneers in Rwanda were invited to meet together at the Baha’i center in Nyamirambo – a sector within the city of Kigali.  At that meeting, I was inspired to launch a Junior Youth Empowerment program in Muhanga, where we live.  The planning and execution of that project are moving forward, so I will have more to say next time.  Until then, “Umunsi mwiza!” (“Have a nice day!”)

Attempting to describe the relationship between religion and science

This was written as a response to another question on Quora: "What is the relationship between religion and science?"

It is quite obvious that there IS a relationship between the two: Both are human activities, both are ways of seeking answers to questions, and both have profound affects on how humans live their lives.

Scientific research can help us learn the effect of specific religious beliefs and/or practices on ones ability to do scientific research, understand scientific theory, or use science to solve problems. We can also use scientific methods of research to understand the affects of specific religious beliefs and/or practices on whether a person’s life is happy, creative, productive, etc.  Social sciences can help us to understand the effects of religion on the societies in which they are practiced.

The people in a marriage or other partnership have different roles to play in order to make their relationship harmonious and mutually beneficial - and the people in the relationship often have to make an effort to find and implement the means to keep that harmony.  Similarly, science and religion have different rolls to play in the lives of individuals and in the development of civilization.  Pointing to present or historical examples of conflict between science and religion and concluding that they are always incompatible is like pointing to bad relationships between women and men, and concluding that men and women are incompatible in any relationship.

An individual who finds a good, dynamic (i.e. flexible, ever-evolving) relationship between science and religion in her or his life can become a person who is seen by others as exemplary. Likewise, a society - whether limited to the population of a single village, or one which spans the entire earth - which finds the right balance between science and religion can be the matrix in which its individual members achieve exemplary levels of happiness, creativity, and ever-growing ability.  The question, then, becomes: what relationship between religion and science can lead to individuals and society being happy, creative and productive? 

Science has an important roll to play in our lives and in society and civilization.  Most individuals do little or no scientific research, but familiarity with (and access to) the body of scientific knowledge and of the methods and standards of science help them to understand their world and to make choices based on that understanding.  Those who do legitimate, peer-reviewed, scientific research advance our understanding of how things work, the likely outcomes of various actions, and the web of cause and effect in the world.  But there are decisions that cannot, logically, be answered by science, and humans have needs which can be better fulfilled through religion.

Science leads to technology, but it takes something beyond science to answer the question, “what is the appropriate use of this technology?”  In this age, one appropriate roll of religion is to provide the wisdom to answer that question.  Some sample questions are, “should we be studying ways to build better weapons of mass destruction, or should we apply the same human resources to finding better ways to educate our children?”  “Should we be applying the technology of social psychology (i.e. advertising and public persuasion) to influence people to buy things they don’t need?”  “Should we apply that same technology to influencing people to get along?”  “Is it right for medical research to concentrate on developing treatments for illness rather than finding means of prevention?”  Science does not provide answers to such questions.  Ethics might provide answers, but it does not provide motivation. 

The role of religion is to provide both ethical answers and personal motivation to follow these ethics.  In this age, one of the central questions which religion asks of us is, “does this action or use of technology benefit all of the people of the world, or does it benefit a few at the expense of many?” In this age, one role of religion is to help us be aware of the oneness of Mankind.  In this age, one role of religion is to lead us to set aside our differences and prejudices and to cooperate in solving the problems of society and of the world.  When religion is the cause of strife, of discord and conflict, then no religion would be better.

So, in short, the relationship of religion and science is that religion points to what should be done and the purpose of our existence in this universe, while science is the tool for how our goals can be achieved and for understanding the nature of our universe.

How religion improves civilization through progressive revelation.

I wrote this today as a response to a question on the forum Quora (www.quora.com).  The question was: "Would big societies be able to exist without people believing in religions?"  Some people said "yes" and went on to tell about all the bad things that they find to be associated with religion.  I can see their points, but I still maintain that when a religion has become strongly established in a culture, it becomes polluted by politics, and other human frailties and so loses much of its true worth.  This was my response, for what it's worth:

I read a study a few years ago (and I apologize for not having the reference) that gave evidence that in primitive societies religion was a needed cohesive influence for cooperation and prevention of conflict in groups of more than about 20 to 30 individuals.  Most religions provide:

1) A common commitment to a set of values which prevent the strong and/or greedy from destroying the life of kinder and/or weaker people and regulate how common resources are to be used.

2) Shared rights, celebrations, rituals, symbols etc. which provide a sense of community.

3) A sense that there is a higher power (god or gods) which has authority to make laws and demand sacrifices. (Such laws and sacrifices being for the common good as much as to please the higher power.)

Consider the 10 commandments:

The first 4 (No other gods, No graven images (i.e., objects to worship), Don't take the Lord's name in vain, and Remember the sabbath and keep it holy) have the purpose of establishing loyalty, reverence, and a community activity which leads to the unity and agreement of the religious community.

The other six are laws which are important to establishing cooperation, trust, and justice.  Basically, they are necessary in order to develop  those institutions (like commerce, supportive families, specialized tradespeople, etc.) that we take for granted in our present society.

If you look at experiments in game theory, (like "the prisoners' dilemma") you see that unless there is a consensus that people cooperate, it is often to an individual's advantage to be greedy or self-serving.  However, if there is a consensus to cooperate and follow certain rules of behavior, then every one benefits and most every person in that society has a much better quality of life than even the strongest most ruthless self-server in a non-consensual "society".

The pioneers of new religions, those who sacrifice self-interest in order to follow a higher level of rules for cooperative behavior, despite the fact that the rest of society opposes them, are the ones who eventually bring about that higher level of cooperation and therefore general prosperity for the rest of the population.  Eventually, most of the population is following these rules and agrees that they are "just common sense if you want to live in a decent  civilization."  Whether or not the believe in the deity or the religion, they are following consensual, society-and-individual-strengthening behaviors which were originally brought into common practice by religion.
The problem we see now are partly due to there being such a huge human population on the earth. In the competition for resources, including human resources, the various religious groups, while somewhat internally cohesive, are at odds with each other.  Meanwhile, advances in science have brought us powerful technologies which can be developed and used either for the improvement of life, or for its degradation and destruction.  Unless all the nations, cultures, races and religions can learn to cooperate, the conflicts will continue to the point of a world wide disaster which could make the world wars look like a football match in comparison.
I believe that, once again, the bar for cooperative behavior is being raised by an emerging religion, and that many of its principles (like equality of the sexes and of all races, elimination of prejudice, and universal education) are becoming accepted as the norm by civilized people everywhere.

Our life in Rwanda so far

Our first year in Rwanda has ended.  (I wrote this while in the U.S.A. visiting with family and friends.)  I want to re-start my blog by reviewing some of what happened during our first year.  Since this is written from my point of view, I will mention what I know of Anne’s year, but more will be about mine.

Anne was hired originally as a mentor to midwife students.  She was to accompany them in their clinical practice at hospitals and clinics, giving them advice and demonstrating how to do things.  Shortly after ahe began, she was given other duties, including writing lectures to instruct midwives in various aspects of their jobs, and teaching skills in simulated skills labs.  Most of these lectures she produced as Power-Point presentations which can be used by future teachers.  She and her fellow midwife mentors were also called upon to create clinical experiences for advanced midwife students, to write the curriculum for midwives, and to instruct the staff at the hospitals in standards of care like “Helping Babies Breathe”.  The schools, and especially the hospital staff, had previously been educated in “the way we have always done things” which included practices from the 1930’s that have since been found to be detrimental to the health of the mothers and their infants.  Now, students are being trained in critical thinking skills, using a decision tree to determine appropriate procedures, keeping up with research in best practices, and in devising and carrying out research of their own. Anne has also been given some extra responsibility for the HRH staff employed by UIC.

I came to Rwanda with no formal position, other than as Anne’s spouse. In our minds, we are in Rwanda as “Baha’i Pioneers,” which means that we are there to assist the Baha’is of the country in whatever way they deem appropriate.  For me, that service has involved going out in our neighborhood regularly amd making friends with the people I meet.  While I am gradually learning to speak and understand Kinyarwanda, the language which is spoken throughout the country, I do best when I encounter people who have some fluency in English. I strive to have conversations about things that matter, like unity, justice, overcoming materialism, improving cooperation, and improving the quality of life for all people.  I also look for opportunities to introduce topics in religion or spirituality, asking about their beliefs, and sharing Baha’i teachings.  One person who was teaching me Kinyarwanda, was helping me to understand and pronounce the translation of “The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah”.  He came to acknowledge that the book is the Word of God, and soon joined the Baha’i Faith. So far, five people have declared their belief in Baha’u’llah, and we have found two adult Baha’is who were living in our area before we arrived.  These, and a few others, have been attending a study circle at our home.

There are, in my opinion, two main purposes for the study circles.  One is for the attendees to learn about the Baha’i Faith.  Whether they are interested in joining or not, they have an opportunity to learn about the Baha’i Revelation, and Baha’i practice while studying the Baha’i Writings in a spirit of consultation.  The other is to prepare the attendees for certain forms of service.  The two services that I am most interested in providing in our neighborhood are children’s classes and Junior Youth Empowerment groups.  According to standard procedure, a person should first complete the first book of the series, “Reflections in the Life of the Spirit,” before proceeding to any of the other books.  (Actually, the prefered procedure is that a person study each book in sequence.)  The third book is “Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade One,” and the fifth book is “Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth.”  At this point, five people have completed the first book.  I don’t know how many are going on to study the third or fifth book, but I do know that some of the people who were in the Book 1 group are interested in having Children’s classes or animating Junior Youth groups, so perhaps they have begun the third and/or fifth books while we have been away.  I look forward to catching up with my friends in Rwanda when I get back.

What defines other people?

(Has it really been nearly 3 months since I last posted?  I have this for today, and have news to post in the near future.  I see that if I want to keep folks informed, I must exercise a bit more discipline!)


The first Baha’i book I ever read was “The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah”.  The book begins with this description of itself:

HE IS THE GLORY OF GLORIES
This is that which hath descended from the realm of glory, uttered by the tongue of power and might, and revealed unto the Prophets of old. We have taken the inner essence thereof and clothed it in the garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto the righteous, that they may stand faithful unto the Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in the realm of spirit obtain the gem of Divine virtue.

Whenever this book uses the first person, I see that as being God, the Creator, Himself.  While I believe that He is, essentially, addressing every person who will listen, I find it best to consider that He is addressing me, and that I need to strive to take each passage to heart.  The second passage of that book says:

2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.

There is much to be learned from this (and any) passage, but some of what I see from it is a statement of the principle that each of us must investigate the truth of things for ourselves, and should not accept (nor reject) other people’s interpretations of scriptures or of the world without looking at them ourselves.  I also see in that sentence, “Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be,” that I am responsible for how I am, not for how other people are.  I am not in favor of telling other people how to live their lives, or pointing out other people’s faults, sins, or errors of morality.  (On the other hand, I do care about people, and want the best for them, so I have been known to mention to others when I am fairly certain that their observable actions may have palpably bad outcomes.)

‘Abdu’l Baha has told us to look only at a person’s good qualities and to overlook the bad ones. I believe that our expectations of others, and our perceptions of who they are as individuals can effect those we interact with in subtle ways.  So, if one person perceives another as a liar, for example, that other person is more likely to lie to the first person.  On the other hand, if one person sees another as a creative, kind, and caring person (as in a typical love story), the other is more likely to manifest those qualities.  “Your love makes me a better person” is more than a compliment, it is often an exclamation of wonderment about a real, if mysterious, phenomenon.  I want to have a positive influence on others, so what can I do?

Each person has many discernible qualities, some good, some bad.  So, I want to overlook the bad, and see the good.  But what about a stranger I pass in the street?  In a two kilometer walk through town, I might pass a hundred strangers going the other way.   I thinks of a person’s good qualities as manifestations of God’s light within their soul.  The Hidden Words has this passage:

11. O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.

So, what I can do - what I try to do and pray for assistance to do - is to see God’s Light in every stranger that I pass, and in each friend that I make, and in people who begin to annoy me, and even in those who seem to wish me harm.  For me, this is what defines other people, and what, in the end, defines me.  In this, I think, I am also obeying Christ’s directive to love my neighbor and my enemy.  Whether you are Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist, can you really say there is any harm in this?