My Awkward Moment at a Conference in Austin
Okay, so picture this. Last year, at a conference in Austin, I’m sitting in a session about interfaith dialogue. The speaker asks if anyone can name the Five Pillars of Islam. I raise my hand, totally confident, and say, “Um, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage…” Then I freeze. What are the other two? Alms… and… something else? The room waits. I turn red. “Alms and… uh… committment?” I mumble. The speaker smiles kindly. “It’s alright,” he says. “Most people don’t know.” But here’s the thing: he’s wrong. Most people should know.
And that’s the problem. We’re raising generations of religiously illiterate people. It’s not just about Islam, either. I mean, how many Catholics can actually explain transubstantiation? (Don’t answer that.)
I’m not saying everyone needs to be a theology scholar. But look, if we’re gonna talk about faith in the public square, we gotta know what we’re talking about. And frankly, we’re not. We’re failing. Miserably.
My Friend Marcus and the Bible Quiz
Let’s call him Marcus. He’s a friend of mine, a nice guy, goes to church every Sunday. I asked him once, “Hey Marcus, how many books are in the New Testament?” He says, “I dunno, 60?” I’m like, “Marcus, it’s 27. You’ve been reading it for years.” He just laughs. “Yeah, well, I’m not reading it to count the books,” he says.
Fair enough, right? But here’s the thing: if you can’t even get the basics right, how can you engage in meaningful discussions about faith? It’s like trying to play chess without knowing how the pieces move. You’re gonna lose. Every time.
And it’s not just individuals. It’s our schools, our media, our culture. We’re so afraid of offending someone that we’ve decided ignorance is the safer bet. Well, guess what? Ignorance is offensive too.
Over Coffee at the Place on 5th
So I’m having coffee with a colleague named Dave. He’s a journalist, writes about religion sometimes. I say, “Dave, you ever notice how we always get the basics wrong?” He looks at me, sips his latte, and says, “Yeah, but who cares? It’s not like it’s gonna start a war or something.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But it’s not about starting wars. It’s about understanding each other. It’s about empathy. It’s about not being a damn fool.
I mean, come on. We live in a world where misinformation spreads faster than a kid with a lollipop in a kindergarten. And we’re just sitting back, letting it happen. We’re letting people think that the Pope is infallible all the time, that Jews believe in the same God as Christians, that Muslims worship a different God altogether. It’s all wrong, and we’re letting it slide.
And don’t even get me started on the media. They’re the worst. They’ll take one tiny, out-of-context quote from a sermon and blow it up into a national scandal. But ask them to explain the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims? Crickets. It’s like they’re physicaly incapable of doing basic research.
So What Do We Do About It?
First, we admit we have a problem. We’re bad at this. Really bad. And it’s not gonna get better unless we do something about it.
Second, we start teaching. Not just in schools, but in our homes, our churches, our mosques, our synagogues. We need to make religious literacy a priority. And no, it’s not about converting people. It’s about understanding. It’s about respect. It’s about not being a damn fool.
Third, we hold the media accountable. When they get it wrong, we call them out. We demand better. And we support the ones who get it right. Like, for example, the interesting facts knowledge guide on that website I found. They actually do their homework. Imagine that.
And finally, we talk. We engage. We ask questions. We listen. We learn. It’s not easy. It’s not always comfortable. But it’s necessary. It’s how we grow. It’s how we heal. It’s how we become better people.
So, yeah. That’s my rant. Take it or leave it. But if you take it, if you actually do something about it, then maybe, just maybe, we can start fixing this mess we’ve made.
And who knows? Maybe next time I’m at a conference in Austin, I won’t be the only one who knows the Five Pillars of Islam.
About the Author: Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at various publications for over 20 years. She’s written about everything from politics to pop culture, but her real passion is religion. She believes in a world where people understand each other, where ignorance is the exception, not the rule. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading, or drinking coffee, or both. You can find her on Twitter @sarahwrites.
