Being Human
by Solihin and Alicia Thom and Alexandra ter Horst
ISBN: 0-9713172-0-8
Reviewed by Jim Curtiss
Being human in a spiritual sense means something very different than just adhering to a certain religion. Indeed, by drawing on the wisdom of many different faiths in their book titled Being Human, the authors not only respect the amalgam of the human condition, they also pay homage to it by presenting the accrued knowledge of various belief systems as equally valuable, with each one contributing to the overall spiritual well-being of the human race. In fact, the authors exhibit such a diversity of thought that most readers are sure to be impressed with their spiritual and cultural acumen.
Regrettably, though perhaps understandably, many people have negative opinions of organized religion; it is easy to let fundamentalists of any stripe taint our views. As the authors write on page 50, "Some of us may have had our feeling for religion or spirituality colored or tainted by negative experience. As a consequence, we might seek a connection with the Great Life in some other way. Perhaps it is time to take another look at our spiritual foundation in order to get in touch with the wholeness that each of us seeks."
This "wholeness that each of us seeks" is the ultimate goal in most theological systems, and the pursuit of this goal is what the authors of Being Human, through lucid and illuminating personal anecdotes and explanatory texts, encourage the reader to undertake.
At the risk of revealing his own beliefs, the reviewer thinks this is exactly the sort of book that a 21st century seeker is after. For not only does Being Human respect and embrace myriad religions and traditions, it seeks to reconcile those faiths by illustrating the following premise: though they may have different names for it, all religions are (or should be) in pursuit of the same goal – human beings living in peace, with respect and love for all.
That premise is perfectly worded on Page 142, when the authors state, "We may judge one another according to our own value systems, but if we widen our consciousness to see beyond our own map, we then create the possibility of understanding how the values of others have been shaped."
Reading the book Being Human may not be enough to bring about such a goal, but it sure is a fine place to start.