Whispering Wyrd

This is a response to some of the messages I’ve received regarding my last post.

I didn’t write that post to offend anyone. It was written to reflect on something I find deeply troubling… the fact that a simple call for peace can provoke anger and hostility. When peace itself becomes offensive, it’s worth pausing to ask why.

The monks walking for peace are not demanding agreement, conversion, or compliance. They are offering a message that transcends religious boundaries. The discomfort some people feel does not seem to come from the idea of peace itself, but from who is expressing it. When peace is dismissed or attacked solely because it comes from a different spiritual tradition, that reveals more about the reaction than the message.

This points to a broader issue in the United States, one I’ve witnessed throughout my life. That of some people believing their particular religion should be above and beyond any questioning. No individual or religion is beyond questioning, and none should be. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion precisely because no single belief system is meant to stand above all others or beyond scrutiny. That principle is foundational to this country.

The United States is not, and never has been, a theocracy. Our Constitution explicitly rejects that model. Freedom of religion means freedom for all religions, or none at all, to exist and be practiced without harassment or coercion.

So I would gently ask those who are offended by the monks’ walk for peace to reflect on this… are your words and actions aligned with the values of religious freedom you claim to support? Peace does not threaten faith. It does not diminish belief. It does not belong to any one tradition.

No religion has a monopoly on peace. And peace is not expressed through shouting, insults, or condemnation of others. As is said in the Christian scriptures, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Those words remain a meaningful reminder that outward identity matters far less than inward character.

Peace is not the enemy. And it never was.

Amituofo
 ~Buck