Episcopal
minister and author, Alan Jones, tells in one of his books about a discussion
he had with the president of a fundamentalist Christian college. They were discussing their various
theological differences and at some point Dr. Jones asked the college president
what was the most difficult part of his job.
The man replied, “Everyone here, faculty and students, is a born-again
Christian, and we have had food stolen from the kitchens, books stolen from the
library, and there’s even been a suicide.”
Apparently
that was the most difficult thing facing him as the president of a religious school,
the violation of students and others of their Christian principles.
I
learned a long time ago as someone who worked for years as a leader in the
church that just because a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior does not
mean they have lost their humanity. And
accepting Christ, in my thinking, is not about salvation from hell or ridding
oneself of selfish desires or somehow being invaded by some supernatural force
that enables a person to suddenly become a replica of Jesus Christ. It’s not any of that at all.
The
essence of Christianity is learning to accept our own humanity and building
values into our life that help us be a better person. I do not believe anything special happens to
anyone who accepts Jesus into their life.
The Christian Protestant Evangelical Church has for years put all of
this emphasis on the sinner’s prayer and the Spirit filled life and the
crucified life and so forth. What does
any of that mean? I have no idea.
People
are people and they will always be human.
Religion, at its best, should help us experience transcendence, the
sacred, beauty, grace and love. If your
faith doesn’t teach you to appreciate art, books, music, theater, movies; if it
doesn’t fill you with a sense of humility and compassion; if it doesn’t guide
you into a deeper understanding of the human condition; if it doesn’t sensitize
you to the hurts of others and to your own hurts, then what good is it?
If
all you are interested in are rules to live by then purchase some self-help
books. They will give you a whole list
of good things to do. Religion, on the
other hand, is terrible at rules. Moral
rules. Horrible guilt producing rules. When religion of any form emphasizes only the
keeping of certain rules then it sets people up for failure,
self-righteousness, sanctimonious judging, hate, bigotry, sneering mean
nastiness, and just petty foolish ideas.
The
Catholic priesthood should be reason enough for people to realize that no holy
vow, no wearing of elaborate religious garb, no denying your human urges in
sacrifice to God or Mary or Jesus or Church, is going to keep a person from
wrong doing. Ever. People have to choose to do right. It’s not something forced on them. It is not something that bubbles up from
within where Jesus lives our life for us.
It is not some mystical force overpowering who you are and making you do
righteous deeds.
Of
course students and teachers and workers in a fundamentalist Christian college
are going to steal food and books and have personal crises and commit suicide
and a whole lot of other things. You don’t
suddenly lose your humanity when you enroll in Jerry Falwell’s Liberty
University or any other Christian school.
Some
of the most savage acts in history have been committed by religious fanatics
done in the name of God. All supposedly
by dedicated followers of Christ proud of not breaking their fiendish
ideological rules while breaking human bodies into pieces. Satisfied they kept their rigid moral
biblical beliefs even if they had to brutalize others in order to maintain them.
Texas
Governor Rick Perry, a devout Christian, belittled and mocked in front of a crowd
of conservative fans, legislator Wendy Davis for supporting a woman’s right to
choice and fighting to stop a severely restrictive bill that would prevent
that. While praising legislation that keeps women
from having an abortion Perry has systematically put to death nearly 300 human
beings as governor. There again is proof
that accepting Jesus Christ into your life is no guarantee of doing the right
thing.
Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than
sincere ignorance.”
There
is a lot of that in Christianity and religion.
There always has been. And one
clear example is the notion that believing in Jesus Christ will keep you from
stealing or committing suicide.
©
2013 Timothy Moody
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