John 14: 6-14 (NRSV)
Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.' Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
Blog
In the past twenty four hours I have engaged in a conversation about the issue of religious intolerance. An individual has written a note on Facebook listing the 10 reasons why non-believers should come out. Here is the list.
1. Religious belief makes rational people irrational and irrational people crazy.
2. In the modern world, religious belief is not needed for a person to feel spiritually fulfilled.
3. Religious belief hinders stem cell research, causing endless suffering for real people.
4. Religious belief is the root cause of homophobia, causing thousands of suicides and countless broken lives every year.
5. Religious belief prevents the empowerment of women in most of the Islamic world, leading to crushing poverty and backwardness.
6. Religious belief is at the heart of nearly every violent conflict in the world, from Darfur to Iraq, but most notably in Israel and Palestine, where a two-state solution could easily be reached if the religious zealots on both sides were out of the equation.
7. Billions of dollars now spent, tax free, on church buildings, icons and salaries could be used to feed the hungry, build communities and educate kids.
8. Being too rational has never caused a single death. Being too devout has caused millions of deaths.
9. Only people inspired by God could fly an airplane loaded with people into a building loaded with people.
10. Only people inspired by God could ignite a nuclear weapon in an American city someday.
My issue with much of what is written here is that contained within is the same intolerance and even prejudice that comes from Conservative Christianists towards anyone who doesn't think like they do. Here this writer's list is so generalized that it risks suggesting violence towards people who are religious. It also suggests that only because people are religious that they would do things like what is listed. In it's very content, this list creates anti-religious bias. It is designed to stereotype religious individuals into a Pandoras Box in negative ways and insight cruel thinking. It is the same kind of negative stereotyping that Christianists have used towards individuals of different races, other religions, sexual orientations, genders, gender expressions/identities and so forth. Such statements come from the poisonous tree called religious and social intolerance.
There is no doubt that much of this has come because of the misuse of religion by religious extremists. Nevertheless, what is written in these 10 points is the same religious intolerance expressed by non-religious people that would justify the idea of the burning of the Qur'an last September. The slaughter of over 6 million Jewish people by the Nazi's. The bombing of the Christians in Egypt on New Year's Eve. The only difference is, these are written about people who believe, by those who do not. It is the same religious and social intolerance, just from a different garden of hate.
Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth and Life by which Christians approach God. Jesus came among us as God's perfect revelation. As much as Christians believe in Jesus as the Way, Truth and Life, it does not mean that Christians have a monopoly on all truth. It does not give us the right to destroy others who do not agree with us. Christians have a mission through the Person and Name of Jesus to build communities of tolerance, love and inclusion. We are called and empowered by our Baptismal Vows to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." When I presented this point to the person who wrote the above 10 points, to suggest that there are those among us who believe in what is written in the Baptismal Covenant in the Book of Common Prayer page 294, the response I got was: "I wish you would tell the other gazillion people to do the same." Again, I am rated as one person, while all other religious people were negatively stereotyped. A generalization that carries with it cruelty and violence. In an attempt to speak the truth about who Jesus really is, either from those who are Conservative Christianists or non-believers we will face some kind of persecution. Sadly, it is because this individual has seen the destruction that religious extremism has brought, that he cannot see the good that religion in the hands of people of good will can do. The result: negative stereotyping and mindless violent rhetoric.
What needs to happen is the world needs to hear from and see the work of good progressive Christians speaking up and working for the common good of all people. Jesus is the way to see God, for God dwells with Christ. The saving work of Jesus continues in our own hearts and lives through the work of the Holy Spirit as we are led to help the poor, free the marginalized, and speak up when injustice takes place as has happened with the 10 points I have included with this blog today. We do not help the advancement of inclusion and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people by marginalizing Christians and other religions, races and the like. That goes for the non-religious marginalizing the religious and so on. While we cannot force non-believers to believe as that is not a wise thing, nor is it appropriate to allow devoutly religious individuals to be negatively stereotyped in this way and not say something. It is a lot easier here to focus on the quality of how someone argues the point, than it is to face up to the hate that is hidden within the 10 points that have been offered. It is a lot easier to excuse oneself and say: "this is not intolerance" than it is to realize that all one has done is increased the hate rhetoric that continues to divide religions, sexual orientations, races, classes, economic classes, genders etc.
But when one suggests that only religious individuals are irrational or that it is because of religion that individuals are irrational, hate rhetoric is exactly what it is. It is destructive. It is suggestive. And it is the sin of hate at work.
Christians can eradicate this kind of behavior if we could only learn to use the Name of Jesus Christ in good ways. If we could claim our citizenship with the countless women and men throughout the ages and claim Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but realize that means we do not marginalize or discriminate against any person for any reason, perhaps Christianity will again have a good Name. Perhaps non-believers would not inflict a "Wounded Knee" rhetorical massacre of Christians, Muslims and other very good religious people.
Prayer
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, you Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Second Sunday After Christmas, Book of Common Prayer, page 214).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).
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