There is an old saying in Christian Evangelical circles. “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
Really? Who says so?
“The Bible. I’m just telling you what God says.”
Is that so? Are you talking about the writings considered to be sacred text for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, or some other group?
“Of course I’m talking about the One and only true God. The God who came down in the virgin born Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. This is the Bible I am talking about.”
Okay. Which version? God’s words are recorded a bit differently in each translation we have. This does not even touch on those versions of the Bible written in a language other than English.
Religion can be a tricky thing. Most, if not all, of them can inspire us to great acts of love and sacrificial giving. But all of them can also lead, or be used to lead, us to attitudes of bias, bigotry, hatred, and even deadly violence. If we can put God’s stamp of approval on harmful attitudes and actions we can commit atrocities and call them courageous acts of faithfulness.
For example, most people who are familiar with the Exodus story found in the section of the Christian Bible known as the Old Testament have a problem with those times where we are told that God instructed Israel to go into an area and kill “every man, woman, and child.” How can any God who instructs His followers to do such a thing be defended?
Well, it seems it is quite easy. We know that God absolutely said this because the Bible tells us so. We know that God does not make mistakes. We know that all of God’s actions are ultimately guided by love. Therefore, it must be that God knew if any of these people were spared it would lead His chosen people into idolatry and sin. Ergo, the most loving thing was for all of those people to be destroyed.
Any concept, writing, teaching, or leader purporting to speak for God saying it is okay to hate and mistreat any person or group of people is wrong!
I used to believe and teach this crock of crap. But then shortly after 6 pm on a January evening some three and half decades ago a nurse placed a seven pound seven ounce bundle of life in my arms to hold as a doctor turned back to my wife to bring forth this bundle’s twin brother. In that moment I knew I would never again defend a scripture or concept that defended a god who would do such a thing.
I am not trying to get anyone to quit believing in their God. But for God’s and your fellow humans’ sake engage your brain and heart. All of us are created to love and be loved. We must think and act with compassion. Any concept, writing, teaching, or leader purporting to speak for God saying it is okay to hate and mistreat any person or group of people is wrong!
Let none of us point at some other group and say, “They don’t love because of their false religion.” May we all look inside of ourselves and ask, “What unkind and unloving attitudes am I continuing to allow to fester and infest my life while justifying doing so by using the name of God in vain to validate them?”.
What if people of all faiths quit making excuses for mean and hateful actions and attitudes and began to act out the positive message ensconced in their faith? What would the world look like? What if I would start doing this? What would the world around me look like?
Think about it.
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