There are many things in life I just don’t understand. One of them is how people misrepresent the heart of a religion — any religion. Whether it’s Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity, some followers of each path are likely to take minor themes from the religion out of context, blow it up as though it were something important, and then use it to harm others. Such people manipulate religion for political gain.
I’m keenly aware of this in Christianity because it’s the tradition I follow. People like Franklin Graham and Pat Robertson make larger-than-life claims and sweeping judgments, like stating that liberals and progressives as godless, can’t be Christians, and are going to hell. There are also a number of Roman Catholic bishops who have made pronouncements that holding certain opinions about the legality of abortion, gay marriage, or other issues is a reason to refuse individuals from receiving the sacrament of communion (the ritually consecrated bread and wine). Of course, there are liberals and progressives who are equally intolerant, but they tend to be less prominent.
There’s a story recorded in the gospel attributed to Matthew found in the 21st chapter. Some of the religious leaders came to Jesus and wanted to trap him. They asked if it was lawful to pay taxes to the oppressive Roman occupying government. It was a clever trap. If Jesus said yes, people would be angry that he supported the oppressive occupation of the Romans. If Jesus said no, then the religious leaders could report him to the Romans for sedition. Jesus first responded by saying that they were nothing more than hypocrites trying to trap him. They were using religion for political gain. He asked for a coin. One of the religious leaders pulled out a coin and gave it to Jesus. Jesus asked about the inscription. Today, we don’t get the significance of Jesus’ question. Jews in Jesus’ day were very clear about the proscription that no graven image should be made of anyone. On the coin was a graven image. Further, the image of Caesar would have included his titles. Caesar was a god and that was part of the inscription. The Jewish leaders are carrying in their pockets what for Jews was a symbol of idolatry. Jesus caught them doing something against Jewish beliefs and practices. In the meantime, he walked through the trap with these words: give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. Caesar can have the coins because, as Psalm 24 states: The earth belongs to God and all the fullness it contains.
My point in retelling this story is two-fold. First, using religion to trap people politically is nothing new. It happened to Jesus. It happened to the Hebrew prophets before him. People who want power will use any means at their disposal to manipulate others, including religion. Second, being a follower of Jesus isn’t based on being a member of a particular political party, having progressive or conservative values, of favoring one politician and disliking another, or any of the other divisions created by political systems. To be a follower of Jesus is to follow THE WAY of Jesus, to walk through life doing one’s best to embody the teachings of Jesus.
The New Testament book, the Acts of the Apostles, in chapter 9, notes that the earliest followers of Jesus were known as “followers of the way.” This is very significant. Modern Christians usually define themselves based on statements of faith. Those statements of faith may be formal creeds or they are simplistic formulations like “accepting Jesus as personal lord and savior.” Proper beliefs are not at the heart of Christianity. Instead, the first followers of Jesus were known by their way of life — living in ways that were generous with what they had, compassionate toward others, and caring for the people they encountered. They lived the way Jesus did. Later, people in Antioch, now a city in Turkey, called the followers of the Way “Christians” because of the way they showed love for one another.
The real New Testament test for whether one is a Christian is the way a person lives. It’s not about political ideals or voting patterns. Instead, it’s about whether someone demonstrates love-in-action on a daily basis.
More than twenty-five years ago, I knew a man who was transitioning to become a woman. It was more challenging then than it is today. Being a religious person, the individual in transition found strength and comfort from attending church services. The person tried attending a predominantly gay/lesbian church. While greeted warmly at first, the person transitioning was never really welcomed by the members of this church. She happened to attend a funeral at a prominent traditional church. Liking the service, she returned on Sunday. Seeing a man awkwardly dressed as a woman in ill-fitting clothes, an older woman in the church went over and said, “I think you’re new here. If you’re alone, you can sit with me.” The older woman befriended this person in transition. She invited her to go clothes shopping to find items that were more appropriate for the person’s build. The older woman joked, “We both have broad shoulders, so there are certain things we just can’t wear!” She attempted to help with make-up tips but then decided it was better to make an appointment at her salon for the new friend to be taught how to select and apply proper make-up during the transition. This older woman began as her mentor. It was surprising to most people that this occurred. The older woman was the state chair of the Republican Party. Who would have thought this stodgy conservative woman would have helped a transsexual? The people who understood that she took seriously the teachings of Jesus were not surprised by this in the least.
Sorry, Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, and Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki. It’s not one’s political beliefs that make one a true Christian. Instead, being an authentic follower of Jesus is about the love we have one for another. Or as Matthew’s gospel records Jesus as having said, “You will know them by their fruit.”
When religious leaders breed strife, discord, hatred, distrust, and insist that they are right and others are doomed, then they aren’t actually living anyone’s religion. They are frauds who have no real interest in anything other than their own power and advantage. Perhaps one day their followers will realize this and just walk away.
Photo by CJF20 on Foter.com / CC BY-SA
Originally published on this site May 30, 2018.