#1 in the Dan Kimball list:
• The church is just organized religion that is politically motivated.
Not to sound like a weasel, but "yes and no".
It really depends upon the words "just", "religion", and "political". I'm not trying to pull a "that depends on what 'is' is", but these words can be loaded and need to be unpacked.
Let's start with political. Webster's defines political as "of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government". When Jesus spoke the words "the Kingdom of God is at hand", I believe that he meant a new Kingdom was coming and a knew conduct of that Kingdom, a new politics, if you will. That said, I don't believe that Jesus came to overthrow the government. In fact, the three things most Israelites were looking for in a Messiah (overthrow of enemies, reestablishment of land to the Israelite people, and prosperity and riches), were all things that Jesus didn't do. When Jesus' disciple, Peter, pulls Jesus aside and tires to explain that a Messiah isn't supposed to suffer and die, but overthrow and rule, Jesus says "Get behind me, Satan, you do not have in mind the ways of God, but the ways of men."
Many Christians today, unfortunately, still think that Jesus exists to destroy their enemies, give them back their land (America is a "Christian" nation, after all), and make them prosperous and rich (see the best-selling "Prayer of Jabez"). Unfortunately, this isn't what Jesus teaches or talks about when he talks about the Kingdom and the politics of the Kingdom. He talks about healing of hurts, bringing good news to the poor, showing justice and mercy. He blesses those who mourn and calls his followers to bring comfort to them. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer states that "when Christ calls a man, he calls him to come and die." This is the politics of Jesus, a politics of sacrifice and mercy, conducting ourselves as Christ did and living as citizens of his Kingdom. Loving our enemies and putting God above all, this is the politics of Jesus. In that sense, the church is political. It is not, however, meant to ally itself with power and position itself in a place of prosperity. We are not called to endorse political parties or even countries. We are meant to live in the world, but not of the world, connected to culture, but not corrupted by it. When the church and state get in bed together, the thing most likely to be produced by their union is the anti-Christ. That doesn't mean that Christians don't have a certain code of conduct of politics, but that it is defined by Christ and cannot be captured by any earthy government or political system.
Religion gets us into equally tricky territory. Webster's defines religion as "the service and worship of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance; a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices; scrupulous conformity; a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith"
The service of worship of God is absolutely something the church is about. It was something Christ called us to and practiced himself. Likewise for a commitment to faith and a call to certain attitudes, beliefs, and practices (this takes us back to Kingdom conduct and politics) such as "love your neighbor" and "love the Lord your God". Even conformity is something we are called to; Christ sets himself as the cornerstone that all others must be shaped around. We are called to conform to the image of Jesus Christ and to no longer live as our old selves.
I'm not sure any of these things actually concern or turn of non-Christians. They may not agree with everything we believe or even believe in Jesus as Lord, but their objection to "religion" isn't about that. From what I can tell, it has more to do with rules and regulations that have been imposed by us and not by God. Ways of dressing, talking, and behaving that we insist are "Christian" but don't look much like Christ.
A BookPeople anecdote, if I may. When I first started working at BookPeople, there were those who seemed surprised (concerned? baffled? wary?) by the fact that I was a Christian and, even worse, a pastor. However, as they got to know me, one shared sentiment kept coming up. At least five different people said to me "it's weird, you don't seem like a Pat Robertson type."
Any of you that know me know that I could only take this as the highest of compliments. I am not trying to be a Pat Robertson type. I'm trying to be a Jesus type. I fail at it a lot, but I'm trying.
But lots of Christians (Pat Robertson, to name one) insist that being a Christian means being "a Pat Robertson type". And, I am convinced, this is what non-Christians mean when they say that the church is "organized religion that is politically motivated". They've seen too many TV preachers who are.
Finally, there's that word "just". "Just organized religion". Even by the best definition of religion ("belief and practices shaped by God") and of politics ("conduct based upon citizenship in God's Kingdom"), the church isn't meant to be "just" beliefs and practices and conduct. If I am married to Rachel, I live by certain beliefs and practices and conduct ("Rachel is worth marrying", "I share meals with Rachel", "I don't date women besides Rachel") but I do so in order to have a rich and rewarding relationship with her. Without the beliefs, practices, and conduct, the relationship suffers and dies. Without the relationship, the beliefs, practices, and conduct are meaningless.
Jesus came in order to draw us into relationship and in order to restore relationship between us and our Father and our fellow man. He gave us a new citizenship and a new way to live, but he did it all because he loves and cares for us. He calls us to follow him, because he knows where we ought to go.
I hope that makes some sort of sense. Feel free to respond, one way or the other.
2 comments:
Why do you think it is that quite a few Christians do feel the need to be the "Pat Robertson type" though? If I had to speculate (and for the sake of my response I'm going to), I think it's because frankly it's a whole lot easier to be judgmental than it is to show grace when you're more concerned with showing people you're right than showing people love. Also, I believe that an emphasis on politics stems from a misconception that the American way is God's way, as well as the fact that it's easier to try to legislate morality (which is feckless) than to live as Christ in the world.
I think it's because we're called to "love the sinner and hate the sin". But we find that is difficult. And hating both is just a lot easier.
That may be too cynical. At the very least, I think we've become so used to being aligned with power that we'll do anything not to lose it. And power respects power. So being "right" trumps doing right.
Post a Comment