Spiritual Arrogance & Delusion

I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe.
-Thomas Paine, Age of Reason

I have been very frustrated with evangelical's nonsensical claims of faith lately. Most claim things they don't believe and in most cases scare others into believing what they believe through the threat of hell (even though the Bible explicitly shuns this tactic).

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

In interpersonal relationships they use guilt and tug at the heart strings. They promise eternal life together with those you love most. What hard-hearted person would reject that? Sometimes they use the threat of ending the relationship as a means to convert others.

While all of these approaches are wrong, Jesus laid out a very clear path for "converting" others, it involves living out all of the teachings of Jesus.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

This is repeated again elsewhere even more explicitly (apologies for the misogynistic overtones of the verse, I think it would also apply if the sexual roles were reversed).

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of their lives 1 Peter 3:1-2

Even the Great Commission, when read with a modest degree of thoughtfulness doesn't support any of the modern ways evangelicals reach out to others or what they teach.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

First notice Jesus doesn't say to go around teaching them to believe anything. He says to share his teachings. Clearly one cannot obey a belief. While it's not exactly clear what making someone a disciple means, the book of John does a better job of showing what this will look like when fully manifested in man.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another, 
John 13:34-35

It's quite simple. Teach others what Jesus taught and love one another. This is the essence of the Christian life and why I call myself one.

Jesus says this again in Matthew 19.

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."  "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Clearly, from the verses above proselytizing in it's modern form wasn't something that was intended, though I doubt it will die anytime soon as it's an excellent recruiting tool, ensures the survival of churches who encourage it, and will help them to grow faster (or at least replace elderly members who pass away) than churches who don't. It's a very adaptive strategy.

The last part of evangelism that annoys me of this whole process is how much weight evangelicals put on "faith" (Hence the Thomas Paine quote at the top of this passage). especially since I don't think many have seriously considered what the word means (and how it is different from certainty and how it relates to doubt).

First, faith should be put in it's proper perspective. Even for all of the talk about faith in his gospel, Paul still doesn't put faith as the most important characteristic:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Second, I will outline what faith isn't. It is not believing with your whole mind something that doesn't make sense. It is not certainty. It doesn't not mean people don't have doubts. It is defined very succintly as "the assurance of things hope for." Jesus talks about this in several parables, my favorite of which is about the lilies of the field.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is the essence of faith. To simply trust that things will work out. This extends to other beliefs. Loving when it may make us vulnerable. Being generous when we may want to save or be miserly. Offering forgiveness when we may want to hold on to anger. Turning the other cheek when attacked. Having patience when we may want to lash out. It requires humanity to set aside the constant grasping for our own self preservation. To unclench the tight fist we have on our own possessions and the control we week over our own destiny. This is faith.

Some who cling to a 500 year old view of penal substitution (the idea that Jesus was an elaborate human sacrifice) will say this is all fine and well, but this isn't enough as we are some depraved fallen people destined for eternal damnation. How will we rid ourselves of the dark blot of sin?

To me, it is simple. Forgiveness is handed out freely and is really no different than faith in providence. Forgiveness comes by simple faith. Jesus says so very plainly.

"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. '  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:35-37

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7

In the interactions during his life he makes this very clear. Jesus forgave sins while he was still alive (the woman who washed his feet, the paralyzed man who fell through the roof, the woman at the well and even on the cross where in the midst of his execution he uttered "father forgive them they know not what they do." He was living out his beliefs of forgiving others.

Faith is a simple thing. It is acting in conviction with ones beliefs even when it may appear that it could cost one to lose his ego, social standing, income or pride. In a word it is selflessness based on love. Jesus demonstrates that through his teaching all we need to do is to love and forgive others, and that if we believe with the same measure of faith that our sins are forgiven, they will be.

I hope we can all stop confusing this with intellectual certainty.

It is necessary to be bold. Some people can be reasoned into sense, and others must be shocked into it. Say a bold thing that will stagger them, and they will begin to think.
-Thomas Paine, personal letters

Words

Today I was researching quotes for a sermon at the UU about language. In the process I came across the gems below. Each one, nudging me like a little finger, touched a spot of my soul that needed attention. Like pithy and wise little fortune cookies from Confucius, they each thoughtfully summarized feelings I had been struggling to birth. Like a spritz of Windex on dusty, grimy old windows they allowed me to see through clear  panes of glass.

These quotes, when placed side by side like eggs in a carton, also helped me to see a paradox: Words are useless because they are easy to say, and also because they often cannot easily express how we feel... but they are still powerful beyond measure when wielded by someone we care about.

I think these quotes tell a story of the past few months of my life:

“I don’t want just words. If that’s all you have for me, you’d better go”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned

“Do actions agree with words? There's your measure of reliability. Never confine yourself to the words.”
― Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune

“Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall.”
- Jodi Picoult

“That's what careless words do. They make people love you a little less.”
― Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things

“Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.”
― Pythagoras

“I read her eyes like
paragraphs and her tears
like chapters
for she didn't have much
to say with words, but rather,
silence.

And never let them tell you
that silence, isn't beautiful.
For silence is what happens
when words fall asleep
and you must carry the belief
that one day they will
wake up inside of you.”
― Testy McTesterson

“A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”
― Ingrid Bergman

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. ”
― John Bunyan

“Lying is done with words, and also with silence.”
― Adrienne Rich, Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying

“It happens like this. One day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason, you feel more connected to this stranger than anyone else--closer to them than your closest family. Perhaps this person carries within them an angel--one sent to you for some higher purpose; to teach you an important lesson or to keep you safe during a perilous time. What you must do is trust in them--even if they come hand in hand with pain or suffering--the reason for their presence will become clear in due time.

Though here is a word of warning--you may grow to love this person but remember they are not yours to keep. Their purpose isn't to save you but to show you how to save yourself. And once this is fulfilled; the halo lifts and the angel leaves their body as the person exits your life. They will be a stranger to you once more."
 ― Lang Leav, Love & Misadventure

I can relate

“A word is not the same with one writer as it is with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.”
― Charles Péguy, Basic Verities, Prose, and Poetry

Reflections on connections

I always grow with each new relationship. The chance to deeply know and understand another person, to open your hearts and lives to each other is a special thing. The process of deeply valuing others for what they do better than me is something I wish I could do more. It helps me to grow as much as anything I do. Here is what I learned from my most recent relationship:

Ignore the stern looking faces of strangers. A smile goes a long way, but a hello with genuine concern can unchain the humanity in another waiting to come alive. People are generally pretty approachable if you reach out.

Better dental hygiene. Added another brushing and daily flossing to my routine. My smile is all the better for it.

I iron my clothes more often and am even more clean than I was before.

I have more patience and don't mind serving others. I am more willing to set my own desires aside.

I realize a softer touch, kinder words and a little encouragement are things I need to do more often. On a positive note I also learned I have more patience than I thought I did.

I am stronger in my own faith because I was forced to reexamine it and own my own beliefs.

Road Trips

They all start out the same

Fresh cup of coffee, tank full of gas
Belly full of food, pocketful of cash
Just a destination, no plans in mind
For a few days, I'll leave it all behind

Softer, gentler

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." 
- Isaac Newton