In The Way, I described my rocky relationship with organized religion. Sometimes, people ask me, “Is there anything that you like about Christianity?” When I reply truthfully, they often respond, “Is that the best that you can do?” Sadly, that is the best that I can do. If I thought that contemporary Christianity reflected the words and works of Jesus, then I would NOT have left Christianity.
Since writing the book, I recognize that many people have actually had even worse experiences with organized religion. One-third of us report experiencing some form of religious trauma. Sadly, pedophile priests abused some of my Catholic friends. And overeager evangelists threatened some of my Protestant friends with eternal conscious torment. Where is Jesus in any of this?
Often, I write about the need to embrace a more mystical, paradoxical and rational faith. And to reject the more doctrinal, exclusive and evangelical faith. Many Progressive Christians get it. But most conservative Catholic and Evangelical Christians do NOT. I wrote about people leaving church here and here and here and here and here and here and here.
Sometimes, people ask me, “Is there anything that you like about Christianity?”
“Is There Anything That You Like About Christianity?”
Sure, a few things come to mind immediately. First, the person of Jesus has always inspired me, although I do NOT believe that he was born of a virgin, God incarnate, or physically resurrected. After all, the story of the rich young man inspired me so much that I quit my job and sold my house to spend my life in service to others, although I do NOT believe in an afterlife or reincarnation. Also, I have NOT been critical of Jesus, but I have been critical of Christian doctrine that Jesus did NOT originate and Christian “truth” claims that Jesus did NOT profess.
Second, Jesus’ core teaching to love your neighbor as yourself has always impressed me. This commandment paraphrases the Golden Rule, which is the cornerstone of several spiritual traditions. In fact, in The Way, I write that “Almost everyone who pursues a broad and deep exploration of other traditions will be moved by the compassion of Christianity, the devotion of Islam, the intellectual rigor of Judaism, the earthy practicality of Buddhism, or the rich vocabulary of Hinduism.” Sadly, I realize that contemporary Christianity has distorted Jesus’ message.
Third, the Catholic perspective on the primacy of conscience has always informed me. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, said, “Over the pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority there still stands one’s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, if necessary even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority.” Sadly, the church has too often imposed its ecclesiastical authority irresponsibly, often without deference to the primacy of conscience.
Fourth, the Catholic mystics have always led me to focus on experiencing Ultimate Reality, rather than speculating about Ultimate Reality. Most religions are experiential, not intellectual. Sadly, Catholics have largely abandoned the mystical tradition, and Protestants have never embraced it. Martin Luther preferred suffering or the “way of the cross” to mysticism or the “way of the heart.” Thus, many Christians are more motivated by fear and guilt than by unconditional love and selfless service. They are more inclined to recite creeds than to practice compassion.
“Is That the Best That You Can Do?”
Sadly, that is the best that I can do. If I thought that contemporary Christianity reflected the words and works of Jesus, then I would NOT have left Christianity. I would NOT have encouraged others to scrutinize their own traditions. I would NOT have encouraged others to explore other traditions. And I would NOT have written a book or a column about any of this.
Author John Shore, a Christian, recently explained why he does NOT tell people that he is a Christian:
“If I tell someone from the right I’m Christian, they will immediately assume I believe all kinds of shit I don’t, like that hell is a real place where everybody who’s not Christian spends eternity having the living flesh seared off their bones, or that God thinks women should “submit” to their husbands, or that abortion is murder, or that LGBTQ people are only misguided straight people…. And if I tell someone from the left that I’m Christian, then I might as well say I’m a misogynistic, homophobic Nazi simpleton whose favorite pastime is tossing live puppies to alligators.”
Shore is exaggerating to make a point, but he speaks enough truth here that most of us get it. Do you think that Jesus would recognize a Catholic Mass, a Pentecostal revival or a Quaker meeting? Me neither. Do you think that Jesus would wonder why Catholics emphasize Mass attendance and sacraments, or why Protestants emphasize biblical inerrancy and justification by faith? Me too. If abortion and same-sex attraction were fundamental tenets of Jesus’ beliefs or if papal primacy or justification by faith were fundamental tenets of his practice, why did he never mention them?
Where Did Most of Christian Doctrine Originate?
Many people who leave Christianity do NOT reject Jesus or Jesus’ words and works. Rather, many of us have concluded that much of Christian doctrine does NOT originate with Jesus. Worse, much of it relies on speculative doctrine, supernatural events, and unkind practices. And much of it is NOT absolute, authentic, original, rational, unchanging, and universal:
- Christianity borrowed from the mythologies of the Greeks, Romans, and other cultures.
- Christianity borrowed from Judaism, as well as Zoroastrianism and other religions, including pagan religions.
- The first Christians were Jewish Christians, who likely believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but NOT that he was God.
- Christianity was unstructured for the first 300 years of its history. There was no Bible, no creed and no doctrine until the fourth century.
- Different theologies are reflected in the Bible and the earliest writings. And scholars agree that the Gospels were NOT written by eyewitnesses.
- Many beliefs changed between the first gospel and the last gospel. Mark, the first Gospel, contained no virgin birth, no genealogy, and no post-resurrection appearances.
- Many beliefs were developed very recently. For example, the doctrines of original sin, the Trinity, and substitutionary atonement developed centuries after Jesus’ death.
Do you think that Jesus’ words and works were compelling, in and of themselves? Me too. Do you believe that Jesus’ words and works were enhanced by 2,000 years of speculation? Me neither. And do you think that we can follow Jesus without following leaders like the Pope and Martin Luther or theologians like Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas? Me too.
In The Way, I described my rocky relationship with organized religion. Sometimes, people ask me, “Is there anything that you like about Christianity?” When I reply truthfully, they often respond, “Is that the best that you can do?” Sadly, that is the best that I can do. If I thought that contemporary Christianity reflected the words and works of Jesus, then I would NOT have left Christianity.
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