“You shall have no other gods before me … You shall not bow down to [idols] or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of their parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me.” ~ Exodus 20:3-5

Religions can be a dangerous business, if for no other reason than each & every one of them provide two very different — indeed, two directly opposing — teachings in regards to the concepts of violence & forgiveness.

On the one hand, at the philosophical core of every single major religion in the world today, thrive the healthily shining concepts of Love & Compassion & Forgiveness & Kindness … It is these principles that give many followers a tangible framework for their innate sense of morality, and it is these values that — when put into practice — have allowed our primitive ancestors to rise above the banal & the brutal; to transcend their barbaric, self-destructive beliefs in “might makes right” and “an eye for an eye”; to rise steadily towards the glory that awaits us all in the form of a world based in Peace & Respect & Humility & Service …

This all well and good.

AND YET, on the other hand — as evidenced by how those same religions actually preach their scriptures and actually practice their powers in the world today, therein quite obviously also pulses a darker side; a sinister dogma of callous condemnation & charred confinement; one that champions beliefs that denigrate & damn … one that justifies acts of violence against others. Indeed, the religious leaders of all the major faiths have advocated war & violence & torture & terrorism throughout history — and many continue to do so today … and to make matters even more troubling, the sacred texts of those same religions quite clearly do so as well.

This is quite obviously a hypocrisy that taints religion almost to its very hub; making it flagrantly clear that religion, for all its wonderful potential — and while used by some people to incite amazing acts of goodness, principally still remains a refuge for charlatans, despots & scoundrels — and is still to this day a motivating force for aggression, war & … dare I say … evil as well.

As “proof” of this point, please calmly consider the following bipolar conundrums that major religions still actively pose:

*CHRISTIANITY … On the one hand, Christianity quite clearly preaches nonviolence (Matthew 26:52), selflessness in community (1 Corinthians 10:24), a humble reconciliation with enemies (Matthew 5:43-48 & Romans 12:21), the forgiving of trespasses (Matthew 5:23-24) and peace amongst all humankind (Matthew 5:9 & Luke 2:14).

On the other hand, Christianity has been instrumental in advocating, perpetrating & justifying the most egregious acts of violence — including “just wars” (a la St. Augustine’s oxymoronic theology), crusades, inquisitions, witch trials, mass executions of the innocent, capital punishment, corporal punishment (“spare the rod and spoil the child”), systemic violence & prejudice against women, bigotry against Jews & Muslims, the enslavement of Africans & African-Americans, and the spiritual damnation of all “heathens” — not to mention the covering up of the rape of thousands of adolescent youths by Catholic priests and the open lauding of the self-flagellation of thousands of self-righteous Catholic monks & nuns.

This, to say the least, is NOT a consistent representation of a Loving God or a Loving Way of Living …

*JUDAISM … On the one hand, Judaism also proudly teaches the moral edicts of communal caring (Talmud, Sanhedrin, 27b), radical acts of kindness (Exodus Rabbah 26.2), peace amongst humankind (Talmud, Gittin 59b & Isaiah 2:4), an open & unconditional forgiving of others (Leviticus 19:18), and reconciliation with one’s enemies (Tosefta, Baba Metzia 2.26).

And on the other hand, Judaism too has zealously advocated, perpetrated & justified similarly cruel & despicable acts of violence — including wars, God-ordered Old Testament genocides (1 Samuel 15:1–20, Joshua 6:15–21 & Joshua 10:28–42), the aggressive mistreatment of Arabs in Palestine, along with millions upon millions of barbarically cruel & painful animal sacrifices.

This, to say the least, is most certainly NOT a consistent representation of a Loving Yahweh or a Loving Way of Living …

*ISLAM … On the one hand, even the Qur’an seems to profess the values of kindness towards all others (Qur’an, 39.10), unconditional forgiveness (Qur’an 64.14 & Nahjul Balagha, Saying 201), and an active reconciliation with one’s enemies (Qur’an 42.36-43 & Qur’an 60.7).

And on the other hand, Islam has quite famously advocated — nay, often demanded, perpetrated & justified horrific acts of cruelty & physical judgment — including “holy wars” (Jihad), acts of violent terrorism, cruel punishments for minor offenses, open violence & flagrant discrimination against women, along with open acts of aggression towards non-Muslims.

This, to say the least as well, is absolutely NOT a consistent representation of a Loving Allah or a Loving Way of Living …

So what are the religious to do? Are they to give up their faiths? Are they to blindly follow the ill-advised and dysfunctional teachings of many of their more cruel prophets and more bigoted preachers?

Not necessarily … There IS another Way — a Way embedded at the very center of every religion; a Way that can be walked by any human being — believer or not. It is a Way that requires a dropping of dogma, a purging of preachers and a tearing away from theology.

It mandates that each & every believer read their religion’s sacred texts for themselves … And it requires that all verses & all passages read that do not reflect a perfect & exception-less LOVE be seen for what they are — man-made manacles; person-built prisons; cleric-erected cells — and tossed aside for what they are trying to do: imprison our minds in fear, and thereby imprison our Souls in self-centeredness.

No, my Friends — to worship a God of LOVE, we must LOVE as that God must LOVE … And to LOVE as that God must LOVE, we must be free to LOVE without condition or exception … And to be so purely free, we must courageously discard all the religious conventions that keep us from Caring &we must actively rebuke all the religious teachings that encourage or justify violence of any kind.

This is the Way to refine to your religion …
This is the Way to re-turn to your God …
This, my Friends, is The Way.

Amen … Let it be so.

 

Filed under: My Favorite Verses by Scaughdt