Faith-traveler’s guide, not a scorecard
Some view religion as a rule book, a lit-up path on the chutes-n-ladders board of life: if you follow this, you win the big shiny McGuffinLand in the sky. To be clear, we aren’t mocking religion, sin, brokenness, or even the earnest drive to follow God’s will. These are real, powerful, and relevant. It’s just that the founding members of Re:faith have a hard time finding evidence of a God so miserly as to snub everybody who doesn’t have a perfect score at the end of the game, according to us.
All major world religions (and many, many “minor”-er ones) place huge emphasis on actively showing love and compassion for the other children of creation. That is our focus, because so many people of faith in public life seem to have lost that thread. Often, the argument becomes about protecting our kids from those kinds of influences, or not being forced to interact or do business with those kinds of people… not being made complicit in those kinds of activities by what amounts to humane treatment of others.
In short, we believe: “Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, especially if I think they are wrong.”
We dare you…
Pick a religion.
Islam? “Allah does not forbid that you be kind and just to those who did not fight against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are equitable.” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:8).
Christianity? Jesus, when asked “‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:34-40, NRSVUE)
Buddhism? “Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I,” he should neither kill nor cause others to kill.” (Sutta Nipata 705)
Sure, sure, we’ve all heard that the Golden Rule is universal. So what?
So why do people of faith so often seem to treat others so… well… crappy? Because we are more likely to do that if we are more focused on our rights, our needs, what’s due us than observing the injury we are doing to others’ dignity. Our culture and politicians tell us that looking out for number one is our God-given right. Except it’s not.
The wisdom of the written word
This community of faith cares deeply about its sacred texts. Printed words tell our story, validate our existence, tell us we are not alone. These stories—this existence—is holy and deserves reverence. They are the stories of the children of creation.
The simplest, most fundamental kernel of a person’s dignity is their right to exist, their personhood. To declare that person is simply wrong, an abomination, is to try to erase them from creation. Surely, destroying what God loves must make God weep. Banning books, forbidding gatherings of marginalized people, and enjoining teachers from even mentioning the existence of different gender identities or sexuality—all of these represent an attack on the existence of large numbers of people. It’s not a political thing. It’s spiritual genocide.
So many religious people behave this way not only in spite of their religion, but purportedly because of it. We think they are very wrong. Their actions create evil in this world.
People who we think are wrong deserve to be treated with respect and dignity too, though. How else can we change anyone’s mind?
The Christian tradition helps us with a loving reminder from the Bible:
My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride.
Galatians 1:1-4
Please join us. Help us to change minds. Help us to change the world.