You see photographs like this occasionally – pictures of churches in Germany with Nazi flags and altar coverings – Hitler knew that using religion to capture devotion was a tried-and-true practice of tyrants throughout history. Photographs of KKK rallies with “Jesus Saves” banners and crosses on the wall. The Kloran, which is the practical guidebook for all things KKK that was published in 1916, describes burning those very same crosses as “the emblem of that sincere, unselfish devotedness of all Klansmen to the sacred purpose and principles we espoused.” You can tell that a religion has levels of toxicity when it promotes violence as a primary way to get what it wants for God. Almost every religion has some aspect of this in their scripture and doctrines. They were written by people, after all.
Just because a religion is flawed doesn’t make it evil. It also isn’t an excuse when the practice of evil becomes part of that religion’s purpose. Robert P. Jones, in his recent and amazing book “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future” looks at the “Doctrine of Discovery”, a 15th-century document that was blessed by the Pope of that time and used to steal land, murder Indigenous people who weren’t Christian, and kick off European colonialism. Residents of Salem, MA, good Protestants all, used a perverted view of the Scriptures to murder innocent women, children, and men who were free-thinkers and dissenters. Yes – the same people who fled Europe for religious freedom became the oppressors. The terrorists who attacked on 9/11 claimed to be adherents to Islam, using Allah as a reason to murder over 3,000 people. They weren’t Muslims – they were evil.
Religion is the last safe bastion of bigotry, and most religions are bigoted in some way, whether they admit it or not. Your church might choose to not ordain women, which, if you believe that men and women are created equal by God, is an affront to our Creator. Your religion might tell you that not being straight is wrong, which is your prerogative; just stop blaming Jesus – He never said a word about that particular issue. If you use Jesus to act badly towards non-straight people, you are leaving the realm of opinion and turning towards evil. I have heard a lot of people say that if someone is a Democrat or a Republican, that person can’t be a follower of Jesus. I cannot put into words how ignorant that is. Sweeping statements like this, regardless of where you are on the religious or political statement, are misleading at best and dangerous at worst.
Religion is supposed to be a vehicle for generosity, good works, and kindness. And while all religions have restrictions on behavior – some more, some less – most of those rules and regs are human opinions. That isn’t me talking – that’s Jesus. When He was asked about what He thought the greatest commandment was, he said (Matthew 22) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” All – not part or some – All. Enough said.
Prayer – Holy God, You have tried to guide Your people through all of human history to treat each other with respect, and we have, too often, messed it up by ignoring You. Continue to guide us, we beg – maybe we will get it right someday. Amen.