On Friday I wrote about a huge part of our population that is spiritually unmoored; those who have had little to no connection with faith communities, and who I believe have weakened our nation, our religious institutions, and themselves. Today I want to think about a population who is a danger to all of us – the spiritually unhinged. I’m not talking about people who worship differently than I do; I love that there are so many ways people can express their love of and devotion to God. This is a gift of the Constitution, which gives each of us the right to say yes or no to God in whatever way we choose. No – I’m talking about religious organizations and people who behave in ways that damage the common good. They try to control our laws – they try to control us – and in doing so, they wreak havoc on our rights and democracy.
They stage hostile takeovers of local churches, something that has happened in my denomination. Ever since the UCC expressed its support of marriage equality, people have been infiltrating local congregations and working to take them out of the denomination. This is unhinged behavior. Or those who refuse to fully educate all of their children, like ultra-orthodox Jews and the Amish. To not give children a chance to achieve and live in the world is, to me, unhinged behavior. Or congregations that believe women are not equal to men; some of these churches are trying to get laws passed that allow for one vote per household, giving men control and forcing women into submission. This is unhinged religion – this goes against God.
The spiritually unhinged are trying to take control of federal, state, and local governments. They are trying to take rights from anyone who is not a heterosexual man. They are limiting voting, trying to control personal autonomy, and are even trying to take away the right for some to marry or use birth control. And while they have the right to practice their own religion in their congregation or home, they do not have the right to force the rest of us to do their bidding. That pesky Constitution is supposed to make sure that doesn’t happen. The rest of us have an obligation to make sure that we are all protected from this mayhem. If we don’t, we will end up like Iran. Prayer – Holy God, You have given us rights that cannot be taken away. Give us the courage to make sure that those who are spiritually unhinged do not take those rights away. Amen