I Want to Be More Loving

christianity has become distorted in this country, having turned into something that is not recognizable as the expression of the life and teachings of jesus.  the basic tenets of loving one another and forgiving others when we are wronged have been lost in political rhetoric that divides us.  most christians here see those who are "outside the fold" as being evil or, as is the fashion now for anyone who disagress with us, these others are condemned as "woke," whatever that means.  so many who purport to be christians are caught up in the us-versus-them way of thinking that all that jesus stood and died for are forgotten.

christians condemn those they don't understand and refuse to try to walk a few steps in their shoes.  members of the lgbtq community, the non-religious, and followers of other religions are disparaged without ever learning what life is like for them.  women are seen as second-class citizens whom god has ordained to be controlled by men.  women are seen as subservient creatures whose purpose is little more than procreation.  these "others" are railed against from the pulpit and the christian religion marches in lockstep with right-wing politics.  freedom of expression is curtailed, books are banned, and a bent toward authoritarianism is extolled as a virtue.

this is not to say that all christians subscribe to this perverted view of christianity, but so-called evangelicalism has become the dominant strain of christianity, as less politicized churches decline.  many of the same criticisms can be leveled at other religions when fundamentalism is dominant.  we see this in judaism, islam, and the buddhism of myanmar.  in most cases, these religious expressions are male-dominated and insist that those who think differently, look differently, and live differently are the enemies of "true" religion.  these outliers are to be feared and suppressed.  they are a danger to the young, and children must be protected from them.

i am fearful of this expression of any religion, including my own.  sometimes, i wonder if i should call myself a christian, not because of my religious beliefs, but because i don't want to be identified with this perversion of christianity that has become the dominant strain of christianity in the usa.  religious leaders wonder why young people are leaving the church, but one only has to look at the narrow, exclusionary, us-versus-them practice of christianity in many denominations and congregations to understand why those with open minds and open hearts don't want to have anything to do with christian churches.

may we turn from religions that view others as enemies and infidels.  may we embrace openness to other ways of thinking and being.  may we seek to understand those who appear to be different from us, remembering that in truth we are all very much the same.  may we condemn those who would separate us into warring camps and accept our common humanity.  shalom.