I grew up in a small town where Christian fundamentalism was one of the predominant religious modes. In this approach to religion, there is a strong tendency to divide the world into "us" and "them." If you aren't in the "us" category, you are viewed with suspicion, subjected to pressure to change to join the "us" camp, and if you are unwilling or unable to do so, you are rejected. I've experienced the pain that this worldview causes, both personally and in relationship with people I've known and loved.
I believe that fundamentalism and other forms of exclusivism must be named as one of the great spiritual lies of our time. A basic test for the authenticity of any spirituality is how it views those of differing belief. Authentic teachings will treat people with dignity and respect, and will not view them as deficient based on their difference. I suspect that fundamentalists will howl in disagreement at this suggestion, pointing to narrow passages of scripture that appear to reinforce the exclusive approach, but there is a deeper and broader thread in almost every religious tradition that supports my position. An example from Christianity is Jesus' interaction with and teachings using Samaritans, the ostracized others of his day.
Authentic spiritual teachings challenge us, calling us to transcend our limited and harmful views of the world. Exclusivism fails to do this. It enables us to feel comfortable with ourselves while judging or condemning others. A spirituality that is inclusive is challenging, calling us to take the time to get to know and understand others, rather than trying to force them into an "us" shaped mold.
2 comments:
Amen. I think you've got this just right, Clay. Jesus himself was outcast, having been born in a stable, the state and the religious authorities plotted to kill him, and his own people rejected him . The Gospel of John says " "To his own he came, yet his own did not accept him." They were the fundamentalists of their day. Jesus knew what it was to be outcast and how it hurt...so he never turned the outcast away. Imitating him in this calling is indeed hard. It is so easy to mentally judge those we pass o nthe street or the subway. Finding the imagp Dei in all is the hard thing.
In a church I belonged too in California, one member had two bumber stickers on his car : "Jesus is Lord" and "Question Authority" :-). I think he was on the road to authentic spirituality as you describe it.
Unfortunately, we seem as a society, to encourage this rejection of those that are different from an early age. Kids in elementary and middle school are very quick to exclude children that don't follow the crowd, leading to a lot of unnecessary heartache. How do we change this?
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