Religion and Divisiveness

Several years ago, a large and beautiful expansion to our local Lutheran church building was being erected on a corner near my home. As I watched the stone walls rising gradually, I looked forward to seeing what the building would look like when it was finished. My feelings were a little bit conflicted. On the one hand, I was happy to see a beautiful new edifice adorning our neighborhood. I was also pleased to see that the local congregation was thriving enough to be able to afford such a nice new addition to its building. 


At the same time, I felt like I was being disloyal to my own Church for having positive feelings about another church. I should feel like they were competition. I should feel they were poor misguided souls who needed the Truth. I should feel guilty about not inviting them to Family Home Evening. But I didn't feel those things, and I was glad I didn't. I was struck by the idea that here were a bunch of good people willing to donate their money to build a beautiful building they could meet in. What a pity it was that We were divided from Them over some doctrinal details.


One thing that has struck me about all religions is that, by definition, they divide people. We are sure that We are right because We have prophets and revelations. They are sure They are right because They have the authority of the Bible. We are sure They are wrong and They are sure We are wrong. Multiply this by few dozen churches, add a dash of nice fresh prejudice, stir in two cups of intolerance, and voilà, widespread unfriendliness among people who otherwise would probably get along just fine.


For the spicier version, fold in generous amounts of poverty and ignorance, and an unscrupulous religious leader willing to inflame fanaticism for selfish ends! But be careful, the dish can easily get too hot to handle.


And all this for what? Souls saved? Oh right, but only Our souls, because They don't believe the right stuff. Of course, We can always convert Them, but They are stubborn and don't realize They are wrong. And They are foolish enough to try to convert Us, because They think We are wrong, which of course cannot possibly be.


Many people are capable of stepping back and seeing what belief hath wrought. But most of them just up the ante and say: "Yes, it is sad how much strife there is. All those poor souls are deceived. Fortunately, We actually ARE right." And so it continues, both day and night.

Good and Evil

Most organizations of significant size usually specify many policies and controls which prohibit certain behaviors and encourage others in the members of that organization. Churches do similarly, sometimes invoking "doctrine". Though, instead of simply saying that this or that thing is allowed or not allowed, they frequently employ a much more powerful tool: labeling the various activities or behaviors as "good" or "evil." By adding this extra layer of judgment, of divine approbation or censure, I think that churches obtain several important benefits:

1. Guilt from sin and fear for eternal salvation become potent motivators for guiding or controlling behaviors.
2. The "good" and "evil" labels can be applied to whatever things are needed without regard to truth, reason, or fairness.
3. It gives defenders license to use any means at all to defend the "good" and attack the "evil" without regard to truth, reason, or fairness (and frequently despite those things).

In saying this, I think I have become what I decried for much of my life: a relativist. For the first several decades of my life, I was a staunch and loud believer in Absolute Truth. If you were a Mormon (and a republican, of course), you were right and good. If you were not a Mormon, you were wrong. If you were a democrat, you were wrong and evil. Mormon Democrats: inexplicably misguided. Now when I type that, I can't decide whether to blush, laugh, or just be glad that my mind opened up one day and let in a little daylight. Probably all three.

Edward Gibbon, he of "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" renown, famously wrote:

The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful.

This about sums up my thoughts on the misuse of Good and Evil.

Religion and Reason

For me, thinking is writing is thinking. This blog is really nothing more than an attempt to understand myself better and to clarify my thoughts. I have often noted the tension between religion and science, but I never really gave it a whole lot of thought. Lately, something inside me has grown impatient with, even intolerant of ideas that clearly contradict what my observation and reason tell me is true. The more I learn about the beauty and wonder of what we have discovered through methodical study, invention, and experimentation, the more my mind revolts at having to live with contradictions that "make reason stare."

But the other day, I had an epiphany. I have a real and valuable tool for resolving these discrepancies! The Book of Mormon defines faith in the following way in the Book of Alma 32:21:

"...faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (italics mine)

To paraphrase, a person's faith in something is only valid if the object of faith is true! I can believe with every fiber of my being that 2 + 2 = 5, but my faith is invalid and misplaced because this is a fact that is unchangeable for all time. And we have an unparalleled tool for getting at the truth of things in the observable world: the scientific method.

What I derive from this is that any statement of faith that I am asked to believe must be consistent with the facts I observe, what my reason and judgement tells me is true, and what science has proven to my satisfaction to be the truth. To be sure, I am very far from infallible. But I have a compass inside me that has guided me well my whole life, when I have heeded it. And so, if my reason is offended by a statement of faith, or if such a statement clearly contradicts an overwhelming body of incontrovertible facts, I now feel justified in discarding that statement without prejudice.

On the flip side, I admit the possibility that the universe we can observe with our physical senses is not the complete universe. Also I am aware that some of what we "know" today will be contradicted by what we "know" tomorrow. So if I note a strong feeling in my heart, or a persistent idea in my mind that I cannot account for "scientifically," I have generally found it worth my while also to pay it heed even in the face of apparent evidence to the contrary.

Organized Religion

I will start off by saying that organized religion has accomplished many good things. Under the banner of religion, people have performed countless wonderful and selfless acts. On the flip side of that coin, even a cursory glance at almost any period in history will not fail to show just as many terrible acts committed in the name of God -- so many in fact, that, if I were God, I think I'd be tempted to change my name. Just off the top of my head, here are some of the more infamous occurrences where religion has been used as either an excuse or a cover-up for acts which God would no doubt disown if asked:

• Various parts of the Old Testament, which are awash in blood. One loses count of how many times one reads that God commanded the armies of Israel to fall on some city and wipe out every inhabitant, rape the women, slaughter the children, and burn anything that's still left standing.
• The Crusades -- or, come into the loving arms of Jesus or I'll gouge your eyes out, you heathen infidel.
• The Salem witch trials.
• Wars between the Catholics and the Protestants ravaging just about every country in Europe, and which still break out from time to time.
• Events in the Middle East, where it seems like the Old Testament just keeps on going.
• Racial segregation, intolerance and bigotry, which should be the last things one sees taking place in a church if the teachings of Jesus are understood and practiced.
• The Catholic church's current woes around pedophilia.
• Illegal Polygamy.
• Jim Jones and the 1978 Kool-aid episode in Guyana.
• The September 11, 2001 attack of the World Trade Center in New York City.
• The Branch Davidian massacre in Waco Texas.
• Various "televangelists" and their massive financial empires gained from defrauding gullible people.

So it's not difficult to claim that organized religion has a spotted history that leads right up to today. Of course the forces which have been antagonistic toward religion can also claim their share of the mayhem (see Nazism and Joseph Stalin as just a couple of examples). On the whole, though, one can't help wondering if, on balance, the overall effect of religion on the world's stage has been a negative or a positive one. Certainly it is a phenomenon which tends to divide people when uniting would probably be more productive and result in better outcomes.

Introduction

Hello, World! I am a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My family was always active in the church and I grew up to do all the typical things a good mormon boy is supposed to do: served a mission, graduated from BYU, married in the temple, and raised my children according to the principles of the Gospel as taught by the church. Unlike some of the experiences I have read from people who have left the church, I personally have nothing but good feelings for the people I have known in the church. I have a lifetime full of good memories and few negative experiences. My family and I have been welcomed and loved by the church members in almost all the places we have lived and we have met many truly magnificent people who have had a profound and wonderful effect on our lives.

In spite of all this, I have recently had an experience that came to me un-looked-for and completely out of the blue. In a very short time, the church fell away from me. I say this because nothing obvious changed in my life or my behavior. I suddenly and inexplicably grew revolted by the constant talk of sinning and repenting. The clear line in my mind that has always separated good and evil has become much less distinct. The doctrines of the church that once seemed so solid have crumbled like sand in my mind. Many of the things I once considered vitally important now seem inconsequential. And most strange, I don't feel bad at all -- just relieved; I feel freed though I had never noticed feeling trapped.

As you can imagine, this experience has been quite disorienting to me. I have been preoccupied for many months questioning things that were, for many years, beyond question. Sometimes I am confused and feel a real sense of loss. At other times I experience moments of clarity that bring keen exhilaration and joy. This blog is my attempt to come to terms with this huge change in my life. If it helps others who are struggling in a similar way, I am glad.

At this time, I have no plans to leave the church. It would be very difficult and there are a multitude of ties that I have no wish to sever. Also, my good and faithful parents would be crushed and I have no desire to inflict that or any other pain on them. However, I am currently participating at a very minimal level and have no wish to increase that right now.