I was asked, “Why does it matter what we believe? Isn’t being good enough?”
This was not a query on multiple religions. I did not have to defend Christianity against
any other popular belief system. The
person wanted to know why it was important that Christians question their own
beliefs. Why I should question mine.
Disturbing the status
quo would only bring dissention. Instead,
agree to disagree. That is a better
philosophy. It keeps the peace. And, we need peace.
I used to believe that as truth. I hated hearing biblical arguments that I
could not follow. They were filled with obscure
references, big churchy words, and lots of anger. Each side quoted old-brother-so-and-so as if
that name made what was said true. But the
arguments never came to any reasonable conclusion. They bounced off deaf ears. Worse, once the heated discussion ended, the
backbiting began. Those kinds of
responses made me think that neither side knew what they were talking about.
Yet the arguments intrigued me. I wanted to understand why there was no
agreement. Jesus prayed for unity. God said His ways were simple enough for common
men to teach their children.
Simple was not what I heard.
The more I studied, the more disunity I found. The history of Christianity overflows with
distrust and rejection of each other. Differing
beliefs rarely lived peaceably together for long. Teachers stirred up righteous indignation, which
gave reason for the dominate group to repress or eliminate the competition. To them, the end justified the means. Christians killed Christians by word and by sword.
That in itself is a reason to question what I had been
taught. The means did not justify the
end. It only justified more evil.
“Agreeing to disagree” is the option of peace between
brothers. However, it is also the choice
to remain blind and deaf. We need to
realize that “agreeing to disagree” is simply the first step in the process to
understand and to grow. We need to
respect the other person and their beliefs enough to listen.
I had to choose to hear and see the other side of the
argument. I had to let go of arguing a
point and ask, “What truth does this person see that I don’t?”
And, let me tell you, it was always difficult to ponder a
belief that disturbed my conception of what was true. Yet, that is the only way I have found to get
to the root of the argument. My beliefs
had to be questioned alongside the others.
I had to accept that the opposite side might be correct, at least in
part.
That excruciating exercise gave an unconventional
conclusion. The biggest problem in
Christianity is every denomination only knows partial truth.
We know we have truth, but we shroud that truth in rituals
and traditions, as if truth were more compete with them. We segregate ourselves by the rituals we
uphold as holy, even though those rituals do not make us holy. We argue over traditions of men instead of discussing
the wondrous ways of God.
I found this answer in the story of the Samaritan woman at
the well. She was shocked that Jesus
would talk to her, let alone not condemn her existence. He did not even list the reasons the
Samaritans were wrong. Jesus admitted
these old enemy-brothers of the Jews had partial truth and treated her with
dignity. He then insinuated that the
Jews did not comprehend the full truth God gave them.
The Jews had the truth but rejected it for a burdensome
theology.
Ouch.
Christianity does the same thing. We are so proud that we have truth that we
think we possess the entire truth. Yet,
what we preach is the burdensome theology.
That structure will fall, just like the Temple
in Jerusalem .
Arrogant ignorance frustrates God. We insist our ways are the right way. We tell Him how and what we are to believe. We respond to correction with righteous
indignation.
Does that mean all our traditions and rituals are
meaningless? Does that mean God is
always mad at us for not knowing His truth?
Don’t panic. God can
work with ignorance that is willing to learn.
He can teach us to recognize the teachings of men. He can show us how to utilize our rituals and
traditions properly without misrepresenting their insignificance. He became one of us to demonstrate how our
relationship with Him makes us holy.
All the religious trappings fade in comparison to that
relationship. Instead of our differences
shouting division, our distinctions will proclaim our unique devotion to Him.
Making God happy is a good reason to question established
beliefs.