Well written as usual Dan. As you know from some of my previous comments, I have been heavily involved with marginalized populations for over 30 years, especially the imprisoned and the homeless. For the most part the statistics you cite do not surprise me (except with regard to the high number of Catholic hospitals). I have often found intentional Christians as a group, regardless of denomination or lack thereof, to be some of the most generous and compassionate people you would ever meet. Unfortunately, there are too many who call themselves Christians because it adds respectability to their image but is otherwise meaningless in terms of its impact on their daily lives and behavior. To them, Sunday mornings are more for networking than contemplating the divine. I have always been quite vocal in pointing this out in those churches with which I have been involved. As you might imagine, it was rarely received with enthusiasm.
One of the talks that we give on Sunday mornings during Kairos prison weekends is called Obstacles to Accepting God‘s Grace. One of the statements made in that offering is that “There is a difference between being Christian and being a Christian. One is a way of life, the other is a label.” Unfortunately too many people who identify as Christian, as exemplified by the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court, proudly display the label but are oblivious to the true meaning of what Christianity is all about in its purest sense. I know individuals who do not consider themselves Christian, who act in a far more Christian way than those who proudly identify with the faith, and there lies the rub.
The power of Christianity, or for that matter any other religion, lies in the acknowledgment that there is something or someone far greater than ourselves and that we are called to live up to our highest ideals rather than down to our basest fears and instincts. It gives us a sense of purpose and meaning and allays the fears and uncertainty we too often experience daily. It gives us a clarity of thought and what I would describe as a spirit of grace and love towards others. However, because of its power, the holy books of any religion can be used as a club. They are too often held out as the final authority and a rationalization for unkind and selfish behavior. Too many anthropomorphize God in their own image rather than seeking to understand someone or something who is bigger than themselves, who is mysterious and in many ways never completely knowable. This is where the danger lies. When ignorant and unkind people wield their religion as the final authority on any subject to justify their biased and bigoted attitudes, we are all in danger. On the other hand, at least in the case of Christianity, if we focus on its highest ideals as exemplified by Jesus‘s life and the fruit of the spirit described in Galatians 5:22 (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) it can be a tremendous power for good in society.
At the moment, it seems like those who merely label themselves “Christians” to promote their self righteous hateful agenda, are winning out over those who are actually Christian in their behavior. Unfortunately it has always been so in the annals of history. The Salem witch trials, the Inquisition, the Crusades, just to name three. People acting under the hollow banner of a misplaced understanding of the highest ideals of Christianity have done untold damage. But as you so rightly point out, those with deep faith have also done wonderful things to better humankind. Statistics seem to indicate that each of us has a need for something greater than ourselves in our lives to be fully realized as the human beings we are. I wish we could find a way to keep the good and excise bad. I look forward to the day when our modern hypocritical, judgmental Pharisees lose their power and the authentic faith becomes dominant again.
