Reflections On Faith

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.." The Credo or Apostles Creed was recited daily in school and at Mass by good little Catholic children the world over. It was and is the core of our beliefs as Catholics. We never saw it as anything but an expression of our love and faith in Him.

In mosques and temples, churches and homes, others expressed their beliefs in their own ways, just as fervently and devoutly as we did. None of us seeing ourselves as budding exclusionists, shunning every belief but our own. But that rigidity was there, inflexible and unyielding... setting yet another stage for global hate.

As I grew up, I began to see the seeds of arrogance and an assumption of moral superiority in religion. In the insistence that certain things be done in only a certain way or that merely by saying I accept Christ in my heart, I was one of the blessed, destined to the elite of heaven. A study of the different religions only increased my uneasiness, as I reflected on Christ and what He told us…"Love your neighbor as yourself" And "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you"

Never once in His ministry, did I ever sense the exclusion or presumption of superiority seen in most religions today. It's a sad and very disheartening thing to encounter a fellow Christian who politely insists in order to get to Him, I must do a certain thing, whether reading the Bible or publicly vowing my acceptance of Christ. I must wear certain clothing, eat certain foods or not, worship according to man made dictates and more. I asked myself over and over again, what does this have to do with God? This was an extremely uncomfortable unhappy time in my life.

The religion of my childhood, of my family for hundreds of years was suddenly no longer the safe happy place it had been. I would argue with priests endlessly over the issue of tithes and Sunday collections. Over a Pope who wore silks and lace and had a summer home, while millions went hungry. I could not reconcile vast art collections and hotels with the simple fisherman that Simon bar Jonah -Peter was. The passage where Jesus overturned the tables in the moneylenders courts at the Temple, played over and over in my seeking restless mind.

The rote repetitive recitation of formulaic prayers lacked the spontaneous dialogue with Him I craved. Worst of all, in all the places of worship I visited, that same mindset appeared. And underneath it all was the assumption of owning Gods truth as theirs. Intolerance reared its ugly head over and over again. I was told I was excluded from Heaven, destined for hell in too many places to count. Why? Because I questioned any humans right to judge another’s way of seeking His Truth.

Is it any wonder we have so much hate, so much bloodshed in this bad old world? Look at us! We all try and claim ownership of the great Unknowable, the Divine Mystery, we call God, Allah, Jehovah or Abba. We are killing each other in His name.

President Bush has Jerry Falwell and God in His corner, while Usama Bin Laden claims he has Allah in his. If it weren't so tragic, it would be almost comical. Women are beaten and circumcised every day in His name. Body parts mangled and torn fly like confetti from explosives detonated in His name. People are banned and shunned by pious elitists claiming they have the spiritual high ground. Such arrogance is killing us all.

A love of and belief in a Supreme Deity, no matter what He is named, should be the only thing needed to reach Him. Living an active faith takes work and a quiet commitment to living in His truth. It is the narrow road we must travel to Him, called for in many faiths. It costs nothing, asks nothing but loving your fellow man and recognizing one very simple truth. Each of us has our own path to Him. No one owns the Truth of Him.

When will we learn not to judge or hurt in His name?? The lessons of the past are there for us to read: the Inquisition, Fra Savronola, Hitler, Stalin, Lenin and many more. Yet today, once again, we see the shedding of the blood of the innocents in His name...

I cannot claim to have the answers to such a monumental problem. I only feel a deep and abiding sadness at mans inhumanity and greed to own He who must never be owned by anyone..." Abba forgive them, they know not what they do"" Christ's cry from that old wooden cross resonates with huge sorrow at our folly, the folly He foresaw and died for. Was His sacrifice in vain?