Catching Idle Butterflies

My Religious Face

Yesterday Mavis wrote in her blog describing a religious story she recently read and reviewed that she found preachy.

She went on to say: “I wouldn't mind but Christian propaganda gets published! There are so many specialist Christian publishing houses, which will publish anything as long as it fits with the dogma. This makes appalling writers think they've got real talent because they're getting published. Which in turn makes them arrogant, infuriating people who can't take any criticism, no matter how carefully worded.

I wish someone would give them a reality check, in more senses than one. It might save them from wasting their lives.”

This is my response:

I understand your frustration. No one likes to be preached at, no matter the religion, faith, or lack thereof.

I've been informed of several of my articles being preachy, and those criticisms I take to heart, to the point I've made those items private until I change them.

You're right in that no one will convince anyone of anything if you pound your beliefs over their heads.

Like you, it only pisses them off.

In defense of Christian publishers, there are some who publish good books that aren't preachy. Any more, many of them specifically state in their guidelines do not preach, but tell a believable story with a believable ending. But then again, I'm talking fiction, not nonfiction.

I will, however, agree that these same publishers are too picky about certain, shall we say, bad behavior. For instance, I've written stories where my characters were homosexual, and I don't mind writing stories where my characters use profanity. Christian publishers won't touch them. However, if those same characters commit murder or lie, no big deal. That kind of hypocrisy bugs me.

Mavis then sent me this email (which she also added as a comment to her blog):

You know, I really thank you, Vivacious, for being cool and unflappable.  You could have been very defensive about my obvious fury about that story, but you seemed to understand my point and made a reasonable and interesting comment.  I truly thank you. You are a great example of the more acceptable face (to me) of religion.  If all religious people were like you, I would be happy.

As for the hypocrisy of the publishers you describe, I'm afraid that's typical of the unacceptable face of religion.  

Mavis’ response heartened me in that although our beliefs differ, we can have an intelligent, friendly discussion about those differences.

But what I want to address here is that I don’t consider myself religious – as it is defined today. A religious person is one who worships according to their religion. Notice it’s not who they worship, but how. Others looking in from the outside only see the traditions, the ceremony. To many, these things make them not only uncomfortable, but leave a sour taste in their mouth. They simply can’t swallow the idea that in order to “receive salvation, I must do as they do.” I’m a believer and I can’t swallow many traditions some churches follow. This is also why I tell no one what church I go to, nor am I even a member though I attend and participate regularly, and have been for two years. The reason is because I don’t want people to assume what I may or may not believe because of where I happen to spend my Sundays to receive spiritual growth and strength. I attend this particular church because it feeds and challenges my spirit. If that were to change, I would find a new church, what it is called I would be the last thing I consider. As long as I find God there, not mere tradition or ceremony, then I care not a whit what it’s named or its affiliation.

The more instances I hear and see of preachers and church members screaming about the importance of their traditions over the reason God sent Jesus to the earth, the more infuriated I become. These preachers or believers show a face to the world that Jesus, in part, had come to abolish.

In studying the first three gospels over the last three weeks, two things have become clear.

Jesus spent most of his time with, taught, healed and blessed . . . who? The oppressed, the poor, the outcasts, all those the religious people of the day considered unclean, sinners, unworthy of their compassion, unworthy of God’s love and salvation.

Those Jesus had outright contempt for were the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

They, in turn, hated Jesus, because He had the gall to question their traditions, and He absolutely threatened their power. Once the little people knew beyond all doubt they could receive their salvation, not through animal sacrifice or the good graces of their leaders, but God’s freely given grace, the Pharisees and Sadducees would lose everything, and they knew it. Plus, Jesus took every opportunity to, in their eyes, publicly humiliate them by putting their hypocrisy and false righteousness on display.

No wonder they plotted to kill Him.

Just goes to prove mankind hasn’t changed. We still have religious leaders who believe in their own righteousness and that their traditions take precedence over people’s spiritual, emotional and physical needs.

Because of this, I’m not surprised Mavis gets upset when religious people act above all others because they are Christians, as if they belong to some special club that not just anyone can enter. I also get angry, because these people put a face on God, a face on Jesus that even I wouldn’t worship.

In Mavis’ words, that is an “unacceptable face of religion.” Great phrase and oh, so apt.

People judge who and what God is by those who claim to follow Him. As much as we wish it could be otherwise, in life we have to deal with what is, not what we want it to be. Seeing God’s face as spiteful and petty is a face I’m trying to wipe away, in my own humble (I hope) small way.

Nor am I the only one, which I think is part of the reason we have independent and “non-denominational” churches popping up all over the place, and why many Christians are choosing not to attend any church. People want to worship God with their heart and soul, not be forced into a particular mold or frame of mind because a religion says so.