Faith

FAITH

Please do not for a moment believe that I am denigrating any belief systems or any religions, that I have an agenda to promote any particular faith, that I believe one religion or belief system is better than any other. These observations here are just that, observations. The reason for examples from the Christian faith is there because the reader is more likely to be familiar with the same. "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord ponderth the hearts". 21 proverbs 2
People, Communities, countries and nations need leaders to guide and direct the society from a point in time into the future, to hopefully a brighter and more prosperous future. It is trusted that the leaders are honest, and only wish the best for the people that they lead. Every country and every nation world has leadership, from despots and tyrants to monarchs to some of the so called "freely elected."
As I said before, generally speaking people do not much care for change. We like our lives to be routine and ordinary. Everything should be simple and easily controlled. When the things don't go as expected or planned we look to our leaders for guidance and an explanation.
Religion may be divine, but is always interpreted by people, and thus it is subject to modification and adjustments due to the whims, the preferences and the desires (anterior or ulterior motives). Still each of us, especially the Christians, the Muslims and the Jews, consider only our own faith to be the correct one. Even though the Koran and the teachings of the prophet Mohammed clearly declare the Christianity and the Judaism to be holy and Godly faiths, the message has been lost somewhere by the Islamic leaders and their Imams in the current climate of hate and prejudice. The vehemence and venom targeted against the Muslims by some orthodox Jews and the fundamentalist Christians is no more reassuring. We are always ready to prove our Lord, full of grace and glory, to be vengeful, mean spirited and lacking any compassion and understanding. And so we carefully follow the leaders and preachers that will guarantee that only we shall be the recipients of that grace and the glory, barring all others. Condemning all the others to that very warm spa. Because the human nature says that if I am absolutely right then all the others must be absolutely wrong. " Great men are not always right: neither do the aged understand judgment". 32 Job 9.
It is also, that when life seems to be out of control we want someone or something else to blame. And barring any positive development or a possibility of a clear and favorable resolution of the present conditions, we naturally turn to religion and become the likes of the religious soldiers such as the suicide bombers, or the followers of Jim Jones and David Koresh. We develop blind spots for the major faults and short comings of our standard bearers, we forget Rudi was trying to move his girl friend in the house with his wife, a house that belonged to the people, or that Ollie is a convicted and admitted and proud perjurer. We keep sending money to Jim Bakker in jail, and write love notes to Ted Bundy. And that the Lady Di was a saint and not a slut.
It is no shock or awe then, that some people in my age group, (many fathers with two daughters on welfare, living in with their " boy friends" , the grand fathers of five children their daughters produced, from five different guys, some times having to prove paternity thru blood tests, sometimes marrying the boy just before the baby was born) to find religion. To forget that we were the proud hippies, we who smoked dope and practiced open marriages and zip less sex. To be saying what is this world coming to, to hide their Frank Zappa albums and listen to the country music, waiting for the ole lady to run off with her boy friend. And forever denying that rock and roll in the USA also has a southern heritage.
Or those of the "greatest generation over" look at their young somberly. Keeping mum about what happened to the "Great American Family" tradition during and as a result of the second world war. Forever to keep secret, that while we were at overseas, our fiancées, wives and girlfriends were having affairs at home and at the factories. That we accepted that as a fact of life, as we had visited the brothels, and had indulged in the company of the ladies of lesser virtues, from England to the Philippines. And we would forever swear upon the chastity of our wives , mothers and daughters, now if we could only buy it back too.
So barring that, we jump on the band wagon of morals this and the morals that, while we prostitute our souls. "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice". 21 proverbs 3. If we could only convince the Lord of our sincere righteousness, may be we will stay away from that very warm place too. Thus not the religion, but the purity and the purpose of the heart shall be our salvation.
" A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape". 19 Proverbs 5. How do we then go , in our merry ways, supporting the untruths, and helping spread the lies. So long as we believe that they support our political agendas. Why we allow these political leaders to do evil in the name of the good, and in our names. Or do our leaders, political and the religious, know what it means "My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I shall justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me". 27Job 4,5.
Lastly the political commentators and the pundits and the talk show hosts, more specifically the great Mike Savage, Sean Hannity and the Rush should check out the admonition, " A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth". 14 Proverbs 6.


(M.N.R.)