When we launched the Religion section of the Huffington Post one month ago, I wrote a letter addressed to "Religious (and Sane) America." Since that time, we have had extraordinary contributions from across the religious landscape including Evangelicals, Roman Catholics, Main Line Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhist, and Atheists as well as those who defy easy definition. The conversation has been enlightening, honest and, of course, impassioned. But perhaps most promising - it has been sane. Our discourse has been has healthy and productive and the language has been intelligible across religious divisions and beyond simple the categories of religious vs. non-religious.
HuffPost Religion's beginning has been bookended by what I would call: insane religion. Pat Robertson and Glenn Beck provided us with a disturbing reminder of what is unhealthy religious rhetoric and it has reminded us of the desperate need for a sane Christian witness in the world. I don't mean to say that Robertson and Beck are mentally unbalanced - I don't think they are. And I don't think that they mean to do American and Christianity harm, I think they are making these pronouncements out of their own worldview, which they have every right to do. However, I do not think that the way they spoke about the Christian faith was 'sane' in its original meaning of health. Their pronouncements were unhealthy and not within the range of what I would like to promote as a productive, intelligible and redemptive Christian discourse for the 21st century.
It started at the Haiti earthquake. Robertson's explanation was that God sent this earthquake because of a "pact with the devil" the Haitians had made to throw off the oppression of the French. Robertson reminded us that our patience with religious leaders who talk such nonsense has run out. Hopefully the outcry his comments evoked will act as a caution to those with a compulsion to offer such ludicrous explanations. In addition to the tone deaf cruelty, religious insensitivity and obvious racism - sane Christianity rejects the futile and self-serving delusion of offering a pat answer on behalf of God as to why any natural disasters occurs, or why bad things happen to any individual or group.
Sane Christianity doesn't see God's hand in hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes; or in cancer, AIDS, and Tuberculosis - except in a way that is so far beyond our comprehension as to forbid speculation (My ways are not your ways says the Lord). The response of the Christian is to mourn the dead and honor their memory, and commit their spirits into God's keeping. Sane Christianity also rejects the fantasy that these catastrophes are signs of end times or rapture or any other pre-millennial inventions from the 19th Century - they are simply the reality of our world which includes natural tumult as well as sickness and death.
For explanation of the natural world, sane Christians turn to those who are studying it in detail and who are often those who most perceive the true wonder of life - the scientific community. We share in the awe scientists hold for what they are encountering. In seeking to uncover the mysteries we embrace the language of science which is meant to explain without interpreting, and we give thanks for the Enlightenment and the continued growth of scientific inquiry into the origins of the universe and of humanity. Sane Christianity sees a vibrant conversation rather than conflict with science.
However, it is religion we turn to for guidance on how to respond and act in the world. In the case of an earthquake such as in Haiti or in Chili, the sane Christian recognizes that life has been harmed and responds with compassion and love as we have been taught by our Christian tradition. Inspirited by our faith we insist on standards for protecting life such as buildings that won't collapse so easily, using warning signals against tsunamis, and levies that do not break so that we might protect as many as possible the next time a disaster occurs. While science can tell us much about the world it does not give us the moral imperative of our faith. For that we turn to Jesus who gives us an ethical framework for how to act in the world and a vision for what a just society looks like and for which we should strive.
That is why Glenn Beck's comments that social justice in a church can be equated with Nazism or Communism is also repugnant to the sane Christian. The responses to Beck were swift and wide, from Evangelicals, Catholics, and Mainline all of whom rejected Beck's unhealthy vision for Christianity. Were the Christian church to forsake its mission to create a world that reflects Jesus' teachings in Matthew 25 and Luke 4, it would lose much of its reason for being -the church would become a sick and useless institution indeed. As the 20th century pastor William Sloane Coffin said to me once: "Ethics do not exhaust the Gospel but they are not ancillary either. " Beck's unhealthy statement reminded us that sane Christianity cares for the individual soul as well as for the common good of the entire society, and we will never forsake either one. What Beck decries as the Church's "social justice" and "progressivism" has been responsible for such consequential commitments as the abolitionist and civil rights movements. Unless Beck is suggesting that these efforts, largely fueled by the church, were a waste of time then he should reassess his thoughts about social justice and the church.
But we should thank Robertson and Beck. They have reminded us that we crave - no, DEMAND sane Christianity, and that actually there are many millions of us who profess it. If Sane Christians, Sane Jews, Sane Hindus, Sane Muslims, Sane Buddhists, Sane Atheists etc, would join together, I think we would have a healthier religious discourse, and a healthier and more compassionate world.
Huffpost Religion is one place where it has started - let's keep it going.
Paul Raushenbush: What Kind of Life Do You Want to Live? Reflections On Graduation Day
Huff TV: Arianna Huffington: Glenn Beck Gets My Sympathy After ...
Caller Reduces Glenn Beck To High-Pitched Hissy Fit
Glenn Beck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pat Robertson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pat Robertson: Haiti 'Cursed' By 'Pact To The Devil' (VIDEO)
Liberalism fits in perfectly with Jesus Christ. The Healthcare bill would have been better if it could have been National Health Insurance, Single Payer, or a Strong Public Option, but we settle for what we can get. I believe in Labor Unions, workmens compensation, unemployment, compensation, good public schools, and the whole shebang.. In fact I came from a Christian family involved in Labor Unions. I believe our gorernment's purpose is for the welfare of all. I believe that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of race, creed, religion, no religion,sexual preferance, amount of money they have, where they live, etc. I believe that a Mother has a right to life and a child has a right to a life free of rape and incest. I do not think I am qualified to tell a woman what to do. I believe that a person of low IQ has the same right to life and freedom as those of exceptional IQ.
The thing is, I am no exception as a Christian. There are lots of us out here. Greed, selfishness, power, taking advantage of the less fortunate, hate, meanness should not be a part of a Christian's life.
I am happy Barak Obama is President and Ilike Michelle. I think Nancy Pelosi is awesome and I think we have some real heros in the Senate and House as well as some who are definitely not.
I appreciate your sincere desire to create a better world. Here is where I think we differ: you believe that the purpose of the American form of government is for "the welfare of all". I, however, believe that the purpose of the great American experiment is to promote freedom for all. We are free to succeed or fail. We are free to pursue happiness or wail in misery. We are free to be greedy or gracious. It is God who will judge our actions.
I just don't want the government removing my freedom of choice about who and how I help others. Give me the responsibility. Let God give me the blessings or condemnation I deserve.
Beck did NOT say that social justice (defined as VOLUNTARILY caring for the poor and needy) has no place in Christianity! In fact, he said that social justice defined that way absolutely belongs in the church, because that is what Christ taught. That is exactly what Christians should be doing.
Beck's statement was that social justice defined as "FORCED redistribution of wealth" by the GOVERNMENT is a perversion of the Christian principle of charity. Beck is right. It is not the government's job to make us equal. God made us equal. God requires us as individuals to CHOOSE to help those less fortunate than us. That is MY job. That is YOUR job (if you so choose). That is NOT the job of the government.
I’m not about money. I mean, I love money. I’m a capitalist. I love to make money, but that’s not my value and principle. My principle is freedom and securing that freedom. - Glenn Beck (Newsmax interview)
Mammon was known as the god of riches and wealth in the days of Jesus.
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Mammon.
—Matthew 6:19-21,24
Capitialism is not a god, it is not above God, it is not above our faith, it is not greater than our Christian principles.
Glenn Beck is a heretic and blasphemer.
You are not a "sane Christian"
YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN!
They are the Insane. Stop asking for acceptance of those on that side of sanity.
As for Beck - his gods are money and fame and he will do and say anything to reach those goals.
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction" - good advice when it comes to Robertson and Beck and many, many others. Wonder why so many turn away from organized religion?
When Uganda suffered a huge mudslide that killed who knows for certain how many people, why wasn't it because preachers were showing explicit "gay porn" to terrify people into passing the most egregious laws against gays? Why wasn't "god" using it to show "his" displeasure at jailing people for life, telling people who call themselves "christians" that it's okay to turn in your sons, your daughters, your neighbors for execution for being gay?
When Pat Robinson called for "death squads" to be sent out to "kill America's enemies", why didn't "god" shake his Virginia Beach pest hole to the ground and kill anyone because they were going against "god's" word of "thou shalt not kill"?
Pick-and-choose, as these people preach is a "sin". But when they do it, it's somehow "right" and "god's way".
Atheism: calling a terd a terd, and recognizing that some people take gentler, kinder teachings to help make themselves better human beings. -- Just as long as you don't knock on our doors at 7a.m. on Saturdays or demand laws that reflect your beliefs.
At some time in the future
Pat Robertson and Glen Beck just give the Mainstream Media some odditites to stare at and poke a stick at. It gives athiests poster children to say....foey on Christianity look at these two crazy men.
It gives a bad taste to those from other faiths.
Still for all the foibles of these two men. All the ridiculous Unchristian statements about terror attacks and earthquakes.These two guys never hid pedophiles, and foisted them un unsuspecting parishoners. They never wrote a note absolving the Heirarchy of the church from any responsibility in hiding these creeps, even though that same heirarchy had issued a hide-them or be excommunicated order. So who is worse?