In his morning intercessions, our pastor prayed in behalf of those "scorned by neighbors and cast aside as having no further worth." A dictionary defines scorn as "the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable, contempt."
In my opinion, there has been much scorning of late . . .
and much of it has been disguised in the garb of religiosity.
Witness just the latest . . . this week, Indiana's became the twentieth state to adopt a "Religious Freedom Law". On last Thursday, March 26, 2015, bills were introduced in the North Carolina State legislature to establish the "N.C. Religious Freedom Restoration Act".
Ms Susan Ladd, a columnist for the Greensboro (NC) News and Record, in her March 29, 2015, article wrote "the agenda behind many of these state laws is to provide an exemption for businesses that don't want to provide services for same-sex couples, but the language is broad enough to permit discrimination based on gender, race, religion, disability, and citizenship. The way these bills are written, there's almost nothing out of bounds . . . . These bills ... do not restore freedom. They promote oppression."
An on-line dictionary defines bigot as "a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions, especially a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group --such as race or religion."
An on-line dictionary defines bigot as "a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions, especially a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group --such as race or religion."
Intolerance and oppression in the name of 'Religion' are hardly new. Nor do we need to go as far back as the Crusades or the Inquisition for illustrations. Contemporary examples abound. One of my former students, pastor in a church for over twenty years, preached his final sermon there today (Palm Sunday) because he could not concur in the congregation's mandate that none of their clergy could officiate in a same-sex marriage nor could any of their facilities be used for such. Recently in his sermon, "Turning Over the Tables: My Last Sermon Before My Suspension", the Rev. Dr. John D. Copenhaver indicated his faith motivated reasons for performing such a ceremony. (Google this by title, if interested.) For an extreme illustration, listen to what happened to young Ben Wood at church and the ultimate disastrous outcome. (YouTube: "Impact of UMC2")
Recently, in Chapel Hill, three young Muslims were murdered by an equal opportunity neighborhood bigot, allegedly about a parking dispute. There have been assertions of religious bigotry as well.
There is, sadly, a sense of deja vu. In 1966, a racial bigot won election to his state's governorship largely on his "fame" for enforcing segregation at his restaurant by ax handles. When Lester Maddox won the gubernatorial election, he said that God had been his "campaign manager."
It would be easy to dismiss all religious persons as narrow and bigoted. Gandhi once said something to the effect that "I admire your Christ but not many of his followers." God has been "used" to justify biases, political and economic interests, as well as prejudices, often a dominant group in a society. Indeed, Jesus got into difficulty by challenging the religious authorities who legitimated their oppression with religious language.
As a boy, I knew of a man nicknamed "Shorty" Eubanks. My dad told of how members of a nearby church were insisting that "Shorty" join their congregation. That particular group was frequently in turmoil about some 'religious' topic. Seeing that, Mr. Eubanks, who apparently had a way of slurring his words but not his opinions, told dad that "if that's 'ligion, I don't want any part of it."
From a high school literature class, I remember a poem that went something like this : "The British say 'God bless England'; the Germans say 'God strafe England'. 'My God,' said God, 'I don't know which side I'm on !"
Honestly held differences of opinion will not be eliminated. What seem in grave danger of disappearing are civility and humility before the reality that none of us has all the Truth.
Satchel
It would be easy to dismiss all religious persons as narrow and bigoted. Gandhi once said something to the effect that "I admire your Christ but not many of his followers." God has been "used" to justify biases, political and economic interests, as well as prejudices, often a dominant group in a society. Indeed, Jesus got into difficulty by challenging the religious authorities who legitimated their oppression with religious language.
As a boy, I knew of a man nicknamed "Shorty" Eubanks. My dad told of how members of a nearby church were insisting that "Shorty" join their congregation. That particular group was frequently in turmoil about some 'religious' topic. Seeing that, Mr. Eubanks, who apparently had a way of slurring his words but not his opinions, told dad that "if that's 'ligion, I don't want any part of it."
From a high school literature class, I remember a poem that went something like this : "The British say 'God bless England'; the Germans say 'God strafe England'. 'My God,' said God, 'I don't know which side I'm on !"
Honestly held differences of opinion will not be eliminated. What seem in grave danger of disappearing are civility and humility before the reality that none of us has all the Truth.
Satchel
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