One of my mentors once told me that the measure of a religion in a pluralistic society is the breadth and depth of benefits it brings to its non-adherents.
It's a fascinating thought that has kept sparking new thoughts in my mind for many years.
I suppose the converse of the axiom would be something like this: in a pluralistic society, the disfavor felt toward a religion is proportional to the harm it brings its nonadherents.
As a Christian, I think of Jesus' parable about the kingdom of God: it is like a mustard seed that grows into a sizable bush in which the birds of the air can nest. Although some have a rather sinister interpretation of the parable, my hunch is that Jesus is referring to Psalm 84, where the psalmist, no doubt inspired by sparrows and swallows nesting in the house of worship, finds the image fitting to his own soul finding rest in God's presence.
Jesus is saying, I believe, that the reality he is conveying in word in deed - he called it the kingdom of God, but we might call it the love economy of God or the sacred ecosystem of God or the dance or song of God or the dream of God coming true - that reality brings vital and joyful benefits to its nonadherents.
Sadly, I too often see in my own religion tendencies towards self-protection and domination that bring fear, not hope, to nonadherents. And my guess is that others could see similar tendencies in their own faith communities.
In this election year, I suspect that many people will be thinking about personal interest only: what benefits will this or that candidate bring me and my family? Others will think exclusively about the interests of their own interest group - their ethnic, social, partisan, national, or religious in-group: what's in it for us?
But my hope is that more and more of us, especially those inspired by faith, will be thinking about which candidate brings the most wins, the most benefits, the least harm, to everyone. One of Jesus' early followers said it like this: "Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."
This otherliness - to borrow a phrase from my friends at offthemap.com - reflects an expansion of primal selfishness to ethical neighborliness, and then from neighborliness to something even more radical ... compassion and love to the non-neighbor - the other, the stranger, even the enemy.
For people inclined to follow this way of thinking, additional election season questions would be raised beyond the usual "What's in it for me or us?" Those questions, I believe, are tremendously important for people of radical faith.
(brianmclaren.net)
Who's Going to Win?
Saturday July 26, 2008
Categories: Catholics, Election '08, Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Religion in the Public Square
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About Progressive Revival
Diana Butler Bass and Paul Raushenbush both stand firmly within the Mainline Protestant tradition and, along with guest bloggers of all religious backgrounds are dedicated to the revival of religious progressivism and its influence in American politics.
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Diana Butler BassDiana Butler Bass is a commentator and scholar in American religion. She is the author of seven books including A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009).
» Posts by Diana Butler Bass
Paul RaushenbushModerator of the Progressive Revival blog and the Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University.
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I agree with Jesus Truth on the abortion issue. A true Christian should choose life. The unborn child has no one to defend it. We worry about war, which takes many lives. I honor the men and women currently fighting for our country and who put their lives on the line believing they will make the world, our world a better place. It is their choice to serve. The millions of babies aborted have no choice or vote in the matter, therefore when voting consider who will be saving the lives of our unborn children.
This is for "Jesus Truth" Trudy, Gail and others ~ are you saying the LORD cares more for the unborn than HE does for those after they are born in whatever despressed areas, underprivileged, racial and other misfortunes known to humanity? How can one grave concern be more important than another? I think your bible quotes should also contain the spiritual gifts of Love, Kindness, Peace, Joy, etc.
Galations 5;16 I am so thankful for Brian's article with so much truth, kindness, fairness and compassion.
Jean - you're welcome - it's just so nice to see a very thoughtful response to such a difficult issue, especially when a person already has an opinion on the issue. It's one of the most difficult things, but enlightening things, we can do, is honestly consider the "other" side of an issue, and even moreso, understand and accept that the "other" feels their perspective equally as valid as one's own.
I feel a lot of times Christians really want other people to believe what they believe and get so busy trying to defend God(Jesus)I was thinking about this the other day and God came into my head (which aetheists,not usually people of other faiths will say"Yeah ,right you are so special that God comes to you out of all the people on the earth and talks specifically to you!"But anyway,I was busily trying to defend Him the other day and He said"You,do not have to defend me,I can defend myself"I'm on several sites on belief net and I'm trying not to read a post from someone of another faith and go straight to the parts where they're trying to explain their beliefs and I only pick the parts that make me mad.I'm actually READING and waiting before I put my 2cent in.It's kind of like when someone asks you to do something and you acquire the self-perserving habit of let me think about that and I'll get back to you.
thanks for really listening?
cheryl3
/?
my name is chuck johnstone and i think that McCain will win because the abortion is my issue for that i thinkhe should win!!!
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