"Religions Are What People Make Them"

I just watched Pope Francis' arrival in Washington on television. It seemed like a thoroughly joyous occasion.

Pope Francis is very easy to like. He seems like a truly humble and down-to-earth man, one who carries his dogma lightly and who truly tries to embody the teachings of Jesus in his actions toward others. He has put a much kinder and gentler face on Catholicism, even as much of the antiquated belief system of the Church - no women priests and little involvement of women in the running of the church; celibacy for priests, making it impossible for them ever to fully understand the day-to-day lives and concerns of most of their parishioners; antipathy to modern contraception methods and no tolerance for abortions, to name only a few issues - remains unchanged. Nevertheless, Francis has made his Church a more open and accepting place, and displaying that attitude has made him one of the most admired people in the world.

So, now, here he is in our country where we are currently witnessing the Republican candidates for the presidency of what they would have be a theocracy slugging it out with their inchoate blustering about "religious liberty" and their professed belief in archaic verses from the Old Testament regarding the treatment of women and of homosexuals; and, furthermore, their belief that these verses should take precedence over the laws and the Constitution of this country. As usual, these self-described Christians are cherrypicking the religious teachings they prefer and ignoring all that crazy stuff about loving your neighbor, housing the homeless, taking care of the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc. Jesus didn't really mean that!

Pope Francis, however, tells us that Jesus did mean that stuff, and that is why many Republicans, including some who are Catholic, hate this Pope. He makes them look like the small-minded, selfish, greedy, unforgiving zealots that they are. One has to wonder if, when the Pope speaks to a joint session of the Congress on Thursday, one of our elite elected representatives might not stand up, interrupting his speech, and yelling "You lie!" Frankly, I wouldn't put it past them.

All of which brings me to a post that Paul Krugman wrote on his blog today. The post was entitled "Religions Are What People Make Them." Truer words were probably never written.

Human beings make of their religions what they want them to be. Their religions are created in their images. A hateful, intolerant person will have a hateful, intolerant religion. An open-minded, loving person will have an open-minded, loving religion.

Krugman references the golden age of Islam and its medieval flourishing of learning in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy, as well as other fields of knowledge. That religion has, in many places, devolved into something quite different these days, fed by an economic decline and an inward turn toward fundamentalism. Much the same could be said about Christianity.

As Krugman writes, "It's ignorant and ahistorical to claim unique virtue or unique sin for any one set of beliefs." All religions were created by human beings and are a reflection of those who created and who practice them. And in that sense, all religions are equal.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

Search This Blog