Sacred writings should not be weaponized to condemn people who believe or live differently
Sacred writings, such as but not limited to, the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon, should be used to enlighten, inform, instruct, give guidance, encourage faithfulness and provide hope for the reader. Far too often, people misuse their sacred texts to exclude, beat up, belittle, and even condemn people who believe or live differently. That is inappropriate, especially in a world that is multicultural and multi-religious.
Let’s consider John 3:16 from the Christian Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” This is a message of hope. God loves you.
However, you cannot read this verse in isolation. To fully understand this verse requires that it be read in context. The very next verse continues, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” God loved and God still loves the world so much that God sent his son to bring salvation. Not to belittle, condemn, exclude or punish, but to save the world. God loves the world – Jews, Christians, Mormons, Muslims, Unitarians, Hindu, Baha’i, and all religious groups and even the non-religious.
Even though it is clear that God loves the world, too many read this as God only loves Christians. That is not what it says nor means. God loves you – regardless of your religious affiliations. God loves you even if you have no religious affiliation. God loves people who sit in the church and God loves people who knell in a mosque. God loves people who have been turned off and even hurt by the church. God loves people who lost their faith. God loves people who have never walked into a church.
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Eugene Petersen in the Message paraphrase of the Bible interprets James 1:27 this way: “Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” In other words, we are to love our neighbor just as God loves us: unconditionally. Jesus expands that in his Sermon on the Mount, “love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” Faithful people live loving others, no matter who they may be.
Sacred texts have been misused to justify slavery and misogyny. They have been used to condemn anyone who is LGBTQIA+. They have used to promote sexism, bias, bigotry, homophobia, xenophobia, discrimination, intolerance, prejudice. None of that is of God.
I have a friend who says every religious leader should be fluent, not only their own sacred writings, but also in at least one other religious tradition. Not a bad idea! Let us seek to respect, understand and accept others.
Perhaps we could all strive to live the Prayer of St Francis:
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
The Rev. Dr. Glen VanderKloot is the retired pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, where he had served since 1989.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Sacred writings should be used to enlighten, encourage faithfulness
