Religion seems to brings out the best – and worst – in humanity.
PICTURE: Robert Nyman/Unsplash
It makes sense. Belief in God is core to us. It should be a strong motivator, moving us to do things that aren’t natural, like loving the unlovely or caring for strangers. But it can also be used to make us hate the different.
We might react – ‘Ban religion to keep the world safe!’ But safe, in this context, is another name for bland. Would we ban the best in life – love – to avoid the worst – heartbreak?
The secret is finding a faith that has at its core violent opposition to violence.
I can’t go past Jesus. He admonished us to love our enemies, and went to the cross, a victim of violent oppression, to vanquish violence as the most powerful force in the cosmos.
Jesus is the antidote to bad religion.
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.
