Earlier today I published Martin Marty's comments on Alan Jacob's piece in the
Wall Street Journal about the problem of putting too much faith in the power of religion. I finally read it, and find it a cogent piece. Although religion definitely has a certain power over our lives, the question is -- how much influence does it really have? In other words, do we use religion to justify things we already intend to do?
To give an example -- we're in an election season, how much stock should be given to politician's use of religious statements/language. Now, I think that both of the major party finalists are good Christians. That is their confession of faith. One is an Episcopalian who has attended a Southern Baptist Church for some time. The other, well you know, in a highly publicized move, has left his former United Church of Christ congregation -- and has yet to choose a new one (there are many of us preachers who have offered him a home in our congregations -- I mean why not see if I can't embarrass him with a sermon).
But the real question remains -- what is the true impact of religion? Jacobs writes in his concluding paragraph:
Is religion powerful? I suppose it often is. After all, if people were not religious -- or, to take a Gibbonesque view of the matter, if people did not want to be thought of as so -- no one would use religious language to promote political or social or ethnic goals. That those seeking to acquire or keep power do use such language, and regularly, indicates that religion has influence. But the idea that without religion people would stop seeking power, stop manipulating, stop deceiving, is just wishful thinking of the silliest kind. Though it may seem ironic for a Christian to be saying this, it's time to talk less about the power of religion and remember instead the dark forces in all
human lives that religious language is too often used to hide.
I think he may have a point there. Remember there were Christians who used the Bible to justify slavery. Others their embrace of the Nazi's. The suppression of women is regularly justified on religious grounds -- and I needn't even say anything about gays and lesbians! But what is the starting point? That is the question of the day!
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