The Seven Great Lies of Organized Religion
Since we've been on the topic lately, here is an email that I signed up to receive from a link I found on the net. To sign up for the whole series go here: www.CoffeehouseTheology.com
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Lie #5:
'There is no single truth. Everyone needs to explore and find a truth that works for them.'
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Lorne,
This one's a real hot potato. And it's not something you hear so much from ancient religious institutions... rather, it's simply the 'politically correct' way to talk about spirituality these days.
It tends to be expressed something like this: 'You've got your truth, and I've got my truth. You find a faith that works for you, and I'll find a faith that works for me.'
Well here's my question:
How many conflicting versions of the truth can actually be true?
I'm not going to use this space to promote an agenda today -- or to push any specific claim of Ultimate Truth. I'm just going to highlight a very simple, logical reality that each of us, in our search for Truth, must recognize. Pardon me if I offend you, but I'm going to put it bluntly.
It's impossible for all religions to be true.
In other words, if Islam is essentially true, then Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are not. If Buddhism is essentially true, then Islam, Christianity and Hinduism are not. And so on.
How can I say such a thing? Because if you *really* study these religions, it will become clear that each makes bold, fundamental assertions about reality that are not compatible with the others.
For example, Hinduism states that divinity is present in everything. Christianity, Judaism and Islam all assert that God is distinctly separate from what he has created. The implications of these different views run very deep, and they are fundamentally incompatible. It's logically impossible for both views to be true.
So why bring this up, anyway?
Well first I have to make a confession. I would *like* to believe that all religions could be true. I would personally *like* to believe that all paths lead to God. It feels good. It's a kinder view of the world. It puts everyone on equal footing.
But it just doesn't make sense.
Truth is, by nature, exclusive. There are always more wrong ways to do just about anything than right ways. There are always more wrong answers to any given question than right ones.
True?
And you know what? This really raises the stakes. It puts a real sense of urgency in our search for truth, because it shows that if we're not careful, we can fall for a half-truth.
On the other hand, if you diligently search, seek out the facts, and your spiritual journey brings you to a place where the pieces fit in place - if everything makes
logical sense and it feels right in your heart - then you should not hesitate to share your joy with others.
OK... now let's stop right now and make something very clear:
If we possess the truth, it doesn't give us the right to be unkind to those who disagree. It didn't give Bin Laden the right to declare Jihad, hijack airplanes and fly them into the World Trade Center. It didn't give so-called 'Christians' the
right to kill people in the Crusades. It doesn't give us the right to be disrespectful or violent.
What it does give us is the right - and the confidence - to go out into the marketplace of ideas and *see* if our Truth stands up to hard scrutiny.
C.S. Lewis was talking about this very thing when he said, 'You don't need to defend a Lion. You just need to let him out of his cage.'
If you really do have the truth, then you have nothing to fear. You don't need to burn books or censor speech. Truth is its own best defense.
In our modern, sophisticated culture, spirituality gets locked up in a cage. It's a taboo subject. Discussions about religion are not considered 'polite conversation.' So nobody talks about it.
The result? People don't talk to each other. They live in fear and isolation.
Some folks harbor ideas and notions that make absolutely no sense, but because those ideas are never brought out into the light of day, they're never questioned.
Others have great wisdom, but they're afraid to share it with others!
How sad.
In your search for the truth, then, know that you're not just looking for something that sounds good. As with any other kind of truth, it may *not* feel good all the time. Know that you're looking for something definite, something that will by nature
make some pretty bold claims.
Also, please understand that if someone tells you they possess the truth, they're not being arrogant. Fact is, they're either sadly deceived or else they're right. You can't put someone down for being deceived, and you can't fault someone
for being right!
The real challenge is to discern the difference.
Tomorrow I'm going to cover Lie #6:
'The Bible is out of date, inaccurate and over-rated. People in the 21st century are way too smart for that.'
Thanks for sticking with me.
Respectfully Submitted,
Perry Marshall
CoffeeHouse Theology, 705 Jackson Boulevard
Oak Park, Illinois USA 60304
5 comments:
I read this post yesterday afternoon and have been thinking about it since. As I was playing a game (Thief: Deadly Shadows) this afternoon, I came across a quote that seemed applicable: "Holding a key, you may infer the existence of a lock. Do not make the mistake of assuming yours is the only key." So, by analogy, the desire in humans for a spiritual experience, and the existence of religions, may allow us to infer that there is something (call it 'God' for want of a better name, but define that broadly) that is the proper focus of that desire. But it's unhealthy to assume that our approach to God is the only possible one.
In other words, I'm agreeing with the 'lie' you quoted. I probably disagree with many Christians as well as many members of other religions in doing that. (There's always an issue when I'm discussing this because I define my own idealised view of religion, not religion as (the majority of) religious people actually live it.)
So a couple of different approaches to the question:
1. From within a Christian perspective, we define God (or claim that He defines Himself) as infinite - omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc. Now, in mathematics any number, no matter how large, divided by infinity is zero. So our knowledge of God - as individuals or as church denominations - is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the full reality of God. So to say 'only one religion can be true' ignores the fact that any religion is this vanishingly tiny fraction of the truth. It's the tale of the blind men and the elephant, only with an infinite elephant.
2. Religious people like to claim that theirs is the truth and all others are wrong, but they should get over that immature habit, as I believe I said before. Recognising the immensity of life and experience - and of God(ess)(s) - should give us some humility. I'll quote it again: "Trust those who are seeking the truth, doubt those who find it."
3. Approaching it from a philosophical perspective instead, there are a number of different theories of truth. You seem to be defaulting to a 'correspondence' theory of truth, in which the universe *is really* constituted in a particular way, and 'truth' consists of words that correspond to that reality. For all sorts of quite good philosophical reasons, correspondence theories of truth are quite out of fashion at the moment! So to say 'only one truth can be true, all the rest must be false' is to buy into a particular notion of what 'truth' means.
So anyway, if Perry wants to claim that it's a 'lie' to say everyone gets to choose the faith that works for them (so long as it doesn't harm others), he's free to make that claim - but he's on shaky philosophical and theological ground, and I disagree strongly with him.
I look forward to hearing from Kim and Ken (in particular, but everyone else too), who may well strongly disagree with me!
OK...I'm confused. In one paragraph you say you agree with the lie he quoted but your last statement says you don't agree with him. Is that the truth? :-)
Correspondence theory of truth. Obviously I don't read up on philosophical anything so will have to take your word on your definition. I would also suggest that most Christians, and maybe people of other faiths definitely go with the Correspondence Theory of Truth....and maybe me too...but I've never actually thought about it.
I agree that what he calls a lie is actually a truth, hence I disagree with him! ;-)
I am really enjoying this conversation as it is very stimulating.
The article you quoted Lorne states that there can only be one Truth. Perhaps there is only one Truth, but could it be expressed in different ways? For example, how many ways can the number 12 be expressed? My kids have to do this in school. The teacher calls them "names" how many names does the number 12 have? one ten and 2 ones, 1x12, 2x6, 3x4, etc. They are all the truth and they all equal 12.
There is a separation of secular (concrete) thinking from spiritual (abstract) thinking in our world, but really one just exists above or underneath the other, the same way microscopes and telescopes bring into view other levels of life that exist above or underneath our bodies. I find it curious that *brilliant* scientific minds will deny or explain away the spiritual side of what they are researching. Not all though, Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" The two are inseparable. It would be interesting to find out how much medical research considers the spiritual when looking for things like the cure for cancer. One this happens, I believe we will really see progress. But as long as people keep separating their spiritual from the secular sides of their nature, they will only see one or the other, but not both. Even Christian believers will separate the two. I work 6 days, I worship on one day. I guess with this in mind, I see world religions as *works in progress*; each may possess *truth* but none has it in its entirety. The same goes for individuals.
But I guess I am compelled to ask, why so much fuss? Why not just live your life like a bug, here today, squished tomorrow? I think that there will always be a search for *God*. And for those who are even a tiny way towards understanding *God* the search for Him can bring a level of joy previously unexperienced in ones life. People *want* to believe. Even C.S. Lewis who was quoted in your article wanted to believe and it is evident in the passion of his writing. Deepak Chopra (not a Christian), who is a medical doctor states in his book, "How to Know God" that the human brain is "hardwired to seek God" and then goes on to describe how much of the human brain is set aside to deal with emotion and questions about who we are and where we come from. Dr. Candace Pert, Neurologist says, "Intelligence is distributed throughout the cells of one's body, not just the brain." She goes on to say that therefore the traditional separation of knowledge including emotion is no longer valid. There has been some interesting research around this in regards to heart disease. The theory is that those (men) who are suffering from depression and loneliness are more at risk to heart disease. Dr. Pert believes that is because some of that emotion is actually stored in the tissue of the heart. I hope I am not off on a tangent and you can see where I am going with this...
The secret desire of all human beings is to be unconditionally loved; and this is what propels us toward God. He is unconditional love so large that when you are living in its shadow it encompassed you, flows through you and spills out on to every one else standing near. Unconditional love is the answer to death, disease, joy, fulfillment and happiness. If Dr. Pert is right, then it (the love) can lodge itself in the very tissues of our heart. Now here is where I relate all this back to my beliefs, so bare with me.
The Bible says, I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Hebrews 8:10), the total sum of the 10 commandments equals *LOVE* Jesus told us this in the new testament in two ways, John 13:34, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another." and Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law (Torah, or the first 5 books of the bible), or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." He came in love, to love, and to be loved and to write that unconditional love on the very tissues of our hearts.
Think of it! The love of God can be stored in the tissues of our hearts!!!
The Bible also says, "by their fruits, ye shall know them." If an individual or group is not teaching unconditional love, they are headed on a path away from "Truth". That goes for secular and religious groups. So you might be an atheist or an agnostic, what are the fruits of your existence? Are they love or hate, greed and selfishness? For what its worth, that's what I think.
One more thing. Don't confuse "organized religion" with faith in God. I am currently unaffiliated with organized religion for a very good reason.
Kim,
I don't take someones word about God or religion just because they have a well known name. I believe you probably have more connection with God than they do because you actually care and have learnt about your relationship on your own. You say it is an unconditional love and that you love God. I envy that because I don't believe I have an unconditional love in my life.
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