Conformity is Not a Family Value
When the Christian right talks about traditional family values, the overall impression they leave is that the most important family value is not love, but rather conformity. It seems as though the goal is for all people to think and behave as they do. Perhaps this a product of evangelism.
Angela and I were talking on the way home from church last night about why people get so upset over the gay marriage issue, and we both said it is nearly always tied to religious roots. That's nothing new. But if that is true, doesn't the denial of the right to marry become extremely offensive to homosexuals who aren't Christians? If an atheist wants to marry a same-sex partner and he is denied that right because one sect within Christianity considers it to be a Biblical contradiction, doesn't that infringe upon the atheist's freedom? Enforcing conformity with religion as the backdrop seems wrong. It seems to me that since any Constitutional amendment to forbid gay marriage would likely have strong Christian ties, those within its scope who are not Christians would be constitutionally violated (freedom of religion).
The Christian right has the power to mobilize its constituents in a way that has a dramatic impact upon political processes in the United States. But the first amendment to the Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Imposing a fundamentalist-based attitude would certainly prohibit the free exercise of other, more liberal faiths, wouldn't it? Perhaps politicians would say a law that prohibits gay marriage has nothing to do with showing favoritism to one religion (or one religious sect) over another. Yet the fact that most arguments against homosexuality continue to find roots in conservative religious groups seems suspect. There are other groups who oppose homosexuality besides Christianity--Orthodox Jews and Fundamentalist Hindus for example--but by the same token there are sects within Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism that embrace homosexuality and some who even sanction gay marriage. To deny homosexuals freedoms that are inherently granted to heterosexuals because these freedoms contradict only the beliefs of the right wing, is evidence of the right wing's attempt to instill conformity.
I'm a Christian, and I don't think it's right to impose my values on another person. Life is a journey and each person has the right to seek understanding independently. Subscribing to a particular school of thought--especially one that attempts to categorize and limit love and control entire populations--does not make the world a better place. Conformity is not a family value. It leads to oppression.
I find 1 corinthians 1:10 interesting. In it Paul says, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
I think the Christian right gathers a great deal of energy and momentum from this passage. It seems to suggest that conformity is a good thing, and if this is the case then there would be no problem with imposing certain opinions upon other Christians. The problem is, every Christian thinks he or she subscribes to the proper school of thought. I do. My pastors do. The fundamentalists do. And we all have a different ideology. It's important to put the emphasis on seeking God and trusting God to show each of us what is true and then sharing that experience with those around us to see if they relate, rather than upon crafting blanket statements about entire populations that we know very little about. It comes down to the cumulative experience of faith, not thought alone.
Paul was addressing the unity of love in this passage; not doctrinal unity. Christianity is not about subscribing to a set of synchronized beliefs. It's about experiencing Jesus Christ and growing closer to God each day. This will not be without differences of opinion. To think that all Christians will come to a place where we are in complete agreement about every matter that comes to pass is a utopian idea. Christianity is not utopian, and like anything else it is not likely that it will ever be free of discord. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's how we grow. Pressure from the right to make us believe it holds the one true Christian opinion does not increase the validity of that opinion. Experience is more valuable than conformity. And if we allow our experience to transform us, we will achieve the unity of love that Paul asks us to strive for.
In 1 Corinthians 3:19 Paul says, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness."
The moment we think we have it all figured out, it should be obvious that we don't. Our minds possess worldy wisdom. (Sometimes I wouldn't even call it wisdom at all.) The thoughts that we have in our minds must pass through all sorts of filters which can be shrouded in fear, intolerance, impatience, anger, arrogance and all sorts of other variables. Our view of the world will always be skewed because of these filters. We have to learn to see one another through the eyes of our spirits instead. This is the level on which we are all connected, and it's the level that Paul was referring to when he asked us to become more united in mind and thought. He obviously wasn't telling us to subscribe to one school of thought in 1 Corinthians 1:10, because two chapters later he tells us that wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. Again, experience is more valuable than conformity.
Spirit houses both mind and thought and provides a very simple basis for both. The only way to unite and overcome divisions is to approach each other on this very basic level. Not with pre-conceived ideas about who a person should be, but with pre-meditated love and understanding rooted in spirit. There is instant unity when we approach life from this base and it supercedes worldy wisdom.
The world would be a pretty boring place if we all had the same thoughts. The world is a melting pot of cultures, thought, and ideologies, and that is what makes it colorful and worth living in. The United States used to be proud of the fact that it was a melting pot, but now it seems as though the most powerfully conservative groups are providing so much heat that some of that is evaporating. God gave us freedom of thought and God intends for us to use it; not to streamline it. God also gave us the freedom to act in a manner that is in line with our spiritual understanding. No matter what religious classification we assign ourselves, any law that imposes upon this freedom is misguided.
Each person is on an individual journey of faith. As long as this journey doesn't lead to another person's harm, each of us should have the freedom to live, love, and think as we see fit. That's something to value.
Angela and I were talking on the way home from church last night about why people get so upset over the gay marriage issue, and we both said it is nearly always tied to religious roots. That's nothing new. But if that is true, doesn't the denial of the right to marry become extremely offensive to homosexuals who aren't Christians? If an atheist wants to marry a same-sex partner and he is denied that right because one sect within Christianity considers it to be a Biblical contradiction, doesn't that infringe upon the atheist's freedom? Enforcing conformity with religion as the backdrop seems wrong. It seems to me that since any Constitutional amendment to forbid gay marriage would likely have strong Christian ties, those within its scope who are not Christians would be constitutionally violated (freedom of religion).
The Christian right has the power to mobilize its constituents in a way that has a dramatic impact upon political processes in the United States. But the first amendment to the Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Imposing a fundamentalist-based attitude would certainly prohibit the free exercise of other, more liberal faiths, wouldn't it? Perhaps politicians would say a law that prohibits gay marriage has nothing to do with showing favoritism to one religion (or one religious sect) over another. Yet the fact that most arguments against homosexuality continue to find roots in conservative religious groups seems suspect. There are other groups who oppose homosexuality besides Christianity--Orthodox Jews and Fundamentalist Hindus for example--but by the same token there are sects within Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism that embrace homosexuality and some who even sanction gay marriage. To deny homosexuals freedoms that are inherently granted to heterosexuals because these freedoms contradict only the beliefs of the right wing, is evidence of the right wing's attempt to instill conformity.
I'm a Christian, and I don't think it's right to impose my values on another person. Life is a journey and each person has the right to seek understanding independently. Subscribing to a particular school of thought--especially one that attempts to categorize and limit love and control entire populations--does not make the world a better place. Conformity is not a family value. It leads to oppression.
I find 1 corinthians 1:10 interesting. In it Paul says, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
I think the Christian right gathers a great deal of energy and momentum from this passage. It seems to suggest that conformity is a good thing, and if this is the case then there would be no problem with imposing certain opinions upon other Christians. The problem is, every Christian thinks he or she subscribes to the proper school of thought. I do. My pastors do. The fundamentalists do. And we all have a different ideology. It's important to put the emphasis on seeking God and trusting God to show each of us what is true and then sharing that experience with those around us to see if they relate, rather than upon crafting blanket statements about entire populations that we know very little about. It comes down to the cumulative experience of faith, not thought alone.
Paul was addressing the unity of love in this passage; not doctrinal unity. Christianity is not about subscribing to a set of synchronized beliefs. It's about experiencing Jesus Christ and growing closer to God each day. This will not be without differences of opinion. To think that all Christians will come to a place where we are in complete agreement about every matter that comes to pass is a utopian idea. Christianity is not utopian, and like anything else it is not likely that it will ever be free of discord. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's how we grow. Pressure from the right to make us believe it holds the one true Christian opinion does not increase the validity of that opinion. Experience is more valuable than conformity. And if we allow our experience to transform us, we will achieve the unity of love that Paul asks us to strive for.
In 1 Corinthians 3:19 Paul says, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness."
The moment we think we have it all figured out, it should be obvious that we don't. Our minds possess worldy wisdom. (Sometimes I wouldn't even call it wisdom at all.) The thoughts that we have in our minds must pass through all sorts of filters which can be shrouded in fear, intolerance, impatience, anger, arrogance and all sorts of other variables. Our view of the world will always be skewed because of these filters. We have to learn to see one another through the eyes of our spirits instead. This is the level on which we are all connected, and it's the level that Paul was referring to when he asked us to become more united in mind and thought. He obviously wasn't telling us to subscribe to one school of thought in 1 Corinthians 1:10, because two chapters later he tells us that wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. Again, experience is more valuable than conformity.
Spirit houses both mind and thought and provides a very simple basis for both. The only way to unite and overcome divisions is to approach each other on this very basic level. Not with pre-conceived ideas about who a person should be, but with pre-meditated love and understanding rooted in spirit. There is instant unity when we approach life from this base and it supercedes worldy wisdom.
The world would be a pretty boring place if we all had the same thoughts. The world is a melting pot of cultures, thought, and ideologies, and that is what makes it colorful and worth living in. The United States used to be proud of the fact that it was a melting pot, but now it seems as though the most powerfully conservative groups are providing so much heat that some of that is evaporating. God gave us freedom of thought and God intends for us to use it; not to streamline it. God also gave us the freedom to act in a manner that is in line with our spiritual understanding. No matter what religious classification we assign ourselves, any law that imposes upon this freedom is misguided.
Each person is on an individual journey of faith. As long as this journey doesn't lead to another person's harm, each of us should have the freedom to live, love, and think as we see fit. That's something to value.
posted by Jen Austin at 3:58 PM
1 Comments:
Thank for the thoughts, Jen. We are both Christian, but my partner & I disagree on taking the Bible aspect out of the marriage arguement...it isn't about that, just about civil rights. I don't think we will ever win over the far right, so I think it is more wise to approach from a position of legality.
Doug...Thank you for taking the time & energy to post your thoughts. If more people would take a moment to open their eyes & decide for themselves what they believe and why...this world would be a much more peaceful place. And I doubt you are the only straight guy who gets it!
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