*DISCLAIMER*
You may want to reconsider reading this post if:
- The only thing on your iPod is 1990's Christian rock
- The only thing on your iPod is "_____" (is there such a thing as "Atheist" music? If so, that.)
- You are receiving pastoral "de-gayification" counseling
- Your most recent list of Google searches includes more than one query involving the term "jihad"
- You came upon this blog by Googling "jihad"
- You can't see out the back window of your car due to numerous bumper stickers lauding Charles Darwin
- You would consider sending your kids to the church from the documentary "Jesus Camp"
- You 'celebrate Christmas on a day in September when you know it won't be commercialized'
So yesterday in the aftermath of the tectonic plate-diving (that's 'earthquake', to those of you who didn't have Ms. Beachy for 9th grade Life Science), I couldn't help but think to myself "Welp, any minute now Pat Robertson is going to pop out of hiding with an explanation for all of this."
Good ol' P-Rob; are we even threatened or angered by him anymore? Such a goofy dude; I feel like he's woven into the fabric of American folklore, much like Johnny Appleseed. He seems to have a "Biblical" explanation for everything. Now I have many (ok, a few) dear friends who take the good ol' B-I-B-L-E literally, and I love those kiddos. But I have a problem: does religion NEED to explain everything in order to be useful? I understand that I am just one lone blogger in a sea of millions who have already chewed, swallowed, and digested this topic, but I want to chew on this morsel a little more; there's still plenty of flavor left.
If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend the book "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose. You'll find it in the "Religion and Spirituality" section of Barnes and Noble, but don't let that throw you; it's an account of a student from Brown University who goes undercover for a year at Liberty University, arguably one of the most conservative schools in America. It will make you laugh, it will make you think, it will make you angry, and it might even make you reconsider your spiritual position. Endorsements aside, the author points out something very insightful in the beginning of the book: he says something like, "Going after fundamentalist Christians is like hunting dairy cows using an assault rifle and a scope." It's unnecessary, and a bit cruel. I don't want to do that. I believe in God. I go to church. I respect all brands and doses of religion, provided they don't give rationale for hating people or setting things on fire... I don't like fire. But I've always been fiercly proud of my critical thinking skills, and I think EVERY dicey topic in the world could use a good dose of critical thinking from time to time. Agree? Then take a walk with me, here...
Fundamentalist Pat Robertson has a penchant for explaining the unexplainable using what he believes to be "Biblical" reasoning. He and his cronies feel that they have to scramble to explain everything that comes along in the news, or else risk discrediting a belief in God. Why? Why must we take the "magic" out of the world and explain the unexplainable? Is that the job of religion? If we don't believe that the Bible explains everything, does it mean we don't believe in God? I can't get on board with that. I think that's a very simplistic way of looking at things, and one that requires the bare minimum of reasoning and critical thinking skills. I think that part of faith is knowing that there are many things that can't be explained by anyone (spiritual or otherwise) and accepting that even in our logic-crazed world, there won't always be an answer. I think that the Pat Robertsons of the world are making those of us with religious convictions look like obsolete dingbats. In times of crisis, he gets on the TV and sounds off. Many strong Christians feel that they have to make a choice; do they believe him, or not? Are they on the Crazy Bus, or are they off? I want to tell these guys "it's OK to be moderate...God gave us the ability to reason!" The Gospel makes it pretty clear that the Christianity Buffet is open 24-hours, there's no dress code, and it's all-you-can-eat, so why would it not be OK to sample what you want and leave behind the gospel equivalent of the leftover fried chicken and moldy potato salad?
If you're searching for a spiritual foundation that will explain everything, you're missing the point; the beauty of spirituality IS the unexplainable...the "magic", if you will. All of the Pat Robertsons and Ms. Beachys combined couldn't explain it all. Let's agree to spend our time on earth enjoying the magic.
...That's my opinion, anyway. My apologies if I left out a capitalization.
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