There Is No “Them” by Nirish

I’ve been traveling around Georgia recently, and listening to a lot of local radio. In rural Georgia, local radio often means Christian radio. It’s really been fascinating. I’ve been surprised by amount of fear I hear expressed and I can’t help but wonder, where are these folks’ faith in God?

There’s fear because many I’ve listened to believe marriage is under attack by gay marriage supporters. Well, personally, I think the heterosexual divorce rate is a much bigger threat to marriage, but if your marriage is strong, how can it be threatened by two men or two women wanting the same rights and recognition you and your spouse enjoy? If it’s the concept of marriage, the institution of marriage that you fear is being threatened, I can only ask why are you so concerned about what someone else thinks or believes? No one is forcing you to change your concept of marriage. If you think marriage is only between a man and a woman, and God ordained it so, then by all means, you keep right on thinking that. Teach your children that. Share with them your values. Vote for politicians who share your world view. But why are you so threatened by someone who holds a different viewpoint?

I learned a new term this week: “new atheism.” According to Wikipedia, new atheism is “a movement among some early 21st century atheist writers who have advocated the view that “religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized, and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises.” Wow, some of these Christian radio jockeys are really scared by this. They have prepared CDs and DVDs (that you can purchase) to equip you to defend Christianity when confronted by these “new atheists.” I hesitate to identify myself as “Christian” because that label has been hijacked by a socio-political movement that doesn’t seem too Christian to me, but, Christianity is the religion I am most intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually connected to, so yes, I am a Christian. One concept of Christianity that has always seemed very clear to me is that God is a Big and Powerful God. He can take care of Himself pretty well. If you have so little faith in God and Christianity that you think that they cannot withstand criticism and rational argument, I think you need to take a long hard look at your own relationship with God before you worry about those Godless new atheists. God is okay, and will be okay; you don’t have to defend Him. Of course, it’s not really about defending God. It’s about defending one’s concepts and beliefs about God. I had a wise minister tell me once that his faith was not in a religion, but in a person…the person of Jesus Christ. He understands that our thoughts and beliefs about God can change and evolve as we gain new understanding, and that matters little. What matters to him as a Christian is that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And you don’t have to defend that to anyone. That’s between you and Him.

It troubles me that in the time I have spent listening to Christian talk radio, I have heard amazingly little about Jesus. I have heard a lot about the myriad of “threats” to Christianity. I have not heard much about love, and I have yet to hear one speaker say the obvious in the face of all these threats, Jesus’s own words as recorded in Luke 12:7 “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” And what about this scripture: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). I have heard almost nothing about the greatest commandment according to Jesus (from Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” According to Jesus, everything hangs on those two commandments: Love God and love your neighbor. Oh, and who is your neighbor? Go back and read the parable of the good Samaritan if you aren’t sure.

This gets me to my point: all of this “us versus them” mentality and fear is getting us nowhere. It’s certainly not what Jesus taught. As long as those who call themselves Christians continue to see new atheists, pro-choice supporters, gay rights supporters, and Democrats as “them,” they are missing the message of Jesus. God is not threatened. There is no need for all this anxiety. We who hold different beliefs are your neighbors. And you just read what Jesus had to say about neighbors! I’d say the same to those of us who hold often very different views than our socio-politically conservative Christian neighbors. As long as we see them as “them,” we are going to get nowhere. I think our Congress is a perfect illustration of that. Nothing is accomplished through divisiveness. That does not mean that we should relinquish our beliefs or stop working to achieve our desired goals. However, the way we go about that does need to change.

If we want to see this nation improve economically, socially, politically, and spiritually, it’s time to realize we are all “us.” (The same can be said for the world, and for your family, your workplace, etc.) Ultimately, we all have the same goal: to have the best life we can. That’s one thing we all have in common. No one wants a crappy life. We have very different ideas about what a good life is, and very different ideas about how to go about creating and experiencing a good, healthy, happy life. That’s okay! Let’s have healthy, passionate debate. It’s okay to disagree. It’s okay with me if you think I am ungodly. It’s also okay if I think you are ignorant. You are still my neighbor. I am still your neighbor. That’s what we have lost sight of. It seems that we have forgotten how to disagree and still love. (And where there is love, there is no fear, for there is nothing to fear.)

There is no “them.” There is just “us.” I hope we all begin to remember this, and soon. This “us versus them” game is no fun anymore. I’m going to start playing a new one. It’s called “love your neighbor as yourself.” It may be challenging, but all good, fun games are. Sometimes I’ll play better than others; but like any game, I’ll improve with practice. I’m not the only one playing; I’m just the latest to join the game. Want to be next?

Show Your Support

If you have found what I have said to be support for you, made a difference for you, and would like to help spread the word of a new way of being, please do so by sharing this with your friends. Introduce them to Love, Live & Laugh. You can also show your support through financial support. Your sharing enables me to continue to offer these spiritual insights (blog posts, podcast) to everyone. All donations are appreciated.

• God Is... As soon as I hit the save button from writing yesterday’s post, I began to imagine the agreement and the disagreement among those reading the post. I also wanted to...
• Living Beyond Your Religious and Spiritual Beliefs I see something happening quite often. I see it with my life coaching clients and people in general. I see that a person’s religious and/or spiritual beliefs are the very...
• Who & What Is God? I was recently asked by an 8 year old little girl, “What is God? Who is God? What is God to you?” I loved her curiosity and her straightforwardness; she...

• Was Jesus God? Was Jesus God: Central to the Christian faith is the belief...
• Verveine (Verbena) by Le Jardin Retrouvé Review Continuing to sample Le Jardin Retrouvé’s scents passed on to...
• What are some Non-Biblical References to Jesus’ Divinity? What are some Non-Biblical References to Jesus’ Divinity: It is...