ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
March 4, 2022
One more thought on politics and religion: Do we allow our faith to engage the conversations around politics or are we to never allow the two spheres to meet? Are there times when we must bring the full prophetic smackdown into the debate? Are there times to keep our mouths shut? It’s interesting how religion, at numerous points in history, has used the legal or political system to impose its moral beliefs on society. Divorce, until recently (still true in some parts of the world), was often defined using a rather male-centric interpretation of the Bible. Laws often gave men the right to divorce without cause, but women had a different standard to meet before a divorce was given. Abuse might not meet the standard, and so women were forced to remain in unhealthy and dangerous relationships. To compel a certain take on morality is rather difficult, especially in a pluralistic society. And is it even morality if someone has no actual freedom to choose otherwise? What’s the difference between morality and justice? Where should faith have a voice and where should faith tread lightly? It is one thing to impose my personal beliefs through a system of power over others? It is something very different to intervene when a system is using power in such a way as to cause oppression and suffering. People of faith often confuse the two, and though there might be some gray areas, it is probably better to be cautious and to give people plenty of space where decisions can be made freely… assuming those freely chosen decisions do not bring injury to others.
Give me wisdom; provide me insight; furnish me with both respect and grace. O God, these things I request as I seek to be light in the world, a light by which others can see and make their own choices. Amen.
