Love: The True Narrow Path

But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

A little over a week ago, Bill Maher gave a scathing critique of the popular Christian ethos. For most of Christianity, this critique went unnoticed. After all, most Christians don't tend to listen to Bill Maher - a liberal leaning Atheist with a propensity to drop the F-Bomb. However those who did, tended to respond to Maher with derision - He is an Atheist, what does he know about Christian ethics?  or  He hates Christians, and this is just another slam!

Maher was pointing out that American Christians tend to be more pro-war, pro-torture, and pro-military than the average citizen. This brought forth some sardonic wit from Maher as he noted that most of Jesus' quotes run contrary to the attitudes of many of his followers.

One can't blame Christians for being a little uncomfortable. If you are religious, the last thing you want is to be outfoxed by an Atheist who is pummeling you with your own scriptures. To top it off, Maher points out that the best historical example of someone living the Christian ethic was carried out by a practicing Hindu.

What is apparent to me, as I read the various responses to Maher, is that Christians don't really believe they are capable of loving their enemy. Loving your enemy, doing good to those who wrong you, turning the other cheek.... these have all been moved to the miraculous category. Yes, Jesus loved his enemies... but he also walked on water and raised the dead. In the minds of most Christians, they no more believe an enemy can be loved than they believe they will walk on water this evening. So, they quickly move past these commandments to ones that are more do-able... say, witnessing or going to church.

I also think Christians struggle to take these teachings seriously because their faith is often built on a  faulty foundation. To love your enemy, you are going to have to put aside your needs, your pride, your need to be right - perhaps even your safety. You have to give up self-protection. Your ego is going to have to die... daily.

However, most Christians turned to the faith by an appeal to their ego and their sense of self. Jesus will save you from Hell - saving one's own ass is a primal response.

Then there is the Christian who follows Jesus because Jesus is going to make them happy, or healthy, or wealthy. Following Jesus causes blessing after blessing to fall their way.

With all of this ME cemented into the foundation of popular Western Christianity, is it any wonder that enemy-love gets scant attention from Christ's followers? Go to a Christian church in America this Sunday and you will most likely hear a message about Hell or what blessing God has in store for you next. A message on how to do kind acts for the person who opposes you, hurts you, hates you? How to joyfully surrender your rights and protections? Not so much.

But anyone who knows scripture knows the ways of the Divine tend to be a little counter intuitive. Look at Maher's two examples of people who followed the teachings of Christ. He spoke of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. with honor... those who humble themselves shall be exalted and established.

Please don't think I approach this tritely or as if it is easy. I don't often despise people, but there is someone in my life right now that I do. Every word this person speaks, their very presence raises my blood pressure. I literally take joy in speaking badly of this person to others.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles... You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

It is after hearing such words that I want to drop one of Maher's F-bombs; cause' it is hard and I don't want to do it. My ego and sense of self screams out for protection. But if we are ever to change this world, truly change it, it is the only way. Ghandi and MLK proved it. Jesus proved it.

In the great spiritual traditions, the wounds to our ego are our teachers and must be welcomed. They must be paid attention to, not litigated. How can a Christian look at the crucified and not get this essential point? ~ Richard Rohr

Bill Maher Needs to Preach at YOUR Church This Sunday

Dear Priest, Bishop, Pastor - Whatever sermon you had planned for this Sunday, just tuck it away for next week. Christianity will function so much better if every congregant hears Bill Maher's latest commentary from the pulpit Sunday morning.

If you don't know Bill Maher, he is a comedian, commentator, and staunch Atheist. In this commentary he brilliantly sums up the reason Western Christianity doesn't work.
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From the May 13, 2011 show:

New rule: if you’re a Christian who supports killing your enemies and torture, you have to come up with a new name for yourself.

Last week, as I was explaining why I didn’t feel at all guilty about Osama’s targeted assassination, I made some jokes about Christian hypocrisy and since then strangers have been coming up to me and forcing me to have the same conversation.

So let me explain two things. One, I’m not Matthew McConaughey. He surfs a long board. And two, capping thine enemy is not exactly what Jesus would do. It’s what Suge Knight would do.

For almost 2,000 years, Christians have been lawyering the Bible to try and figure out how “love thy neighbor” can mean “hate thy neighbor” and how “turn the other cheek” can mean “screw you I’m buying space lasers.”

Martin Luther King gets to call himself a Christian because he actually practiced loving his enemies.

And Gandhi was so fucking Christian he was Hindu.

But if you rejoice in revenge, torture and war – hey, that’s why they call it the weekend – you cannot say you’re a follower of the guy who explicitly said, “love your enemies” and “do good to those who hate you.” The next line isn’t “and if that doesn’t work, send a titanium fanged dog to rip his nuts off.”

Jesus lays on that hippie stuff pretty thick. He has lines like, “do not repay evil with evil,” and “do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you.” Really. It’s in that book you hold up when you scream at gay people.

And not to put too fine a point on it, but nonviolence was kind of Jesus’ trademark. Kind of his big thing. To not follow that part of it is like joining Greenpeace and hating whales.

There’s interpreting, and then there’s just ignoring.

It’s just ignoring if you’re for torture – as are more evangelical Christians than any other religion. You’re supposed to look at that figure of Christ on the cross and think, “how could a man suffer like that and forgive?” Not, “Romans are pussies, he still has his eyes.”

If you go to a baptism and hold the baby under until he starts talking, you’re missing the message. Like, apparently, our president, who says he gets scripture on his Blackberry first thing every morning, but who said on 60 Minutes that anyone who would question that Bin Laden didn’t deserve an assassination should, “have their head examined.”

Hey Fox News! You missed a big headline; Obama thinks Jesus is nuts!

To which I say, “hallelujah,” because my favorite new government program is surprising violent religious zealots in the middle of the night and shooting them in the face. Sorry Head Start, you’re number 2 now.

But I can say that because I’m a non-Christian.

Just like most Christians.

Christians, I know, I’m sorry, I know you hate this and you want to square this circle, but you can’t.

I’m not even judging you, I’m just saying logically if you ignore every single thing Jesus commanded you to do, you’re not a Christian – you’re just auditing.

You’re not Christ’s followers, you’re just fans.

And if you believe the Earth was given to you to kick ass on while gloating, you’re not really a Christian – you’re a Texan.
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Let's face it, pretty much everyone outside of Christian circles thinks Christians are ass-hats. I think most Christians are ass-hats, and I am one of them (sort-of, kind-of, maybe). Why is that? I think it is because of what Bill hits on here. If we lived these core teachings, we would really be Christian. However, we have turned Christianity into a club where I am in and you are out. Instead of spreading Jesus' teachings - that the Kingdom of God means you love your enemy and bless those who curse you - we encourage people to join our church or get them to do an "accept Jesus" prayer.  Then, with our blessed assurance in tow, we go on to live just as self-absorbed as our darkest corners dictate.

I have been going to church my whole life, but I can count on one hand the amount of times I have heard addressed from the pulpit what Bill talks about here. However, I have lost count of how many messages I have heard about tithing. :)

Gandhi was so fucking Christian he was Hindu.

Heh! Best quote of the year so far!

HT: Fallen From Grace

Some good commentary and push-back on this article here and here.

Bill Maher - Don't Fire Teachers, Fire Parents!

Amen Bill! You nailed it with this one. (His article on this was even better.)

But isn't it convenient that once again it turns out that the problem isn't us, and the fix is something that doesn't require us to change our behavior or spend any money. It's so simple: Fire the bad teachers, hire good ones from some undisclosed location, and hey, while we're at it let's cut taxes more. It's the kind of comprehensive educational solution that could only come from a completely ignorant people. ~ Bill Maher

Check out my posts on education to get my thoughts on what is wrong with our schools and what needs to change.

Maher interviews Wendell Potter

I have to post another Maher interview. He really has some of the best on television right now.

This week Bill interviewed Wendell Potter, a former Cigna exec and head of their public relations. Just over a year ago, Wendell had an attack of conscience and has now become one of the health insurance industries biggest critics and staunch advocate for public health care.

I thought it was interesting that prior to his leaving, one of his responsibilities was to refute Micheal Moore's movie Sicko. He has this to say at the end of his interview:

Wendell: We were working overtime to discredit the movie...

Bill: But he wasn't wrong...right?

Wendell: He was not wrong. He got it right.

Watch to see why he left Cigna.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIzs5bSAE2c

Moyers on Maher

A great interview. I found it on Youtube in three parts. It is worth viewing.

Pt.1


Pt.2



Pt.3

Maher has it Backwards

Let me first say that I like Bill Maher... a lot. I think his HBO show, Real Time, is first rate. His panel is always lively and informative. I agree with Bill, or can at least sympathize with his view, most of the time.

I am looking forward to seeing Bill's movie, Religulous, but reading some of the reviews I understand that I probably won't hear much different than what I have picked up on Real Time. Unfortunately, what I hear from Bill is well intended but backwards. Maher, like many atheists, believes that religion is the root of what ails us. If we could just do away with Religion, we would have a better world. I disagree with this view on many theological fronts, but let me give a non-theistic reason for disagreeing. I believe Maher is looking at an effect and calling it cause. Religion does not drive our dysfunction, it is merely the vehicle for much of it. If religion is not available, we will find many other things to demean and kill each other over. Like the Sneetches in Dr. Seuss, if the other group gets stars too, we will have ours removed. The stars are not the point. The point is the need to have an outside group, to have someone to be against, to beat, to conquer.

My friend and fellow blogger, Brook, made this point in a recent blog. He writes that most people today treat opposing viewpoints as if it were a sports competition. The other side does not need to be conversed with or understood... they need to be beaten.

I think Bill ends up supporting the very attitude he would like to see go away. I understand his frustration (and I often succumb to it myself), but his approach is just perpetuating the problem.

As Ghandi said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Compare the Veeps

I agree with the point that Brook made in a previous comment section that, regardless of who takes the presidency, we are getting an upgrade. I believe Obama to have a greater vision for the future, but I can find things to like about McCain.

However, on the VP side, beside the fact that I would disagree with Sarah Palin on a lot -I feel she is out of her element. The very real possibility that McCain would leave her holding the reigns at some point during his term is quite unnerving. Here are videos of Biden and Palin in interviews.



Joe Biden on Real Time with Bill Maher