“Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law… I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” But then Jesus proceeds to in fact abolish the Old Testament and replace it. He says, for example, “You have heard the law, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ but what I say to you is do not respond violently to one who is violent.”
Do we need religious laws to know that it is wrong to tell lies, or be unfaithful, or kill? We already know the harm of lies, adultery, and killing. We ‘know’ because of conscience, well formed in community. Conscience means, “to know” and it is because we know, that we write laws. Hence, it is not only possible to be good without religious laws, it is human nature to be good without religious laws. This is likely disconcerting to religious people who consider not a conscience well-formed in community to be the origin of humanity’s morality but, instead, religion. Religious people claim religion helps us solve the problem of evil. For example, they claim to solve the problem of people killing people. They do so by killing people who kill people, “An eye for an eye.” To be or to support a killer, be they a state killer, is still making killing moral. We are thus part of the problem of evil. Religion practices killing as a social good, moral, and the model to be followed. Thus, it can be argued that religion cannot help us solve the problem of evil because religion is the problem of evil. For example, religion sanctifies killing whole groups of people through war. Moses may have written a law telling followers, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ but he lived a life sanctifying his own killing of other people and sanctifying his ‘Chosen’ people killing whole groups of ‘Unchosen’ people. Religious followers of Moses, from Joshua, Constantine, Mohammad, and Crusading Popes to current world leaders commanding the invasions of Iraq, the West Bank, Ukraine, and more, legalize and sanctify killing other people all the time – in ‘God’s’ name. Religion and its law, do indeed need to be abolished. The problem of violent morality soldiers/police affirming “an eye for an eye,” is current in Iranian men killing women over head scarves, Indonesians penalizing sex outside of marriage with imprisonment, and U.S. errant “originalism” laws that enshrine the gun, thus arming all morality police. Long ago, the private beliefs of rulers, mostly wealthy and male, were thrust upon all society as religion and we are imprisoned by them still. In response, a growing segment of people, when it comes to religion, are None and Done (none of the above, done with religion). Some of the None and Done may turn to atheism and agnosticism. Atheism is defined as ‘no god,’ agnosticism as to ‘not know’ if god exists. Some adherents assert theirs is the more developed morality. But atheists and agnostics too are among those who rule as despots, plunder as capitalists, and kill as militarists. Nonreligious people, perhaps classified None and Done, include those who simply wish to assert the goodness of their life as religious people assert the goodness of theirs. For example, Phil Zuckerman in Living the Secular Life provides portraits of individual atheists who live “virtuous lives” and “promote human decency.” When he does so he addresses the importance of “Creating Community.” Religion may espouse community but it spawns tribalism. It is not religion but conscientious people in community who build hospitals and start orphanages, show up every Sunday at the soup kitchen, staff homeless shelters, start nonprofits that improve education, health care, housing, and so many other social goods.
“In true community we will not choose our companions, for our choices are so often limited by self-serving motives. Instead, our companions will be given to us by grace. Often they will be persons who will upset our settled view of self and world. In fact, we might define true community as that place where the person you least want to live with lives.” (Parker Palmer)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, I vow to form community with all.
Question: What can I do to reject tribalism and witness conscientious community?
February 12, 2023 Gospel Matthew 5:17-37 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time