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Some folks are really worth admiring
Many years ago I was advised never to write about religion or politics.
Good advice! If I'd listened to the part about politics, this column would
have appeared rarely these past decades, pleasing my critics no end. I've
touched on religion only sparingly over the years, however.
It isn't that religion isn't important. Perhaps it's too important to be
beaten back and forth in letters to the editor and columns of opinion that
can't cover the subject properly. Perhaps also, I'm afraid that either I'll
give good advice that won't be followed or, worse, bad advice that will.
It's also a fact I've vastly admired the character of many whose life has
centered on their religion, whatever it might be. And I've viewed others
whose life was devoted to religiosity. They were more interested in telling
others what they should believe and how they should express those beliefs.
Some in that second group have gotten under my skin from time to time.
One (his name was Joe) visited jails to pass out Catholic religious tracts.
Perhaps he intended to be kind and do the prisoners some good. Or perhaps
it just gave him an ego boost. I can't know what was actually in his mind?
So far as I know, he never tried to help any released prisoners get a job
or even, perhaps, practice to improve their reading and writing. He may
have felt holier giving out tracts, but I doubt any prisoners actually led
better lives.
Another man (coincidentally also named Joe) heard his niece was marrying a
Catholic. He wrote, saying if she went through with it she was bound for
hell. He didn't know enough about her to be aware she was actually Catholic
herself (and obviously farther along the road to perdition than he was
aware?)
By contrast I've known scores of fine persons who've been outstanding
examples of the good that is in each of their religions. Catholics, Jews,
Mormons, Unitarians, Fundamentalist Christians, Christian Scientists, all
admirably doing their best to live good lives and follow the precepts
they'd been taught. I remember, not ostentatious religiosity, but their
charity, their gentleness, their kindness, their generosity, the love they
showed their families and others.
It seems unlikely God would simultaneously prefer all the teachings of
Catholicism, Mormonism, Christian Science, Fundamentalist Protestantism,
Lutheranism, Anglicanism, and several varieties of Judaism. They can't all
be completely right. There are just too many contradictions between
religions. At least an agnostic acknowledges his ignorance. And atheism is
pointless. Organized, diligent atheism is an exercise in futility, like a
major league baseball game where the scorekeeper has a severe case of
Alzheimer's and no one else keeps track of the stats.
At least in this country we can choose our own religion. It's preferable we
choose rather than have it forced on us by some dumb king, emperor or czar.
Forced atheism is worse, as in the old Soviet Union. Being a Swede used to
mean you were Lutheran. Spaniards and Portuguese were Catholics. Individual
Germans became whatever some petty princeling decided. Those who
obstinately insisted on choosing how to worship sometimes lost heads or
were burned at stakes.
I don't know much about Mark Reynolds or Lou Shapiro or others who push
their views via letters to the editor. I hope God is pleased with them all,
though I've a gut feeling He's more pleased with them, if He actually
happens to be, for whatever kindness, charity, gentleness and love they
have for their fellow man, rather than any particular mindset of theology,
ideas and beliefs they'd like to sell the rest of us.
Paul Azevedo particularly appreciates the kindness and generosity of the person who gave him the gift of his e mail address, Paul@thereactor.net.
Check his website at www.thereactor.net.
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