I read something really enlightening in a book, When Christians Get it Wrong by Adam Hamilton. So I decided to quote a couple paragraphs in its entirety because I felt it was very important that we a start paying attention to the way we behave.
“Some Christians, in the name of God, say and do things in the realm of politics that are the antithesis of the gospel: slander, gossip, malicious talk, mean-spirited rhetoric, disrespect and worse. This has been particularly true when it comes to spreading rumors and half-truths using the Internet. I am disappointed at how often Christians I know forward slanderous e-mail to everyone on their email list without taking the time to verify the claims in the message. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you have a moral and spiritual responsibility not to slander or send out inflammatory emails about the opposing party or its candidates.
The apostle Paul offers instructions for Christians to conduct themselves in all areas of life. These words are particularly pertinent when it comes to politics.”
Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:29-32
I am not particularly religious (Gnostic) but I truly feel my chemical dependence counseling would be NEAR IMPOSSABLE if not for loving, forgiving and honest Christians, Hebrew & Islamic teachings. Recovering addicts learn to put back the pieces of their lives, not their beliefs. Religion is the base at which someone learns to believe in themselves. Were as if some of the people who are vitriolic “believers”, in God or Atheism, being judgmental as they are, would probably self-center the addict leading him/her back to drug/alcohol dependency. It is a belief in one another, a serious effort in leaving ones defenses down and learning those things we do not understand about each other (The opposite definition of hate) that is the true magic of spirituality. More often than not we look to wedge religion/atheism between us and miss the point of togetherness through our, rationally speaking, similar human lives. Churches, Mosques and Synagogues are just buildings, the writings are just books. It’s the people who are the true expression of spirituality.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would share this honest use of religion, because I myself may not understand or subscribe to an external spiritual idea of things. Although I have seen for myself human beings become so much more than they could have realized before they had the crutch of spirituality. A truly heart-warming and inspiring struggles of addiction, defines my idea of the overwhelming sense of hope that is labeled as a Religion.
Thank you so much thoughtful2012 for the opportunity to share this and your truly altruist insight into our modern world and religion!