After a long day at work, it is good to relax. Yes! It is good to slow down and watch some TV. As for me, I have an evening ritual that includes watching a favorite television program called The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I know I am not alone in watching this show. And on those rare occasions when I can stay awake I always hang in there for the Colbert Report. But it is for me, the humorous satire of today’s top news on the Daily Show that brings my day to a close as it gets me to laugh as well as to stop and contemplate. This particular evening on Tuesday September 24, Stewart’s guest was Richard Dawkins. Maybe you saw the show.
Dawkins is an English ethologist, evolutionary biologist and an author. By the way, ethology is the scientific and objective study of animal behavior, and is a sub-topic of zoology. The focus of ethology is on animal behavior under natural conditions, as opposed to behaviorism, which focuses on behavioral response studies in a laboratory setting. I had to look that one up for myself. Thank God for Wikipedia!
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As an author, one of his most noted books that came out in 2006 was The God Delusion. Dawkins makes no bones about it that he is an atheist and through programs such as The Daily Show and other radio and television forums he puts forth his passionate concern and issue with religion. While I am no expert on Mr. Dawkins in that I have only seen him interviewed a few times and have not read any of his books (though I might like to do that), it seems that he finds religion in general preventing people from doing critical thinking for themselves and from seeking out proof in the universe. Instead, faith has people simply taking things blindly by faith. For him, faith equals not thinking.
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He also points to how religion is so often used to wage war against other people and nations. Sadly, people throughout this world are not only willing to kill others in the name of their God and religion, but to take their own lives in doing just that. The truth is that one does not need to listen to Dawkins, but just open one’s eyes to history to see that horrendous evil has been carried out all in the name of religion.
While some like Richard Dawkins have essentially and permanently shut the door on any religious participation, there are some religious folk like myself who can actually find a balance between the scientific mind of questions, doubts and exploration and a life of faith that can live peaceably with uncertainty.
The issue, as I see it, boils down to the problem of religious fundamentalism. Regardless of the particular religion be it Judaism, Islam or Christianity, fundamentalism within any of these religions promotes an absolute “rightness” about one’s theological position and harshly demonizes anyone who disagrees. It is where one believes God is firmly on their side only, they have their Holy Scriptures to support them and they seek to push their beliefs onto others by whatever means they deem necessary. They believe they are always right and everyone else is flat out wrong. Period. And thinking for these fundamentalists is not allowed. They are essentially programmed as to what to do and say.
As for me, I am not a fundamentalist. And when it comes to thinking, I personally do not believe one should leave their brain at the door of the church. For me, faith is not equal to ignorance. I want people as I want myself to bring their ability to critically think and discern for themselves into the church and then again out into the world. God gave us brains for a good reason; to use them to question, to ponder and to explore life and the universe.
In the spiritual journey, there is nothing more powerful than the questions one discovers along the way. You know, answers will come and go; they will change. But the questions may very well remain. It is worth living with questions and seeking out our own answers. For some time, I have heard it said, “If Jesus is the answer, what is the question?” Personally, I think Jesus can be found with us as we struggle with the questions.
Also, I am not one to believe I have all the answers, or have “the” answer to anything. It is not all that untypical that when you are a pastor people come thinking you have the answer to issues or problems. But I have to tell you, there were no classes I ever took back in college or seminary where I was introduced to all the answers I would ever need. But I did spend a good amount of time with questions.
As a person who does not have the answers, I have also never felt that my way of practicing the Christian faith was superior to anyone else’s. In fact, I have great respect for those who are different than me; I am thankful for my Jewish brothers and sisters as well as my Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Atheist friends. They have all helped me understand more about this world and my perspective of God. I am thankful for them all.
So Richard Dawkins has got me thinking. And that is good thing. He has me thinking about how as people of faith we need to always be questioning, doubting, exploring, analyzing and using our minds along our spiritual journey. Science and the human brain need not be at odds with a person’s faith.
In the United Methodist heritage, we think about God from the vantage point of Scripture. But it does not end there; however, some do. Rather we believe one must bring to bear one’s experience, reason and tradition. So, to do “theology” one, in the United Methodist tradition, does not merely sit back and is spoon fed “truth” by someone else, rather one finds their own truth for themselves. My faith journey will be different from yours and your journey different than others. Of course, that journey is best assisted when one is in a faith community that nurtures and supports that individual's quest.
If you ever want to think or re-think your faith and further explore what it might means to you in your life, I am willing to be there for and with you.
Drop me a note at JonEdwin@aol.com and we can chat. I would really enjoy that.
Blessings!
Sunday Worship:
9AM: 30 minute service with Holy Communion celebrated weekly
10:30AM: Holy Communion celebrated 1st Sunday of the month.
Sunday School:
For Elementary Children at 9:30AM
Our Hearts, Our Minds, Our Doors are always open.
