When whites assume an inherent racial superiority over blacks, and believe it entitles them the right to oppress, belittle or harm people of color, we call it racism and denounce it.
When men assume an inherent physical and/or mental superiority over women, and believe it entitles them the right to oppress, belittle or harm them, we call it sexism and denounce it.
When straight society assumes an inherent natural superiority over homosexuals, and believes it entitles them the right to oppress, belittle or harm gays/lesbians, we call it homophobia and denounce it.
SIMILARLY, when religious conservatives assume an inherent moral superiority over non-religious people or people of other faiths, and believe it entitles them the right to judge, belittle or condemn them, I call it dogmatism and denounce it, too!
In a recent post on this blog, I mentioned the cultural conflict between religious conservatives and secular (and other) activists over morality in America. One myth that I feel adds to the animosity of the debate is the assertion that the Bible is mankind's only foundation for morality. Evangelicals teach and preach to the faithful that the Bible - as interpreted by conservatives, by the way - is the only valid basis for human civility and character. Without it, the argument goes, mankind inevitably slides into uncontrolled degeneracy and chaos. Truth is, the good in humanity that religious conservatives like to claim originates from the Word of God, was certainly found in society long before the Bible existed. Unconditional love, honesty, self-sacrifice, cooperation, generosity, respect. These human qualities all predate King James' literary legacy!
When men assume an inherent physical and/or mental superiority over women, and believe it entitles them the right to oppress, belittle or harm them, we call it sexism and denounce it.
When straight society assumes an inherent natural superiority over homosexuals, and believes it entitles them the right to oppress, belittle or harm gays/lesbians, we call it homophobia and denounce it.
SIMILARLY, when religious conservatives assume an inherent moral superiority over non-religious people or people of other faiths, and believe it entitles them the right to judge, belittle or condemn them, I call it dogmatism and denounce it, too!
In a recent post on this blog, I mentioned the cultural conflict between religious conservatives and secular (and other) activists over morality in America. One myth that I feel adds to the animosity of the debate is the assertion that the Bible is mankind's only foundation for morality. Evangelicals teach and preach to the faithful that the Bible - as interpreted by conservatives, by the way - is the only valid basis for human civility and character. Without it, the argument goes, mankind inevitably slides into uncontrolled degeneracy and chaos. Truth is, the good in humanity that religious conservatives like to claim originates from the Word of God, was certainly found in society long before the Bible existed. Unconditional love, honesty, self-sacrifice, cooperation, generosity, respect. These human qualities all predate King James' literary legacy!
Dogmatism can be found in sermons like one I once heard where the preacher was admonishing weak Christians to hold onto God and stay in the church, regardless of how they felt. To add weight to this "encouragement," the warning was added that, once they've left the church, people lose their moral compasses, fall into sin, their finances and relationships become cursed and fail, and their lives generally fall apart without God. Again, the basic assumption is that the Bible is the only stable foundation for people, societies and governments to build upon. As the hymn goes, "all other ground is sinking sand."
Yes, there is anecdotal evidence of former church-goers leaving their faith and falling into a downward spiral of shame and failure. However, I would argue that these cases can be attributed to the breakdown of the individuals' self-respect, and not to a neglect of spiritual discipline. People who still believe in the high religious standards they've been taught, but give up trying to attain them, can fall into a self-fulfilling collapse of self-esteem. This incongruity - believing, but not obeying - can negatively change how people view themselves and set them up to expect all sorts of bad things as a result.
My answer to this syndrome, of course, is to alter one's behavior by changing one's beliefs, and not just give up trying to live the unattainable standards.
When I first came out, my new gay/lesbian friends were intrigued that I had never been with a guy before. It was a decision that I had made, not to do so until after I had left music ministry and the church. However, several friends warned me that I might encounter potentially strong feelings of guilt and/or shame once I started dating men. Apparently, a common experience for most. For me, that did not turn out to be the case at all. I believe it was because, by the time I began dating, I had already dealt with the source of shame and guilt, my traditional conservative beliefs. I had worked through changing my theology and had come to a new understanding of the Bible and God. I knew that He had made me as I am, and did not have to be ashamed. Once I had cast off the unhealthy traditions and biases of men, they had no power over me. Today, I live in peace and thankfulness for my new found life and freedom!
The notion that humans do not have the capacity for morality outside of belief in God is simply a myth. Humans have a God-given capacity to discern good from evil outside of any religious framework. For example, we intuitively know that stealing is wrong because we wouldn't want our own stuff stolen. It's just common sense. I now have a number of atheist/agnostic friends - gay and straight - who are moral, honorable people. They are honest, kind, loving, generous, understanding, reasonable and conscientious. It is obvious that children can be raised as moral people, without influence from religion. We see it all the time. I am not saying that religious influence is always bad, quite the contrary! But I am saying that non-religious people can be and usually are just as moral as religious folks. And conversely, people of faith can be (and often are) just as immoral as people without faith!
Religions perpetrate an evil within society when they teach followers that their brand of godliness is the only source of good, and all else is bad. Whether taught from the Bible, the Koran, or any other holy writings, this malicious doctrine is the source of wars, genocide, hatred, bigotry and much other evil in our world.
I believe that the prejudice many Christians exhibit toward non-religious people is just as wrong as racism. How much better off we would all be if everyone respected others' beliefs and choices with tolerance and goodwill! Live what you believe, but also give the rest of the world the right to do the same unharassed. We don't all have to agree, but for God's sake, let's all be agreeable!
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