Healthy Religion

I had just finished reading, Bad Religion:  How we Became A Nation of Heretics, by Ross Dauthat.  I like the fact that he intermingles a sociological thread throughout the text.  In today's culture it is increasingly easy to see the world as either right or left leaning.  In the Religious sphere Dauthat takes both sides head-on.  His text is not only a challenge for our religious bodies but also our cultural mores as well.

True religious theology, that is not heretical, has mystery, and includes an often times contradictory concept within its teaching and precepts.  Dauthat shuns religious who declare themselves spiritual, but have no religious affiliation, and those who religion is based on their wealth or position.  He uses a phrase that I have heard before, which is that Christians should be uncomfortable in their cultural skins.  This is very much like the proposal that we find in John's Gospel.  The true follower of Jesus must live a counter-cultural lifestyle.

I  was on a retreat a few years ago in which the retreat leader centered on the Gospel of Mark.  For St. Mark the Disciple had to completely abandon their sense of self, and identify with Jesus.  We see frustration in Jesus as the apostles fight over their ranking amongst each other.  The Christian lifestyle really is an ongoing giving of oneself so as to achieve new life.  But he reality is that we do that day in and day out.

Last week my good friend and myself stopped at a Benedictine Monastery, to look over the retreat facilities, and sat with the abbot for some time.  As I sat there it occurred to me that in a monastery there is really no place to hide.  People talk about 'running away' to be a monk or nun, though in reality you are forced to be with others.  First of a relationship with God is demanded of one.  And secondly even monks and nuns are expected to be part of the community.

Using that same model we have to force ourselves to live the Gospel lifestyle that is entrusted to us.  The older I grow the more I realize what a radical lifestyle it relly is.  True religion does not offer easy answers or solutions.  If it does maybe it isbecause it is just bad religion.'  Moving through faith as adults we have to struggle with som very difficult questions of life based on truth, justice, love, and not just a bunch of sound-bytes.

I have a few other books waithing to be read.  Part of being a religious person has to be mulling over our beliefs and faith.  We can never pretend that we are done learning or reflecting.  God has given us every good thing.  We  have a responsibility to uncover it.  It is good stuff.