‘I’d rather focus on the goodness of people whatever faith they have (if at all) because it is in that goodness that you can find the grace of God.’
Over the last few days, I’ve had very interesting discussions with family and friends about God. Naturally, the conversations were contentious at times, despite the fact that every single one I’ve been in discussion with was born and baptized a Catholic.
I even expressed mock horror when I was told by Kristine (a friend who didn’t want me to name her) that in her Bible studies she learned that Mama Mary was around 14 when she bore the Child Jesus. “That would be a crime in this day and age!” I commented.
Let me admit here: I even struggle with the idea that God can be God and Man at the same time. Which, I guess, places me outside the circle of believers called Christians. But then I guess I am in good company because as far as I know, Jesus himself was not a Christian!
The sometimes contentious but always lively discussions only show (to me at least) that there are almost as many “interpretations” of God as there are individuals. Even those who try to adhere as closely to the dogmas of organized religion still find areas where they interpret God and His teachings in their own personal way, if not publicly and openly but privately in the recesses of their hearts.
I have found, for example, some folks who share my views (negative!) towards the idea of “prayers of intercession” that the Catholic Church promotes with an almost endless list of saints as the ones ready willing and able to intercede for you. In my simple mind, intercession means lobbying. And when I am told I can pray to a saint, I ask him or her to intercede for me what turns in my mind is the thought that I have a lobbyist who can take my case up to the Big Guy and (hopefully) win me a nod or a wink.
In my view, I do not need lobbyists. The Big Guy knows me and needs no one to tell him about me. And I am not one to insult the Big Guy by asking others to plead my case because, heck, for someone who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, who needs a lobbyist to whisper in his ear?
But if I don’t need lobbyists, there goes the role of organized religion in my life.
And then as I was driving down from Baguio at 7:38 p.m. last Thursday, it dawned on me: I would rather concentrate on the Goodness that I believe lies inside the heart of every human, rather than on the comfort of God that can be controversial and divisive because your comfort of God is shaped by when and where you were born – the Incas, the Aztecs, the Egyptians and Romans and Greeks thought of God differently from Mesopotamians and Mongols and the Hindus and Buddhist and Sikhs of Asia. In contrast, I think it is far less controversial to talk about Goodness because I suppose a lot about Goodness spans cultures and eras. To be helpful. To be caring. To be polite. To be respectful. To make your interests secondary to those of others.
No one is condemned to Hell for being good, only for believing in some other God. And more people have been put to death for believing in some other God than for doing some form of good. Makes you wonder: do you think God as you know Him or Her to be is happy about that?
So this has been my train of thought of late: rather than focusing on the rites, rituals, and rules of organized religion into which we were born and indoctrinated (brainwashed?), I’d rather focus on the goodness of people whatever faith they have (if at all) because it is in that goodness that you can find the grace of God.
