Some Forget: Christ Taught Us to Love

Although I often read articles on this page written from a conservative Christian perspective with which I disagree, I am usually content to let them pass as simply another’s point of view. However, I am compelled to respond to Jim Carnett’s “On Faith” column of May 20.

Mr. Carnett argues that real Christians “view their faith from a first century, orthodox perspective.” The facts are that there was no Christian church, nor was there an “orthodox position” in the first century. What did exist were several Jewish movements vying for authority during turbulent times. The followers of one of those movements believed that Jesus was the Jewish messiah some Jews had believed for nearly five centuries was coming to save them or lead them out of oppression. But even those who called Jesus their Lord agreed on little else, including who or what Jesus was.

Even the Scriptures reflect a great deal of that debate if one is willing to look carefully. And it is important to remember that the various books were not codified into the Bible until the fourth century and were written and refined by the “winners” of the struggle prior to that. And there may have been dozens of other books written about Jesus and the early messianic movements that were purged or deemed heretical before the Bible was formed. The process that determined which books were included and excluded had a lot more to say about human power than about faith in God or the Holy Spirit.

Further, Mr. Carnett suggests that if one does not agree that there was a physical resurrection, then he or she cannot be an honest Christian. I am always surprised when people who believe so strongly in the historical accuracy of the Bible, especially in Paul’s words, do not realize that Paul never wrote of the empty tomb but did write in Corinthians that the resurrection was spiritual and not physical. “What goes into the ground is physical and what comes out is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 44).

The comments that Mr. Carnett makes about Christians like me are understandable if that is the way he has been taught, but I find his conclusions deeply disturbing. The Jesus I have come to know and love during 20 years of serious study would have been appalled, I believe, to think that the only way to have a relationship with God was to believe in him as the savior of the world. I find that totally opposed to the basic lessons that he taught and that ultimately cost him his life.

The one thing I believe all Christians can agree on is that Jesus taught that God is ever-present, around and within each of us. He taught that we are all children of one God as we learn to be in touch with that spirit. One look at those he gathered around his table tells a whole story. The path he offered us to a living experience of the holy was one of radical inclusivity.

I believe the life and teachings of Jesus, as opposed to what the church had to say about him later, demands a great deal of those who claim to follow him. A follower is expected to love those who are not like us or even believe like us, even when they call us liars. A disciple of his way would be more concerned about how we treat each other than what we preach to each other. And I believe a follower of Jesus would be more interested in our “God within” than our so-called common sin.

That was a radical way to live and to view reality in his day. There were no outsiders, no enemies, no bad guys who were not worthy of his love. It did not make Jesus very popular or successful by today’s standards. Sadly, it is still an unusual way to live, and it is still dangerous. I have been cursed, spat on and have received death threats as a result of following a path I believe was laid out for us 2,000 years ago for those who chose to be followers of Jesus. the compassionate one.

Contrary to what others might suggest, this is not the easy way out, nor is it something cooked up by my personal fancy. The kind of hierarchical, divisive and exclusive thinking reflected in the May 20 column makes that sad truth very real for me and for others like me, every day. It has been that “my way or no way” kind of thinking that has led to wars, rape, torture, inquisition, the Crusades and the burning of so-called witches, all in the name of the one who tried to teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves. How sad that it is still going on.

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On Faith is a forum for Orange County clergy and others to offer their views on religious topics of general interest. Submissions, which will be published at the discretion of The Times and are subject to editing, should be delivered to Orange County religion page editor Deanne Brandon.