Religion has been at the
root of many conflicts and wars over the centuries but it is all too easy to be
simplistic in our analysis of such situations. Here are some points to think
about:
Whether we look at the Crusades,
the wars of the Reformation, the conquest of Latin America, or Northern
Ireland, we find that the causes of these conflicts are more to do with power,
politics and economics than religion, even if religion is used to fuel the
combatants' zeal.
It is impossible to say, for
example, how Philip II was motivated when he launched the Spanish Armada.
Without doubt he was driven by his faith in, and zeal for, the Catholic Church,
but with hindsight we would question whether he was truly motivated by God.
Could he have behaved differently? It's difficult to say. How could such a man
in such a position even think himself into a different way of being. Like all
of us, he was heavily conditioned by his culture, and blinkered from receiving
the further light of God's truth.
It is therefore pertinent to ask
whether this is what God intended for religion. The fact that Christians -
along with those of other faiths - have besmirched the name of God, should not
necessarily be held against him. If we agree that God, on the whole, does not
condone "religious wars," then perhaps that should cause us to focus
more keenly on what he does want, rather than on giving up all together.
Surely, however, if God has any
influence on 'his people' then he ought to bear some responsibility for what
they do. Why can't he simply make them better people?
According to the Christian faith,
God is very generous with his gift of free will. Both before and after we
become Christians we have the continuing option as to whether we will allow
more or less of him into our lives. Our freedom is a quality of life that God
prizes very highly in the world he's created. The failures of the church -
including the failure to rise above our culture and the failure to be open to
God's Spirit - all cause tremendous grief in the heart of the Creator God. Yet,
for him to become a fat controller and us to become robots is even more
unacceptable.
Lord Acton said, "Power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." We can see this in
almost every institution, including the church. It is amazing, therefore, that
God entrusts us with the business of religion: we make such a mess of it and
handle power so badly. Yet we do this in every other area too, and the reason,
in theological terms, is called "original sin." We handle politics
badly; we handle scientific progress badly; we handle art badly; we handle
education badly. In all these areas and more there is abuse, neglect,
unnecessary war and conflict. Yet still God trusts us with them. The challenge,
therefore in every generation, is to address them in a godly manner, with true
humanity and true godliness.
People say we should 'just dump
religion,' but why don't they say it about any other area of life? Politics,
economics, social ideals, family loyalties all cause war - and probably much
more so than religion. Furthermore, religion has probably done as much, if not
more than all of them to promote peace. We don't dump these aspects of life, so
why should religion be dumped?
No. Religion should not be dumped,
but it needs to be challenged afresh in every generation by true faith and by
the Spirit of the Living God.
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