RELIGION AND THE CYNICs

by Adam Harbinson

We’ve all heard the cynics say, ‘Sure you can twist what the Bible says to make it mean whatever you want it to mean!’ And I tend to agree, why else would there be over 30,000 distinct Christian sects, denominations and cults across the world, each determined to preserve its identity by being different from the others? Indeed I would go further, not only can the Bible be shoe-horned into beliefs and doctrines that bear little or no resemblance to the truth, but whole sections of it are routinely brushed quietly under carpets of conformity. And worse; often a single verse that makes sense only when interpreted against the backdrop of its surroundings, is singled out to support some dodgy dogma, sometimes turning its meaning on its head – the church can sometimes be a disappointing place if you’re looking for objective truth.

For example, as a young man believing that I had to be good to be sure of God’s love and mercy, I was terrorised by what the apostle Paul wrote to the fledgling church at Colosse; ‘Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch!’ For most of my early life I believed my learned tutors when they taught that Paul was warning God’s people away from wine, women and song and the like, but read the next couple of lines – that’s all, no advanced analysis or skilled exegesis required – and the meaning is clear; ‘Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch… man-made rules.’ How about that one!

Here’s another: how do you know a Christian when you see one? Answer: accepted wisdom in most religious communities tells us that a good Christian rarely misses a church service, is a disciplined Bible student, he doesn’t smoke, alcohol never passes their lips, you won’t hear any ‘bad words’ on their tongues, he listens only to Graham Kendrick or Robin Mark – although under twenty-fives have a special dispensation that allows them to rock to the sound of Delirious or Third Day – and the beat goes on…

By contrast, listen to Jesus’ simple, undemanding criterion is; ‘By this shall all men know that you are mine, if you love each other.’ Now why do you suppose they leave that one out? 

These days I can’t believe how they get away with it, but why do they do it if not to make their spiritual progeny like themselves; self-righteous, hypocritical moral policemen? And yet in that same letter by Paul to the Colossians he said, ‘… don’t let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to religious festivals… or Sabbath days. These are a mere shadow of the reality.’   

The bottom line as I see it is the essence of simplicity; Luther’s Reformation can be reduced down to five words; ‘the man and his Bible.’ No need for experts or mediators, and no theological colleges that distort and constrain liberating truths to ensure that their wee group remains distinct from the others. But how do the likes of you and me go about the difficult business of interpreting ancient texts?

Enter Jesus; ‘I will send you the Spirit of truth who will guide you into all truth.’ A bit radical that, for the deep question is, if we rely solely on the clergy and libraries stuffed full of books by revered theologians, have we not managed to render the third person of the Trinity redundant, for isn’t that why he came?