POLICIES OF EXCLUSION​

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Carl Jung reflected that religious institutions often prevent the faithful from having genuine spiritual experiences because, instead of teaching people how to live in peace, religious authorities often concentrate on marginal issues that are divisive. Instead of bringing people together, these distractions actually encourage policies of exclusion since they draw attention to the differences between “us” and “them”.

Policies of exclusion give rise to the militant piety that is termed “fundamentalism” which erupted in every major world religion in the 20 th century. Every fundamentalistic movement, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim, seeks to convince its constituencies that modern structures are determined to destroy them. The Christian Nationalism movement in the United States is dedicated to convincing the population the Christian faith is persecuted and is in jeopardy. That Christian Nationalism alone has the sacred duty of protecting Jesus’ message of peace and love through direct attacks on those it hopes to convince everyone else as the enemy.

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All manifestations of “fundamentalism” perpetrate the same hatred that causes so much continuing turbulence all around the world.

However, religiously inspired hatred militates against the core of religion which elevates compassion’s importance. The earliest sages and prophets all taught their followers to cultivate a habit of empathy for all living things and then exercise hospitality to both friend and stranger alike.

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Why is their such unanimous agreement on the principle of compassion between Christianity, Judaism and Islam? It is because all three recognize egotism and its inspired selfishness are the cause of much human misery. The safest way to countering egotism is to “dethrone” our self from the center of our own universe and to consider others. Rabbi Abraham Heschel once remarked that when we put ourselves at the opposite pole of ego, we are in the space where God is.

The practice of compassion must be consistent. It doesn’t work if practiced selectively. Jesus said that if we only love those who are well disposed toward us, there is no spiritual dimension. We’re simply banking up our own egotism and remain trapped in the selfishness that we are called to transcend when following Jesus’ way. There is one more important thing: the practice of compassion has nothing to do with feelings. According to Thomas Aquinas, what we call “love” simply requires that we seek the good of the other, no matter who the other may happen to be.

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It becomes easier to see why compassion is NOT a popular biblical virtue. I suspect that many who do make it into Heaven will feel incredulous when they arrive and find out who else is there.

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We need training in compassion for it doesn’t come naturally. It is learned behavior. The ancient Greek Athenians watched tragedies written by Aeschylus and other playwrights. Tragedies were courses in empathy. Suffering was put on stage. The audience was able to weep for those whom they normally would consider beyond the pale. These powerful dramas helped transform horror and disgust into compassion.

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Religiously inspired hatred has generated inquisitions and pogroms causing unimaginable suffering all over the world. The world would more closely resemble God’s intent, it would be kinder and safer, if people were properly educated in the simplest of all principles, the Golden Rule from Matthew 7. We live in one world. We must learn to reach out with compassion to folks who think differently and hold differing beliefs.

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- Rev. Colby Smith