Religion: A Private Affair?
27 04 2008From the Washington Post:
In his speech to U.S. bishops last week, Pope Benedict XVI said: “Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted . . . To the extent that religion becomes a purely private affair, it loses its very soul.”
What the Pope was expressing comes straight from Second Peter.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. - 2 Peter 1:19-21
Christianity is not like other religions. In the Judeo-Christian faith tradition there is only one truth.
Unlike in Hinduism, with its millions of personal gods, and unlike Buddhism with its notion of personal divinity, the Jewish and Christian faiths have but ONE God and one truth. The Pope’s speech was not some coded language about the supremacy of the Catholic Church, but rather a statement about the supremacy of Scripture and of Christ over our individual ideas on what truth is.
Well stated!
Ultimately beliefs formed to the taste or private criteria of judgement run the risk of enthroning the tenants and litmusses of that private judgement to the point where - as CS Lewis said - “When Jones worships ‘the god within’, Jones ends up worshipping Jones!”
If it were up to me, I would formulate a religion that was a lot “more fun” including my favorite vices and less responsiblity to live out Christian ideals. I would rather sleep in on Sunday, drink more on Saturday (I learned in college, being drunk is fun!) privately decide “what is appropriate in my dating situations” (in college I learned that was “more fun” too!) and when the money is tight (or I have a luxury I want to spend it on) I would rather tell my parish to just hold a fundraiser (that other people volunteer at!) to get the money - I want to spend mine, my way (who can afford money for the missions if really good cable and internet access is $120 a month!?!?)…
Fortunately for me (if not my sense of “fun”
I have outgrown this ideal of picking and choosing my faith and faith identity in this fashion. My experiment with doing just that in my 20s quickly lead to no discernable faith at all!