March 26, 2010

2 Peter 2

There's a lot of condemnation of evil people - especially those who still pretend to righteousness.

The only line that really struck me in the condemnation was "They promise them freedom but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them."

There is a severe misunderstanding in so much of my generation (and those surrounding it) of religion. It's born of cults and terrorists and crazy conservative Christians who have forgotten the way of love. It's born of what happens when evil men use the rhetoric and fire of religion for their own twisted purposes. It's what happens when someone twists something pure and beautiful into ugliness and violence.

And I think it's harder to see coming that we like to recognize. We prefer to think that evil has a devilish glint in its eye at all times and always wants something like money or pleasures of the flesh - Peter is certainly advocating such a feeling - but that's too easy. If that were the case, evil would have to work so much harder to bend people out of their beautiful shapes. Perhaps it's always easier to see from the outside.

The old metaphor of the frog in a pot of water brought to a boil isn't all the off, which is why you can't just "let things slide" until they "go too far." That line "too far" keeps moving, if the slide starts slow enough, if it's gotten enough momentum before you feel the first urge to stop it. Evil is more subtle than it is painted here.

If only it were so easy to tell that those who would lead you astray are X or Y. "For they speak bombastic nonsense and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error." If that doesn't describe every cult - Scientology popping into mind fastest for me at least - then what does it describe? The poison of religion.

"Bombastic nonsense" - the crap people spew that gets too dangerous to just ignore. The stuff we have to take a moment, step back, and say no. Because group think and a slippery slope are a dangerous combination. Ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away. I can't help thinking of, well, prominent commentators, especially those on Fox. Spewing bombastic nonsense of hate and discrimination, misusing their knowledge and faith, poisoning my religion.

You can tell by the fact that they're full of crap. Until you drink the Cool-Aid. That's why it needs to be said, over and over again - although descending to their level of exaggerated rhetoric doesn't really help. It makes you sound as crazy as them - and then it's just a debate among equals.

Skipping slightly ahead for more comforting words: "remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles," because that is true. And it has been used for terrible things in its turn, false prophets have tried to poison that wellspring of Truth, but turning back to what the words of the prophets and the words of Jesus Christ can help you tell when they are full of "bombastic nonsense" and the very different quality of the Truth of God.