Friday, April 10, 1998
Distinction drawn between religion, spirituality forgets need
for humility
RELIGION: To overcome danger
of absolutes, humanity must remain humble, open-minded
By Rev. Frank Wulf
It has recently become fashionable to make a distinction between
religion and spirituality, and the reason is obvious: Religion – in
all of its various manifestations – has given itself a bad name.
More than any other domain of human social life, religion has
divided people and created conflict. Religious practitioners have
perpetrated wars, oppression and atrocities of every sort against
those with whom they disagree. Even in our own "enlightened" age,
religious persecution and violence continue unabated.
Can there be any doubt why many wish to be done with religion
altogether? By adopting a spirituality rather than a religion, many
of us seek to maintain a connection with a higher power that brings
hope and meaning to our lives, even as we strive to abandon the
more unsavory elements of religious practice. "Spiritual" folk
typically style themselves as being open-minded, compassionate,
intellectually honest and tolerant. By contrast, "religious" folk
tend to be caricatured as closed-minded, uncaring, superstitious
and judgmental.
There is a problem with distinguishing religion from
spirituality in this way. By identifying spirituality as good and
religion as bad, we are in danger of perpetuating the very same
problems that we are condemning.
What makes both religion and spirituality dangerous is their
tendency to speak in absolutist terms. Those who claim absolute
knowledge of what is good, true and right almost always try to
impose their beliefs on others. It seems that absolute truth – like
absolute power – has an absolute capacity to corrupt. Those who
claim to possess such truth seem capable of justifying almost any
brutality against those who either cannot or will not agree with
them. Such behavior is not unique to religious communities; it is a
common human problem.
We do not need a new word to describe our efforts to encounter
and know some higher power. Religion and spirituality are much the
same thing. What we do need is humility. None of us have access to
absolute truth, whether we subscribe to Christianity, Judaism,
Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahai, Paganism, New Age Spirituality,
Atheism or some other form of religious or non-religious
belief.
At best, we catch glimpses of the truth that we are invited to
honor and treasure. But honoring and treasuring my truth does not
prevent me from honoring and treasuring your truth. All of our
truths are part of a much grander and far more awesome whole than
any of us can ever imagine.
By remaining humble in our claims to truth, we are enabled to
treat each other with respect, compassion, acceptance and love.
Only so, will we ever be able to overcome the human capacity for
violence and evil that all too often finds religious expression.
Wulf is director of the Wesley Foundation, the United Methodist
Campus Ministry.