Some Theology

I consider myself a spiritual person. I have more than dallied with religion over the decades. It has been a very serious area of my intellectual life at various times. I still am not rid of the chance dalliance in theological thinking! It is a part of me. Full faith in all things religious, however, has seemingly always been absent in my life.  Belief in God has rarely been a problem for me, however. I think I have a good and healthy relationship with God.

Now, all the other stuff related to religion I have trouble with. Divinity of this person and that one, well, I do have qualms about accepting that as specific truth. Education analogies I find useful but I don’t accept them as pure articles of faith. Words of wisdom are like that. They carry their own weight. Their own value. Their own truth.

At times we find faults within those truths, however. They do not always ring true. There are exceptions.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian. Actually, Bonhoeffer was one of the towering theological intellects of his time during Nazi Germany. He believed his faith so unfailingly that he remained in Nazi prison and suffered death at the hands of his tormentors.  Oh, they offered him a way out, a way to be handed over to western European powers, but he preferred to live out his life in his homeland even though it meant certain death. He lived his beliefs to the very end. He is a hero, a martyr to his theology.

He is one of my heroes. For that reason I pass this quote of his on for your consideration:

            “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless.

             Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

I have included words like these before in this blog. They echo the theme that if we know something is bad and we do not speak up or take appropriate action, then we are as guilty as those we condemn.  This was the argument during the times of abolitionist outrage over slavery. It is also the argument against Nazi Germany in their days. It is also the argument against discrimination against gay people everywhere – Russia, Africa, Middle East, America.

Religion, freedom, pursuit of happiness, inalienable rights…all these things are basic conditions of human life. They know no state or national boundary. Only neighborhoods of evil in one’s own mind or the minds of others. Such evil ought not have protection of government. World rights have no boundary.

In this sense we are our brother’s keeper. But do we accept the role?

February 27, 2014