"Religulous": A Cautionary Tale of Faith

A new movie came out this fall, starring late night TV maven and militant skeptic Bill Maher. The film is a quasi-documentary whose purpose is to debunk the world's religions as farcical and insane. Even its title, "Religulous", is an insult to people of faith, because it blends the word 'religious' with the word 'ridiculous'.

One scene in the movie trailer shows Maher conversing with a fellow costumed as Jesus. The poor Fake Jesus asks Maher, "But what if you're wrong?" To which Maher replies, "But what if you're wrong?" Both questions are fair, and deserve serious thought.

It becomes important at this juncture to define the ideologies facing each other in this brief scene. Certainly Christianity is an ideology, among other things. Generally speaking, people who identify themselves as Christian claim their faith from the Holy Bible.

The Holy Bible is understood as two tomes in one. The first is identified as the Old Testament, and is composed of writings by Hebrew kings, queens, judges, and prophets, and was penned entirely previous to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The second tome is the New Testament, which contains the Gospels, epistles, and revelation written after the birth of, and about the life and person of, Jesus of Nazareth. There exists a dispute, to this very day, about what documents exactly comprise the writings of the Old and New Testaments. For the sake of this essay, I will put this argument aside and stipulate that the Holy Bible is as you find it.

Let us not overlook Atheism, the other religion represented in the previously described scene. Atheism is a religion? It is almost certain that Atheists will shout "No!" in response to this question.

The dictionary defines 'religion' as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs", "a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects", and "something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience".

In this context, by definition alone, Atheism is most definitely a religion. Further, I contend that it actually takes far greater faith to espouse Atheism than any other religion known to man.

Just what is Atheism? The dictionary offers a definition for Atheism that is akin to most English language definitions. It is as follows: "atheism" - noun - 1. "the doctrine or belief that there is no God", 2. "disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings". Atheism, as defined in the English language, is described as a belief in no deity.

So Atheism is a belief, a religion. Maher has often stated that he believes the world's various religions to be forms of societal insanity that allow simple minded people to find emotional comfort in times of distress, what Marx called "the opiate of the masses". While I am not here to pretend to try to understand Maher's views or explain them for him, it behooves all of us to understand that Atheism falls into the same unflattering category into which Maher has flung Christianity, Islam, and Hindu.

So then, how can it be that Atheism requires stronger faith than Christianity? Atheists generally decry Christians because they are under the impression that Christian belief is apparently founded on interpretations of translations of religious and fantastical lore that was handed down to succeeding generations though oral tradition.

Often Atheists will say, "Where is the scientific proof of God's existence? The notion that an invisible man can think a universe into existence is preposterous. If the Bible is right, then the Earth is only six thousand years old. Evolution is understandable scientific fact, while religious creationism is a tall tale." Finally, they bring forth their societal contentions with Christianity by saying, "Your God is neither just nor fair."

While I can speak as only one Christian, I feel that I can confidently testify that Christian faith is less belief than it is realization. Referring again to my trusty dictionary, I find that the word 'belief' is defined as "something believed; an opinion or conviction" and as "confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof". On the other hand, the word 'realization' is defined as "coming to understand something clearly and distinctly" and as "something that is made real or concrete".

It has been my experience that Christianity began as a belief, but became a realization. God is not some nebular, ethereal concept. Rather, He is a real person, and His relationship to humanity is real. His story, as set forth in the Holy Bible, is provided as a means for humanity to reclaim and maintain its active and life-giving relationship with Him.

But God's existence, His reality, can neither be proved nor disproved, scientifically or otherwise. To believe in Him is purely an act of faith, but an act based on testimony. While the personal testimonies set forth in history that espouse the reality of God are anecdotal and largely uncorroborated, their sheer volume fills libraries. On the other hand, Atheistic testimony to the reality of God's lack of existence fills a very small tome. Nonetheless, to utterly believe that God does not exist is at least as great an act of faith as is belief that God does, in light of testimony given otherwise.

So why do the Bill Maher's of the world speak with such venom against our benign faith? Perhaps it is because our faith has been misrepresented. And perhaps we misrepresent our own Faith. No one Christian, no one denomination, no one sect speaks for all of Christendom, despite what we might hear from Rome or San Antonio or Pat Robertson. God speaks for Himself and to His family through His Holy Bible. But when the Roman Church wages a Crusade in Palestine, or when Al Qaeda wages a Jihad in New York, or when pogroms and purges torch the earth in Europe and Asia, people of faith get painted with one big dirty brush. Atheism has never been a bigger enemy to Christianity than have Christians who don't conduct themselves as such.

Gospel, literally translated, means 'good news'. Christ's story, as set forth in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bibles is one of hope, redemption, and immortality - Good News. Christ told His followers to share His good news. If they were not warmly received in a community, they were not licensed to destroy it; rather, He commanded them to knock the dust from their shoes and go on their way to another place.

Christ narrowed the focus of man's relationship to his Creator. From its inception, Mosaic Law had devolved into Levitical Law, which was corrupted by scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Even as Christ was here to clarify God's word, rather than pollute it, His followers kept messing it up. And we still do to this day.

How can we as believers protect our own faith from the pitfalls and snares so many preceding saints have fallen prey to? We must read God's word, pray to Him for guidance, and seek each other's counsel along the way. The Word tells us what we must do. First, we must love God with the entirety of our beings; second, we must love our neighbors as ourselves. These rules are easier said than done.

Christ leaves us with another short list of chores that we should repeat on a regular basis. We should feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, and minister to the infirm and imprisoned. This doesn't seem like much. However, I subscribe to a rule taught to me by a dear old friend. "If we stay busy doing the 'dos', we won't have time to do the 'don'ts'."

Let us not make the mistake of lumping all who call themselves Atheists into one big Bill Maher pile. Neither let us make the mistake of allowing ourselves to be categorized with believers who very publicly fall prey to their own failings. Should Maher ever take the time to read the Holy Bible with an unjaded eye, perhaps he will learn the Truth contained therein. And it would behoove us to do the same.

Through the Christian lens, Maher's stance is fraught with peril and doom. If he is wrong, he has rejected God's gracious gift of eternal life in His presence. By contrast, if Christianity is really just some delusion that millions of persons have subscribed to, at least we have received peace of mind and a kinship to a vast kingdom of other such deluded folks who have committed their lives to being good neighbors. The Christian Option seems the safer, friendlier one of these two.

[I thought that I had happened upon an original idea here. However, one of my more learned friends informed me that I had merely stumbled upon 'Pascal's Wager'. I'll save myself further indignity here. If you wanna know what 'Pascal's Wager' is, go take a danged philosophy class.]