Religion Sucks, Doesn´t It?

                                                   
                                                  Religion Sucks, Doesn´t It?

                                                  By Dr. Juan A. Carmona, Pastoral Theologian


Karl Marx, the author of the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital said that religion is the ¨opiate of the masses.¨ It seems that for Marx, religion was one wayof duping people into a false sense security, giving them ¨spiritual¨ anesthesia, numbing them to the harsh realities of life, including, but not limited to, exploiting the living hell out of them in the work place.  In Marx´s point of view, the numbing them consisted of promising people a hereafter life in Paradise, so that they would not have to worry about the harsh and difficult conditions in the present. In this manner, the oppressors would give them a pacifier that would prevent them from waking up, smelling the coffee, and possibly even rebelling. If, in fact, this is true, it really sucks, don´t you think?  Damn!  Ouch!

The other problem that this minister/theologian (yours truly) sees with religion, is that even within the context and framework of each faith community, there is the notion that one faith community has a monopoly on divine truth.   Their belief is that they and they alone have the truth, and all other faith communities have only a partial knowledge of the truth, if that.  Again I say, damn and ouch!  What arrogance and presumptuousness, no?  And I am not even talking about Christian vs. Muslim, or Jewish vs. Buddhist, etc. I am talking about Christian vs. Christian, and even furthermore, Baptist vs. Baptist, Pentecostal vs. Pentecostal, Presbyterian vs. Presbyterian, etc.  What a helluva of a conundrum, no?  A helluva confusion!

Add to that, how religion has been used to justify slavery, subordination of women to men, acts of terrorism and counter-terrorism, the notion of racial superiority, institutional and systemic racism, etc., etc. Damn!

People might ask me, if you feel that way about religion, why are you in it?  They might even ask me, why are you a minister?  These are valid questions, and the answers that I can give are only imperfect and tentative answers.

I begin by responding that for me religion (not organized or institutional) as an attempt to have a relationship with God, is not in and of itself, something bad.  In its historical manifestation, it has proven itself to be both demonic and oppressive.  However, in terms of its original intention, it can be seen as an agent and mechanism of liberation, if understood and practiced correctly.  If our faith leads us to be committed to the task of justice, then we are ¨right on track.¨  If our faith (whatever one we profess) impels us to be involved in the quest to construct the Beloved Community, then we have discovered the necessary ingredients for practicing it.  If our faith drives us to tear down the barriers that divide us, then the true essence of religion is discovered and comes alive.

I invite you to join the movement whose quest is a healthy relationship with both God and our neighbor.

In the Name of the Creator, Liberator, and Sustainer.

Juan A. Carmona