When is Religion Relevant?

                                                    When is Religion Relevant?

                                                    By Dr. Juan A. Carmona



In some recent essays, I have written about the monotony and tediousness of religion and theology, about how relevant or non-relevant it can be, and how from time to time it just plainly ¨sucks.¨  In this essay, I pose the question, ¨When is religion relevant and useful?¨  There are no easy answers to that question.  People have different views about religion.  There are many who claim to believe in God, but not in organized religion.  There are others who believe that the only way to have relationship with God is by being affiliated with an organized community of faith.  And then there are others who believe that religion is a privatized affair where each one has their own ¨pipeline¨ to God, independent of religious activities or claims.

I personally and humbly submit that religion (some prefer the term ¨spirituality)¨ is relevant when the following is in place:

1.  Transparency- There is nothing worse than when we encounter individuals or faith groups who utilize religion to either hide their true character, or to legitimize an evil system such as colonialism, slavery, and second-class status for a particular gender.  If I hide behind the Bible, or any other sacred text, or behind a set of rituals to project something that I am not, I am not a true practitioner of religion.  Religion, then, becomes a mask behind which I hide in order to obscure my true colors. Religion has to lead us to be genuine and honest, exposing ourselves with our true personality and characteristics, our hangups, quirks, etc.  We cannot ¨B.S.¨ our way through it, otherwise, we will be accountable to God and to each other.

2.  Compassion- When I speak of religion being compassionate, I am not talking about a ¨touchy feely,¨ type of emotion, where we just merely hug and kiss one another.  Compassionate religion is more than a handshake, an embrace, a kiss, or a smile.  Compassionate religion involves commitment to and engagement with those who are in misery and pain, and suffering from whatever their suffering may be called. Religion has to be justice-driven, i.e. motivated by  the desire to do right by people, regardless of their station in life. Compassionate religion seeks to not only criticize and denounce, but also to dismantle all structures of injustice and unfairness, whether within or without the community of faith.

3.  Realistic-  Compassionate religion does not settle for ¨pie in the sky by and by¨ or ¨On the other side of Jordan¨ jargon.  Religion cannot and should not serve as a drug which puts people to sleep, numbing them to the reality of exploitation by keeping people waiting for ¨Jesus to come back.¨ True religion motivates us to say ¨Hell no¨ to unrealistic accommodation and appeasement.  True religion should enable us to confront and deal with the ¨here and now.¨

This writer (yours truly) believes that true religion is practiced when we do the works of dealing with the underdogs and rejects of society. God calls us to solidarity and empathy, not to be spectators in a world of injustice and suffering.  To God be the glory.

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

Juan A. Carmona