What does American religion act like to you? Is it the political power of the religious right, the vandalism of anti-abortion protesters, and the legal battles of angry homophobic people?
What does American religion sound like to you? Is it arguments such as the Bible is literally true, my faith is the only true faith and the rest of you are not just wrong, but so wrong you will spend eternity in hell?
If you answered yes to these questions, if that is what religion looks like to you, I ask you to take a deep breathe and hear me out!
Did you know most American Religious people are nothing like what has been described above? Did you know that only 33% of Americans believe the Bible is the Word of God and literally word for word true. Did you know that only 27% of Americans believe there is only one true way to interpret their religion? Did you know that a staggering 70% of Americans believe that many religions can lead to eternal life? Statistics can be found at the Pew Research Center here)
ahhhhhhhhhhh to me that is a breath of fresh air!
So why do we have such a distorted view of American Religion and Religious people? I believe the mainstream media is at least in part to blame for shaping public opinion in this way, and here are my 5 reasons...
1) Check out this story today by MSNBC. "Great Sex Sermon Causes Stir in Rural Town"
If you read this article, and THIS makes MSNBC, no wonder you have a backwards view of religious folks. This is not stirring, this is not interesting, and it most certainly is not NEWS!
My favorite line of the article being this... "The controversy is a bit ironic considering the church's overall point is about as straight-laced as they come: That God intends for sex to be enjoyed solely within a heterosexual marriage, and that anything else — adultery, pornography, homosexuality, even "sexual arousal" outside of marriage — is sin."
2) Same-sex Marriage Debate
Through all of the coverage of Prop. 8, the media tried to have a "balanced" perspective. Their idea of balance? One gay-rights advocate vs. one "Christian."
3) Despite selling millions and millions of books, when was the last time you saw a progressive religious person interviewed on a major news network?
4) Religion is only factored into a news story when there is no other reasoning, when logic is lost. It is the default dummy defense, making religion seem like an irrational motivator. Why do you want to keep to happy gay people from marrying (because the Bible says), why do you want to disregard science not allowing Evolution to be taught in schools and teach Creationism instead (because the Bible says), why do object from stopping the spread of AIDS through the use of condoms (because the Pope says)... dear God! When the ideas of people seem to only be impacted by their faith when there is no reason, no wonder religion seems irrational!
I have ample reasons why I believe the LGBT community deserves equal rights, why evolution should be taught in schools, and why we need to employ intelligent action to fight the spread of disease. These reasons are not separate from my religious beliefs, they are very compatible and come from the same place inside of me.
5) Sensationalism wins! And unfortunately crazy sells!
Together, can't we stop the spread of crazy? We have groups working on this, but here are ways you can help!
1) Support your local progressive religious communities, there are progressive Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, yoga communities all over this country. Support the work they are doing, and champion their voice. I work at one of them, here in Michigan check us out C3/CCC.
2) Write editorials to your local paper. Get the dialogue started in your community and make your voice known.
3) Support national groups such as The Center for Progressive Christianity, The Interfaith Alliance, and great public radio programming like Speaking of Faith. The work these organizations are doing can have a tremendous impact.
4) Speak up! Don't be afraid to share with others that your progressive social views, care of the earth, human rights, etc are strengthened by your religious beliefs. Let's change the dialogue one at a time.
5) Share other ideas on this blog or email me!
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