Clearing Up a Couple of Things

Spirituality Column #49
October 16, 2007
Current! In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Clearing Up a Couple of Things
By Bob Walters

A couple of thoughtful op-ed emails arrived recently from readers who kindly digest this column despite their fundamental disagreement with religion.

I deeply enjoy the comment and exchange; I always write back.

One reader thought I had called non-believers “lazy.” Not what I meant. I said (Oct. 2) that “Lazy faith creates … doubt and guilt.” It often takes as much work to not believe as it does to believe. Plenty of hard workers do not believe in God, and plenty of folks in church don’t do much else for God but attend church. Salvation is by faith, but the riches are in the work, whether earthly or divine.

This reader also challenged me to step out of my church and learn what non-religious people have to say. I already understand non-religious people because I was one for a long time. I went to church growing up (it seemed everyone went to church in the 50s and 60s) but then stepped away for nearly 30 years of my adult life – working to disprove Christ, religion, church – before I came to understand and accept Christ. What I found out was this: the big deal is Christ, not just church or religion.

Another reader said he has led a happy, fulfilled life without religion. I know lots of happy, hardworking people who want nothing to do with church. I can also quote Matthew 19:24 – “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Read that again if you think rich equals happy.

Funny thing about “happy.” Nowhere in the Bible does it say that “happy” is a fulfillment of anything. It’s a reaction to God’s gifts. Being happy within yourself is not unusual, but nothing in scripture leads me to think happiness is God’s or our purpose in life. You are free to be happy because of God, but happiness, in and of itself, is an emotion, not a virtue or a purpose.

Our purpose in life, simply, is to glorify God. Happy or miserable, that’s our purpose. Religious or not, that’s our purpose.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) understands that you can’t really “argue” faith into someone because you either “get it” or you don’t. But love is constant, and we’re supposed to talk about it.