Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Emerald Coast
“Graceful Living”
Rev. Rod Debs
April 3, 2005

What would you say is the most dangerous movement in the world today?

I think most Americans would say that militant fundamentalism is the world’s most dangerous movement. The rest of the world might say the same, but they might not be thinking of fundamentalist Islam as do Americans. They may be thinking of our own Christian fundamentalist, nationalist militarism as well as fundamentalist Islam. After all, the United States markets 56.7% of the world’s arms sales (Thom Shanker, New York Times, 8-30-04). The U.S. Department of Defense has half a million military and civilian personnel stationed in other nations, one thousand military bases in 138 countries—out of 193 total countries in the world, and naval task forces built around thirteen aircraft carriers that dominate the oceans (Chalmers Johnson, “The Arithmetic of America’s Military Bases Abroad: What Does It All Add Up to?”, Center for History and New Media, George Mason University).

Now imagine for a moment that you believe, as do most Americans, that the world is divided into two kinds of people, the saved and the damned. Imagine that your nation is at risk of being destroyed physically and spiritually, by enemies within as well as outside our borders. Imagine that your family is being destroyed, your children are being led to destruction and to eternal hell.

Certainly there are varying degrees of such fears among the 35% to 45% of Americans who are actively participating Christians. But far more Americans who are not participating Christians hold this dual perspective of humankind, good guys and bad guys, and that it’s a matter of survival for us good guys to fight the bad guys with whatever it takes, mobilizing:

-- partnership of conservative political and religious forces
-- network of conservative pulpits, think tanks and funding sources
-- media ownership shaping public perspectives
-- ideological control of legislative, judicial and executive branches of the government
-- global economic domination
-- the full force and power of the U.S. military

The most dangerous movement in the world today is militant fundamentalism, both religious and nationalistic, redirecting all human and material resources to the battle of us good guys against the bad guys. Hey, this is not just academic whooey. The political party in office is dominated by religious fundamentalists and neo-conservatives. The right wing network of pulpits, think tanks and fundraising is state of the art. United States media has been Sovietized. All three branches of the federal government are in the hands of an ideological minority. The United States economy has been redirected from domestic tranquility to global domination. And finally, the full force and power of the U.S. military is expanding our global domination---and the world’s hatred.

The cycle of violence has never been more widespread nor more dangerous, each imagining the other to be the ultimate evildoer. Here in the U.S., militant fundamentalist nationalism has not made us safer from the threat of terrorism. The British military historian Correlli-Barnett has observed:

“`The U.S. attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq only increased the threat of al-Qaeda. From 1993 through the 9/11 assaults of 2001, there were five major al-Qaeda attacks worldwide; in the two years since then there have been seventeen such bombings, including the Istanbul suicide assaults on the British consulate and an HSBC Bank. Military operations against terrorists are not the solution (Chalmers Johnson).’”

I do not intend to make a partisan political critique, this morning. Americans of both political parties assume the competition of good guys versus bad guys, in our neighborhoods, our nation and in the global family. This dualism is our Western religious heritage: Jewish, Christian and Muslim, regardless of your political affiliation.

This morning I want to offer you a different understanding of humankind, especially of those who offend us, disagree with us, and even harm us. It’s something you can talk about with Christians whether you are Christian or not. Since so many of our neighbors, friends and family are Christians, I hope you will consider this Christian theology as a useful tool for transforming our divided society to one of graceful living.

No matter how you feel about Christianity, I recommend you get a copy of this book: “If God Is Love” (Philip Gulley and James Mulholland, 2004). Richard Hoffert checked this one out of the base library for me to read. This is the most important book I have ever read, and I have read quite a few. It’s not a classic. It’s not academic or profound philosophy, but it is a radical critique of religious judgmentalism. It is a personal and theological explication of universalism, the unconditional love toward all persons, regardless.

For your friends who are Bible-based in their thinking, let’s begin with two Bible readings, first, about the identity of God and how we are to behave:

“Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. . . . if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. . . . God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. . . . There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because he first loved us. If any one says, `I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4:7-8, 12, 16, 18-21, RSV)

We are all familiar with this celebration of God’s love and the instruction that we are to love our “brother.” The parallel critique of fear as incompatible with perfect love, may be less familiar. But the question arises, who all qualifies as our “brother” whom we are not to hate? In the Gospel of Matthew we read:

“`You have learned that they were told, “Love your neighbour, hate your enemy.” But what I tell you is this: Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors; only so can you be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on good and bad alike, and sends the rain on the honest and the dishonest. If you love only those who love you, what reward can you expect? Surely the tax-gatherers do as much as that. And if you greet only your brothers, what is there extraordinary about that? Even the heathen do as much. There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness knows no bounds.” (Matthew 5:43-48, NEV)

Everyone has heard of the concept of “unconditional love.” We talk about it in parenting. No matter what our kids do or become, the unconditional love of a mother or a father persists, whether they fulfill our dreams or not, whether gay or straight, successful or criminal, whether they make us proud or ashamed. We may cry bitter tears, but that grown child will always be your little boy; she will always be your little girl. This is divine love, unconditional love. Children feel the same loyal love toward their parents, whether the parent is kind or violent, loving or abusive. Say what you want about me, but don’t you talk about my momma, or my dad. I don’t even have to like ‘em to love ‘em.

That Jesus scandalously addressed God with language of familiarity: “Abba,” “Daddy” or “Papa,” is one of the more authenticated passages of the Christian Bible according to Jesus Seminar scholars.

The authors of this text wrote: “When I understood God as a parent, it occurred to me that my relationship with my parents had nothing to do with fear. Those who feared their parents had almost always been abused by them. An abusive God frightening some into submission and eternally torturing others became incredible” (If God Is Love, p.22).

“For many, God’s love is limited and conditional, offered to some and not others. They believe God’s love is reserved for the elect and bestowed on the obedient. God’s love becomes a reward, not (the identity of God).” (IGIL, p.7-8, adapted)

“Fear and love are incompatible. . . . A child trembles when a parent threatens, `If you don’t behave, I’ll send you away.’ A wife is terrorized when a husband warns, `If you leave me. I’ll kill you.’ Human beings cower when God commands, `Serve me, or I’ll damn you to hell.’ Where fear is encouraged, love withers.” “Fear indicates our distrust of the one who claims to love us.” (IGIL, p.26)

The unconditional love so familiar in the field of parenting is the definition of the theological term `grace.’ “Grace is the unfailing commitment to love all persons, regardless. . . .” (IGIL, p.7) The passage in 1 John declares that God is love. Love is God’s identity, and it’s not conditional upon whether people are good or bad, whether they accept or reject God’s love, or whether they are obedient or disobedient. . Philip Yancey described this divine, unconditional love in these words: “There is nothing we can do that will make God love us more. There is nothing we can do that will make God love us less.” (What’s So Amazing About Grace?)

The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as saying God’s love is unconditional, unbounded. Jesus says, “Love your enemies. . . only so can you be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on good and bad alike, and sends the rain on the honest and the dishonest. . . . There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness knows no bounds.” (Matthew 5:44-45, 48, NEV)

The authors write: “Human transformation comes when love casts out fear, assuring us we’ll never be disowned, abandoned, or destroyed. Only in the rich soil of unconditional love can we truly grow. Believing in God’s desire to save every person calms our fears of acceptance. Grace gives us the freedom to live boldly.” (IGIL, p.27)

“Believing in the universal love of God has changed my world. . . . It has transformed my self-image. It has altered my attitudes and actions. It has helped me see how much damage my old way of thinking did to me and to others.” (IGIL, p.11) The authors of this text write: “I believe much of the pain and suffering in our world is a direct consequence of a persistent belief in dual destiny---the idea that some are destined for heaven and the rest for hell.” (IGIL, p.12)

Our Universalist forbears believed that no loving parent would condemn his or her child to eternal torment, no matter how grievous the child’s offense. Could God be any less loving than human parents? Our forbears’ Universalist faith was in an all-powerful, loving Father-God who would find a way that all God’s children would be saved—universal salvation.

The authors write: “Satan and hell are not the problem. It is this violent and intolerant image of God that causes the world such grief.” (IGIL, p.13) “I’ve come to believe the present world order, one formed around a cutthroat division between the saved and the damned, is anti-Christ. It is in opposition to the way of Jesus and hostile to the grace of God. I want to change that world by envisioning a world shaped by God’s. . . love for all.” (IGIL, p.14)

Our Unitarian Universalist covenant of mutual trust and support, our Statement of Principles involves the promise “to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of all persons, . . . acceptance of one another, (and) . . . the right of conscience. . . ” regardless of who or what others have done. The roots of this unconditional affirmation of the universal worth and dignity, regardless, can be traced to the Hebrew Scriptures that we were all made in the image of God, regardless of our differences.

The authors wrote: “Only grace (unconditional love) makes it possible for those who believe differently to respect and relate to one another. Grace allows us to disagree, to challenge the damaging beliefs of others even as we are challenged, and to do this without violating the autonomy and dignity of others. Grace empowers us to embrace deeply divergent convictions even as we embrace one another. We love one another as God loves us---graciously.” (IGIL, p.7)

I want to close with a personal note about the fear I grew up with in Christianity, a fear I can only speak about as abuse, not by my parents, but by my religion, religious abuse. In the Hebrew Scriptures we read: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). It’s a shame that I did not then know that the Hebrew word translated as “fear” is better translated as “awe” and “reverence” and not as “fright” or “terror.”

The verses I grew up with included: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), meaning eternal damnation in hell’s lake that burns with fire and brimstone. I new that at the Rapture, those who were righteous would float into the heavens to be united with Jesus, and others would be left behind for the thousand year reign of the beast.

Coming home from school one day, I found that my mother and baby sister were nowhere to be found. As daylight turned to dusk, I ran from window to window looking for anyone I knew, crying and praying to the silent heavens for forgiveness, fearing that Christ had returned and the Rapture had taken my parents. My dad had never preached judgment and hell, but it was in the Bible and revival preachers never failed to play on our childhood fears of abandonment and eternal torment.

Jesus was always presented as loving unconditionally, but like in good cop, bad cop, God was always in the background, the white-haired Judge and King holding out the carrot of heaven and the stick of hell-fire. Throughout religious history, brutal judgment on evil-doers has been God’s plan. The dual destiny of heaven or hell has been acted out by fundamentalist Muslims in holy war against infidels, by Hindus murdering Muslims to cleanse a temple site, by Palestinian suicide bombers killing Zionist settlers, by Israeli bulldozers demolishing Palestinian homes and Israeli assassins executing violent resisters, by American pioneers and Spanish Conquistadores killing heathen Indians, by slave traders and Crusaders and Inquisitors---who have never recognized each other as all children of a gracious God.

The authors wrote: “Religion will become the solution when we refuse to do violence, in this life or the next, to those who think differently. Religion can transform the world only when love, peace, and tolerance are given more than lip service. When we believe God loves and saves every person and accept our eternal connection to all people, everything changes.” (IGIL, p.14)

“What could our world look like if we took seriously God’s love for all people?” (IGIL, p.xi)

I will close with these words, from a book you should read: “Pure religion is not about earning heaven or escaping hell. . . . God did not create us to be cowering supplicants or greedy schemers. . . . God sees us as . . . children created in his image, precious in his sight, capable of loving as we have been loved. . . . When God looks on us, God smiles.” (IGIL, p36)

When we look on one another, may we grow to smile, regardless, and may our smiles be contagious.