TOXIC FAITH
Faith is a good thing most of the time. My life has been formed by the continued impact of believing in something bigger than myself.
Faith is powerful. It can do incredibly good things like feeding the hungry, digging wells in third world countries for clean drinking water, building hospitals in impoverished areas and so much more.
Faith can give purpose to life and bring joy and peace to those who truly believe.
But faith can also be toxic. It can do as much harm as it can good. Let me share a few examples of toxic faith.
- Cultic faith. When absolute unthinking allegiance to one person is demanded that is a cult. Followers are expected to follow any command that the leader gives without question. Jim Jones is one example of a personality cult that ended in tragedy.
- Religion for profit. I get a little nauseous when I watch TV star preachers constantly asking for money to support their” ministries.” People who cannot pay for their medicine and food, are conned into sending in money for a handkerchief blessed by one of these thieves who need a private jet and a second mansion. They use the faith of vulnerable people to line their own pockets.
- Adulterated faith. When faith is used to tell people how to vote, when a religion sells out to one political party, when faith is twisted to defend policies that are clearly not based on the love of others, it has been altered to such a point that it is no longer real faith.
- Exclusive faith. Any system of belief that is defined by what it is against is toxic. Any faith that excludes some people and accepts others leads to great harm. Any faith that is essentially anti a lot of things and people who are different is poison.
- Harmful faith. And faith that puts people in danger is not real faith. History is filled with inquisitions and witch hunts and genocide. People who will not give a child a transfusion to save the child’s life are not people of helpful and good faith.
Let us strive to have the kind of faith that builds up and does not tear down. Let us strive for a faith that is for that which is good instead of being defined by what we are against. Let us have faith that is inclusive. Let us have faith that seeks the well-being of all people. Let us not give our allegiance to any person or party without individual thought and questioning.
I don’t want to strictly define what you have faith in. I just ask you to make sure it is for good and not toxic.
