Ism's (Finally)

I talked to several of you about this blog a week or two ago. i didn't do any more work on it since then, but i finally decided to post it in it's rough form. It'll eventually bear fruit and be a sermon topic. It is the product of much conversation a couple weeks ago and even more before that. Thanks to all of you who helped shape and articulate, including Ferris. Feedback is encouraged...

Feminism – The Radical Notion that Women are People

Christianity – The Radical Notion that People are People
…and all people are equal…

I think maybe Ferris Bueller was on to something. “-Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself.” I think I would take that a step farther. Maybe most, if not all for a lack of a better word “necessary” or maybe “nobly-intended” –Ism’s that Christians ascribe to are the failure of Christianity, or Christians.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” –Gal 3:28

Well, the point can be made that Paul says some pretty crazy things (like women shouldn’t speak in church or teach, or cover their heads in worship, etc), but Christ lived out these principles each time he sat and spoke with women or asked for a drink from a Samaritan, or sent his Holy Spirit to proclaim his good news to the gathered crowds of every nation.

Any –Ism that seeks to uphold the principles contained in this, religious or secular, is seeking to correct a problem in society that Christians are failing to address.

Ism’s (and the like) as a category:

Communism – Strives for economic responsibility and equality so that those who have much can share with those who have little, exactly as Christ instructed, exactly how the early Church operated. However, it imposes this system, which is the opposite of the early Church and what Christ asks of us.

Democracy – Strives for the equal representation of all people and equal rights and voice given to all views.

Anarchism – Strives for absolute freedom through personal responsibility, which is a very Christ-like goal. However, like Communism, is impossible in the practical sense.

Libertarianism – Strives to put great limits on the governments we need for practical reasons, but as with Communism, fails because people are greedy.

Humanism – Strives to value human dignity and values. However, it tends to leave out the importance of God over and above that, the creator of humans and the only one who loves us all unconditionally.

Fundamentalism – Strives for truly discerning God’s will and God’s plan in the face of growing doubt and uncertainty. It, like many Ism’s is built on good intentions, however, it engenders hostility and narrow-mindedness.

Radicalism – Strives for living out one’s principles, in spite of all opposition, much as we can characterize the life of Christ, but only Christ was completely pure in motive and deed.

Affirmative Action – Strives to correct injustices done to the oppressed. However, it seeks to eventually create equality by temporary inequality, an ends justify the means sort of gain draws criticism in hindsight (see: atom bombs, internment camps…)

Secularism – Strives to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of those with non-religious beliefs or those different from the predominate faith group, but it often neglects the upbringing of those within all faith traditions. No religious or cultural celebration means a loss of heritage to the proceeding generations.

Religious Fanaticism – Strives to include God in our every decision, but fails to mediate peace between us and our neighbor, who is also God’s child.

Abolitionism – Strives to free all people from oppression and slavery.

Prohibition – Strives to protect people from the violence, tragedy, and health concerns brought about by the abuse of alcohol and its distribution.

Someone once said that “extremism in your camp destroys the moderates in mine.”

If Christians could live as Christ called, and as many communities in the early Church did, then what was grown, what was earned, what was made could all be shared and no one would go without. There would be no need to force taxes or class structures or intrusive governments on anyone, trading liberties for charity.

If the principles of equality and racial harmony were practiced as Christ did, then there would be no need for abolitionism and feminism and affirmative action. If we all lived the outrageous principles of servitude and other before self, there would be no radicalism because everyone would be radical.

In other words, if Christianity put on its working clothes and if Christians marched out into this world like the early Church did (which is why it grew), then none of those Ism’s would be necessary. Everyone would be a feminist, everyone an abolitionist, everyone a radical, everyone an anarchist because no one would know what one of those was. They would call us each a Christian, a little Christ, and they would know we were Christians by our love.