"Religion isn't only source"

Well I'm finally published. The Columbian published my first letter to the editor on Thanksgiving. Here it is.

Author Sam Harris, featured in the Nov. 18 AP story, "Christianity crux: Author questions role of religion in America," beleives the world would somehow be better without religion, particularly Christianity. While it is true that religion has been the source of numerous conflicts, the same is equally true of all stronly held beliefs including atheism.

The greatest causes of human misery in the 20th century were not motivated by religion but rose instead from communist and fascist states bent on eradicating traditional belief in God. It therefore cannot be argued that religion is source of the world's pain. Instead Harris must argue that a secular world offers something more than a religious one. And this he cannot do.

When one abandons the notion of God, one must also abandon such "mythological" notions as love, beauty, morality, justice, hope and equality. For like God, these ideas are immaterail and cannot be verified through science. Harris wants us to reject God and therefore to reject meaning.

Thrill of Heaven?

What amusement does heaven contain? In a world that defines entertainment in conflict, it’s sometimes hard to fathom pleasure in a world without pain. Think about it. Some of the greatest amusements in the United States are watching movies and sports and riding roller coasters. In movies and games, it appears the greater the struggle the greater the thrill, right? Without conflict would a movie or game be as great? Isn't the amusement of a roller coaster the exhilaration of facing your fear? If heaven is a place with no fear, pain or conflict, then on the surface it seems a rather boring place.

It's not difficult, therefore, to see why the world likes hell more than heaven. The non-Christian pictures heaven as sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer pictures himself in heaven lying on a cloud that looks like a medical bed. He raises and lowers the bed repeatedly “cloud goes up, cloud goes down” he says over and over again. Contrast that with the worlds understanding of Hell. Hell isn't the place of torment that the bible describes. Instead, it’s the party place. It's a place with all the exhilarating vices that we find here on earth.

I'm sad to say the church hasn't given an all together different picture. If you ask the average Christian what will heaven be like they'll probably say something like its worshipping God before his throne continuously throughout all eternity. Certainly there is a sense of excitement in this. But "for all eternity." I don't know about you but even I get board in church. So what is the thrill of heaven?

How should Christians respond to a world that scorns the notion of a perfect world? I believe we must recognize that the thrill of heaven is the same thrill we experience when we watch a great movie, read a good book, watch an incredible game, or ride the scariest of rides. Am I saying that in heaven there will be a place of pain, suffering and conflict? Absolutely not. I'm saying pain, suffering and conflict isn't the source of entertainment. Experience informs us that the greatest of stories are nothing more than challenging riddles in narrative form. “What’s going to happen next? Will the guy get the girl? How will he or she survive? Will the team make another touchdown? The questions compel us to turn a page or sit through another commercial. Discovery, not conflict, is the essence of amusement. And what does heaven have to offer us more than discovery? Heaven is the grand unveiling of all the mysteries and questions of life. It’s the throne of he who is the creator of mystery and riddle. Hell, in contrast to heaven, is a place of the unanswerable question. It’s the place where pain, suffering and torment never come to an end. Have you ever had a question that you thought you knew but the answer simply alluded you. “It’s on the tip of my tongue” you’ve probably said or have heard someone say. Hell is like that question. But on a much greater scale. It nags and frustrates but never comes to an end.

Religious and Political Errors

Ben, you are absolutely right in pointing out our Evangelical errors. Evangelicals have erroneously caused untold millions to associate coming to Christ with a conversion to the Republican Party, placing an unnecessary yoke (i.e. just like circumcision) on those of a more liberal persuasion. But the problem is not the fault of Evangelicals alone; some blame must rest on the Democratic Party and on our two-party system. Evangelicals associate themselves with Republicans not because they are for capital punishment, gun-control, low-taxes, or less government, rather they associate themselves with Republicans because they are pro-life. And life is not a minor New Testament issue, as your post seems to imply. This issue reaches to the heart of the gospel (i.e. liberation for the least, the last, and the lost). It is this single issue, which has more than any other co-opted the Evangelical Church. The Democrats have failed to be consistent with their values (i.e. Anti-killing in war and crime but pro-killing in the case of the unborn) just as Republicans have failed to be consistent with theirs (pro-killing in war and crime but anti-killing in the matter of the unborn). I honestly believe that if the platforms of both parties flipped on this single issue then Evangelicals would migrate to the Democratic Party and in the process become more liberal on issues such as the environment and government control. Our problem is a matter of choice. Politics rests on alliances. If Christians want to have a voice then they must vote for a single party and thus they are forced to choose their bedfellows. The right of the government to the sword has more New Testament support (Romans and 1 Peter) then the private killing of innocent children. And so for "now" I vote Republican. Give me a better way.