I wish I could convey to you the sincerity of her inquiry and desire to learn. I sent the following email to her after she returned to her Asian country.
You showed some interest in my expression "authentic Christianity." Let me try to explain. I think it fits the vision and mission of the social justice organization you represent.
Gandhi once said that he would become a Christian if he ever found a Christian who was living Christianity, in other words, an authentic Christian, living authentic Christianity.
Nowadays Christians are too often subjected to a NO NO NO Christianity which is not authentic:
NO masturbation,
NO condoms,
NO divorce where love didn't work out,
NO love for the one you love who is not approved by the (church) establishment,
NO sex except if married and to make babies,
NO sex in your whole life in any way
if God brings you into this world as an LGBT person.
NO cultural acceptance
if the code of the dominant religion is not lived up to.
All too often, oppression by the dominant religion
As you mentioned in our talks, others are qualified to point out where Islam or Buddhism may impose unjust requirements on their culture or the people of their country when their religion is dominant in the culture.
Here I have pointed out a few instances of some form of compulsory compliance with Roman Catholic rules in a country, such as the Philippines, where Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion. For the followers, I call it moral slavery if they feel bound and shackled to these rules.
For Protestants, Muslims, Atheists, people of any religion or non-religion who are directly or indirectly forced to comply, I call it cultural injustice. (Indirectly, for example, would be “No divorce” through the power of the church, by ballot box pressure, to prevent passage of a divorce law thus imposing Catholic theology on every resident of the country. Or obstructing the passage of a reproductive health law which 70% of the citizens want because it assures sustainable human development, women’s rights, maternal and infant health, and reduction of abortion rates.)
Authentic Christianity
The teachings of Jesus make authentic Christianity.
The most basic principles of Jesus' teachings are to love and to pray.
Jesus mission was for people to have a more abundant life.
The dominant message of Jesus' behavioural requirements
for his followers are:
To enjoy peace and social justice,
To be agents of peace and justice for others.
Explanation of authentic Christianity
1. To love
Jesus consistently urged his followers to love, even their enemies, to love their neighbor as themselves.
But even more fundamental, is the Christian belief that God, the Maker of all people and things, IS LOVE, and those who live in Love, live in God, and God lives in them.
That belief gives Christianity a love dimension that sets it on a path where the authenticity of Christianity is measured by its love.
Furthermore, Christians believe that God became human in Jesus so that Jesus, God who became human, could show human beings what God is like. And then with the belief that God IS LOVE, that's what God is like, the very personification of Love.
Even more awesome is the belief that when God became human, divinity was infused into human persons, "and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them," as it is spelled out in the Christian Scripture. Thus human persons are united with the divine, with God-within.
This brings Christians to the amazing realization that since God is Love, we human beings cannot add to, or even earn God’s love. God loves each person first and unconditionally.
Thus, the Christian does not exert selfish effort to gain points or earn love from God. It’s there. The Christian loves God BECAUSE God loved first. Loving God and helping and serving and loving others is a response to God’s love, not an effort to win God’s love.
The website of the Catholic Diocese of One Spirit, which I am a member of, puts this way:
“The message that Jesus brought was never a condemning one, or a set of beliefs to be adhered to under fear of punishment. It was, rather, a message of individual freedom, of each of us being a manifestation of Divinity itself, of love actually being the center that holds all things together, and of an invitation to recognize Divinity within all creation and within other people as the source of an ever-more-happy life.
“The Catholic Diocese of One Spirit tries to pay attention to this beauty and to understand what it means, in order to bring more meaning and joy into our own lives at every moment.
“We try not to be pious, stiff, judgmental or demanding. We support each other when we are down, and encourage each other when things are going well.”
Of course, as we discussed in our conversation, this is in sharp contrast to any religion, Christian or otherwise which is characterized by oppression, prejudice, and downright persecution of those who don’t stick to their rules. Such rules are not made by Jesus, the model for authentic Christianity.
2. To Pray
With God within, every human person can maintain a relationship with the divine, with the Maker of the universe, and, for Christians, with Jesus who showed us what God is like and that we can be like God and with God.
To pray, then, is the method by which we maintain connection with God-within. We can pray with others for social reasons, and that can be commendable, but we can "pray always" as Jesus told his followers, in order always to be in touch, connected with God-within.
Thus, to love and to pray are the foundation on which authentic Christianity is sustained and lived.
Behavioral requirements in the mission of authentic Christianity
Jesus said his mission in coming to this earth with us was so we could have life, have life more fully, more abundantly. He lived that mission lifting up people everywhere he went, healing them, championing the oppressed and outcasts, and often made the despised and marginalized Samaritans the heroes of his compassion and stories, as in the “Good Samaritan,” the Samaritan woman at the well.
But throughout his teaching life, Jesus emphasized that his followers do not live merely for themselves. As Jesus, God-in-human-life, lived for others, so also, His followers, Christians, are to be guided by his teachings on peace and social justice.
His basic platform for peace and social justice He outlined in this way:
(Note: blessed can also be translated, “God blesses…” Theologians have labelled these points of Jesus’ message The Beatitudes)
Blessed [are] the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed [are] they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed [are] the merciful:
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed [are] the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed [are] the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
Blessed [are] the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
Blessed [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
By this He meant that all human persons are entitled to this kind of life, this kind of compassion, this kind of social justice, but furthermore, His followers are the ones He expects to make that happen by their action, works, and behavior.
And how does that follow the fundamental exhortation of Jesus to love? The peace and social justice platform of Jesus points out basic ideas for developing methods in our culture for carrying out the universal law of love.
The teachings of Jesus embrace also the very important matter of unity and working together. Jesus told His followers very emphatically he wanted them to be united, to be one was the way He put it. Of course nowadays we call it “community,” a living and working together in accordance with the plan of Jesus. But, communities also have to be authentic, living by the basic plan Jesus laid out for them.
Of course this brief introduction to “authentic Christianity” falls short of the awesome wholeness of what Christians call the “Good News” Jesus gave to His followers.
Conclusion
And so, my friend, in conclusion let me emphasize no matter what you, or your watchdog organization, may have observed about violations of human rights, religious freedom, or social justice in a “Christian” country, Christianity, IS NOT a set of NO NO NO rules.
Authentic Christianity is based on the principles of love put forth by Jesus and His prescription to put love in action in a program of peace and social justice.
To do this Christians recognize and connect with the divine through direct communication with God within, and thus are truly imbued with the spirit of peace, love, and justice.
It is brought to the fruitfulness of the mission Jesus entrusted to those who would call themselves Christian when they unite in action to bring peace, love, and justice to others.
This explanation is all too brief. If you have follow-up questions, I invite you to continue our discussion by email saintaelred@gmail.com
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