Robert J Turner

“Everyone has the right to worship in their own way”

– most of us have either heard this affirmed in one form or another for years, or done so ourselves. For those living here in the United States, such talk bespeaks of one’s constitutional right to “freedom of religion”. This “idea” is so commonplace, that it has become part of the very fabric of our culture. Yet more often than not, it’s characteristic of a deeper attitude — a value system that not only wreaks of individualism and political correctness, but of spiritual deception.

The affirmation, “everyone has the right to worship in their own way” is frequently just another way of saying: “no one has the right to criticize, or even call into question how I choose to pursue matters of faith in my life.” Rhetoric such as this is based on a powerful assumption — an assumption that’s under the radar and that most people rarely consider: that all spiritual pursuits are inherently equal — in value, in worth, and in legitimacy. This is radical egalitarianism plain and simple. By radical egalitarianism, I mean an insistence on equality, irrespective of merit, effort, precedent, guidelines, or standards.

At least in part, the reason why egalitarianism may not be a hot topic of discussion among Christians is due to the fact that biblical faith is itself deeply egalitarian:

Matthew 20:8-16 (NIV)
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
“The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NRSV)
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:24-25 (NIV)
…But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

Galatians 3:28 (NIV)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

To a large extent, New Testament passages such as these echo and affirm a far more ancient reality:

“The early Yahwistic community was committed to the equality of its members, and indeed we can recognize a persistent egalitarian impulse influencing the laws and institutions of early Israel. Both in terms of the benefits enjoyed by the members of the community and the responsibilities they bore toward others, the emphasis placed on equality and inclusiveness stands out within the ancient world…As Yahweh was a righteous God acting to establish and preserve the rights of every individual, however lowly or oppressed, Israel, in order to be true to its own birthright, was to be a righteous people present in the world on behalf of all those finding themselves in similar circumstances”

(Paul D. Hanson, The People Called: The Growth of Community in the Bible. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001,pp. 469-470).

The people of God are meant to stand before their Maker and one another on equal ground. The presence of levitical law concerning the caring for the “foreigner” or “stranger” in the land, as well as the practice of “Jubilee” make this abundantly clear. Biblical egalitarianism is driven by strong Hebraic traditions of hospitality toward all.

Scripture, of course, encourages us to treat people as equals. All of humankind bears God’s likeness and possesses worth. Christ himself — the great equal-izer — powerfully modeled this in several ways, not the least of which was through the sharing of table fellowship with people society considered “despised”. Paul’s discourse in 1 Corinthians 12 emphatically asserts that although members of Christ’s body have different functions, they are equally indispensable.

Here’s where I believe the corruption has begun to take effect and egalitarianism taken on a life of its own: we have taken what is true of everyone as human beings, created in the imago Dei, and have applied this principle much too broadly — far beyond the witness of scripture, or the testimony of history.

Fueled by our radical individualism, we have corrupted biblical egalitarianism and morphed it into something self-serving and despicable — weilding it as some sort of ultimate “rubber-stamp” endorcement for whatever strikes our fancy. No longer are we morally accountable to any authority other than our own. And so we end up weilding our egalitarian credentials in self-justifying pride.

* Want to tell people you have your own way of “interpreting” the Bible in order to be left alone? Sounds good.
* Want to ignore some of Jesus’ more difficult or demanding commands in order to make your life a whole lot easier? Go for it.
* Want to blend your Christianity with some astrology, some white magic, or a little sexual promiscuity? Why not — it’s your body, your life, and your faith — isn’t it?
* You like “being the boss” in your work and in your marriage, so why not when it comes to your faith? That’s the ticket!
* Want to claim Monday night football with the guys as being “church”? Go right ahead.
* Want to dispense with church altogether? Just do it.
* Want your own personalized spirituality — where ever, whenever, however you please — one that fits your fancy and doesn’t interrupt your lifestyle? Now you’re talkin’!

Radical egalitarianism is rampant in our society, and is affecting today’s spiritual climate far more than most of us recognize or admit. For many, the idea of unrestrained and unrestricted equality has become a right. And the self-moralizing autonomy it encourages becomes deeply rooted in our souls.

No wonder ours is an age yearning for “community” but much at a loss for knowing where to start. Far too often, we lack the humility that sees others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), and that desires the ancient paths (Jeremiah 6:16). Our overly individualistic culture encourages us to value our private space and private time far more than time spent with and for the benefit of others. Faith — our culture insists — is a private matter, not belonging in the public arena. And scores of people actually believe such nonsense, and end up segregating themselves from Christ’s body.

The Body of Christ is marvelously diverse, gifted, and designed to journey through life and faith together, yet increasing numbers of professing Christians prefer living apart from communities of faith. Perhaps it seems easier to live free from the responsibility and accountability that comes with being part of a church family, but that kind of autonomy is achieved at too great a price.

It is sometimes pointed out how our Orthodox brothers and sisters recognize the wisdom in letting their ancestors have a say in what they believe and how they live out their faith. In part, this stands as a corrective against the sort of out-of-control egalitarian spirituality that’s increasingly popular today. But much more than this is needed to rid ourselves of this subtle and insidious malady.

Yes, there may well be scores of faith communities who actively stand against egalitarian spirituality, and yet more of us — much more of us — need to rise up with the conviction that enough is enough!

But where do we begin? Where can we make the greatest difference? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but if we begin by encouraging, mentoring, and discipling people so as to yearn — truly yearn — for God’s will over their own (and model this ourselves), then I cannot see how egalitarian spirituality — or radical individualism for that matter — can continue to prosper. Then, we should commit ourselves to increasingly learn how to live together as the Church in the power of the Holy Spirit. Beyond this, I believe we should commit ourselves to loving people — loving them unconditionally, despite their failures and ridiculous egalitarian notions; and then loving them out of those things and into a healthier way of living. To the best of our ability, let’s let love point the way instead of pointing our fingers.

It’s likely that you’ll have even better ideas of how egalitarian spirituality can be thwarted. Regardless, let’s all do what we can to stop the insanity.

BUSH PROPOSES MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ‘GUEST VOTERS’
Andy Borowitz - Thu Nov 2, 5:00 AM ET

In his boldest stroke to date to break the logjam over illegal immigration, President George W. Bush today proposed a “guest voter” program for illegal immigrants that would make them eligible to vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 7.

Rob’s comment : Going by his past track record…. Dumb!