here we go again

It amuses me, sometimes, to observe the means our religious leaders use to encourage the union of faith and government. In a country where such blending of church and state is explicitly disallowed, those who wish for more authority over their flock must often seek creative ways to co-opt the power of government for their own purposes. Take, for example, the recent statement by Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who has stated that he would refuse Holy Communion to Rudy Giuliani because of his “liberal” stance on abortion. This is classic. In an attempt to exert his political will over the Catholic candidates (he did it to John Kerry as well), Burke has thrown down the gauntlet. If Giuliani doesn’t accept the church’s stance, it is implied, he will be cut off from God. Thrown out and treated like the rest of the Protestant rabble. Of course, Burke balks at doing the same thing for candidates who advocate the death penalty or pre-emptive war, but on the issue of abortion he is resolute. In some ways, it’s a brilliant move by the church and one that has been used throughout history. But in reality it is a form of power play that should be discredited and ignored.

As I write this I can’t help but think how far removed from any spiritual ideal we have moved. Although I’m sure Burke feels like he’s standing up for what he believes, he is actually drawing attention to the problem itself. And the problem is that Christianity was never meant to supplant government. Even if I were devoutly religious, I would have major problems with a religious government. I won’t even get into the problems inherent in a governing ideology that in recent years has experienced numerous schisms and denominational fractures. The American Episcopal Church is literally splitting apart at the seams—how can we expect a consistent political approach from an institution that is constantly exploding into disagreements with itself?

No, we’ve got to get back to something more basic. The answer to anything complicated, it usually turns out, lies in simplicity. And the first thing we should do in this situation, it seems to me, is to consult the source. If Burke and others are determined to rule this country with the iron fist of Jesus, we should take very seriously what the man himself might have felt about it.

I realize that the Bible can be turned and twisted to fit just about any ideology out there. For every thing Jesus said, there’s another quote that seems to say the opposite. But if you read the Bible (which I have) you realize that on certain issues he’s pretty consistent, or at least clear. And one of the more remarkable ideas Jesus is responsible for articulating clearly is the notion of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven, referenced by Jesus repeatedly, is the ideal state, the end goal of humanity, the Ultimate Plan of God. Bringing about the Kingdom of Heaven is the actual point and purpose of the religion itself. So what is it, what is this Kingdom? Does it really include Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh as its champions?

According to Jesus, no. But neither does it require John Stewart or Hillary Clinton to forge its presence here on Earth. It’s actually much simpler and cooler than anything in the political realm, or the social realm for that matter. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God is . . .

. . . a state of mind. And nothing else.

We turn to Luke 17:21 (KJV):

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Surely we have been overlooking this. I’m no scriptural scholar, but it is plain Jesus is saying that although people will look for the Kingdom of God as one would look for a political or social revolution, they will never find it. That’s not what the Kingdom of God is. Rather, it is within you. It cometh not with observation. It is purely a mental state of being.

Like others I tend to doubt the historical accuracy of the supernatural biblical Jesus story, but I like to think of him as nonetheless a very important moral philosopher, on par with Buddha and Lao Tzu and other folks who have come along and crystallized into words the best ideas for how to live our lives. And I have found nothing more positive or truly praise-worthy than the goal of a utopia of the mind based upon personal enlightenment, where the ideal state emerges from a collective awakening to moral principles. I think that this is what Jesus envisioned. I think this what he meant when he said that the Kingdom of God is within you.

With this religious principle in mind, it strikes me as depressingly absurd when I see the church (or any religion) struggle for political power. I realize that many religious people feel that without the church’s influence on society it would quickly disintegrate into chaos and pandemonium, but again, those people misunderstand the point—individual change/growth/enlightenment/morality should come from within and not from the external power of a religious political institution in the form of laws. At least, that’s what Jesus said.

So let us discredit and ignore Archbishop Burke, and all like him who use religion to further their own political motives. Not only is it a bad idea, but it doesn’t appear to be what Jesus himself really wanted at all.