John Pavlovitz is a minister who writes a blog that speaks to the key tenets of treating people like you want to be treated. He is not too keen on performance religion which is too closely aligned with politics. A recent blog called “Actual Followers of Jesus Don’t Want Conservatives’ Compulsory Christianity” is a good example of his work.
“There’s nothing more dangerous than professed Christians who have no real interest in Jesus. They’re rather easy to spot if you’re paying attention.
They’re usually the ones most loudly claiming things like religious liberty while methodically swallowing up the personal freedoms and elemental rights of other people.
They incessantly broadcast their devotion of God on their bumpers and bellies, while living antithetically to the compassionate heart of Jesus actually found in the Scriptures.
Their spirituality is largely performative: a showy firework display of culture war talking points and religious buzzwords that distracts from the truth that their lives are yielding almost nothing truly loving to anyone but people who agree with them on everything.“
This blog caught my eye as the key tenets of Christianity surround that Jesus fellow. Absent that, Christianity is just an empty suit. Gandhi once said, he admired Jesus, it was just Christians he was not too keen on. I understand his point as too many ministers in our history had a fear-based ministry, rather than a love-based ministry.
Teaching people to fear the other is not inclusive. Religious scholars have noted Jesus probably spoke four languages. He needed one language for trade as a carpenter, as well as others to communicate as a Rabbi and to his followers. Where he preached and worked had numerous types of people. So, he spoke inclusively. It is a message we should emulate.
There is an old line that speaks the truth to me. If you want to create an atheist, have them read the old testament. In Pew surveys on religion, atheists did better on biblical quizzes than Christians did. If you want to reach more people with a message of love, start with the new testament. That is the part where Jesus’ words are found in red. Those are where the messages of love exist. I might throw in a few Psalms as well from the old side.
Treat others like you want to be treated. This rule of Jesus’ is so important it called “golden.” It is also found in other religious texts in one shape or another. Also, he threw in a few messages about taking care of your neighbor and the downtrodden. Nice words and actions he spoke and he followed. Those are among the words in red.
If you are not a Christian, the last paragraph can still offer governance of a good life. Maybe that is the beauty of what Jesus said. Something that can touch others. Inclusivity.
Check out the rest of this and other posts on johnpavlovitz.com.
musingsofanoldfart 
Sounds like the Jeffersonian bible.
Thanks. I had to look that reference up. It does.
Note to Readers: In my volunteer work, many of those who help people in need come from houses of worship, be they Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Muslim mosques, etc. Jesus was all about outreach to help those in need or on the fringes of society. To me, this is religion at its best. When it excludes it is at its worst. Making people feel like they do not belong is as bad a practice as a house of worship can do.
Of course this is religion at its best … but far too many focus on the “thou shalt nots” instead of the other side of the coin.
Nan, too true. Pavlovitz represents a welcoming kind of religious leader. There a few ministers and rabbis here who lead the outreach effort. Yet, we have the other kind you note as well. Keith
I’m not a Christian but I love reading John Pavlovitz’s writings.
Janis, I think you make a great observation. He has something for everyone, whether Christian or not. Keith
Hello Keith. Let me start by saying what should be obvious is that what I am going to write is my opinion.
I think there is a difference between a personal faith / code a person lives by and the business of religions. A personal faith can be an incredibly grand resource to draw on in your life. It need not even be religious or have a belief in the supernatural even though it can. It can give comfort in bad times and guidance in the good. A personal faith is just that, personal to you. I once knew a very nice man, a church man, who never mentioned his religious beliefs because he told me he wanted how he acted to speak for him. He wanted people to ask him before he would tell them of his spiritual faith. He felt his walk with his god was his personal path and others could have their path with god but that he had to walk his and couldn’t demand they walk beside him. He told me as a kid that we may meet on that path and walk past each other then catch up again, then one may go faster or slower, but when we walk together let’s help where we can. I have remembered that all my life.
The business of religion on the other hand is not personal but public. Look at and admire me. It is not guidance but a brag. Its structure is not designed to lift people up but to lift money up from the base followers to the powerful leaders. It is designed to create leaders that seem infallible and increase their authority to not be questioned. It removes the sacrifice from the top and puts it all on the bottom to give until you have no more to the leadership that has already more than they should want to brag that god insists they have another airplane or mansion while giving nothing to the homeless or poor. God wants you to bash the ones that are different and not giving to the leaders, until the leaders of the religion get their money also. The business of religion is about control, control of the followers, control of the others who do not follow the same faith, it is about controlling every aspect of people’s lives not for the glory of the deity, but for the glory of the church. It is about using their holy written works to bash others until they get control over them.
I could say more but this rant of how I feel has gotten long enough and I am now at risk of abusing your wonderful invite to offer my thoughts on your post. I can see both sides of religion / churches. Some are fantastic and one saved my life as a kid, and many have made the life of me and so many like me a living hell here on earth. Best wishes. Hugs
Scottie, thanks for sharing. I truly love the man in your second paragraph who wanted to witness by his example. That is the walk the talk way of living. Your point is understood in the latter paragraphs, but I do think you generalize some. I think business of religion has a range of good to bad on a spectrum. Some houses of worship are better at minimizing the business, while others are horrible at it. Keith
You may be surprised to know that I, a non-believer, actually follow John Pavlovitz’ blog and actually read it most days. He is one of two religious leaders (the other being former Navy chaplain Padre Steve Dundas) who I trust and respect. Pavlovitz always makes a great deal of sense and I like his way of thinking. You said, “If you want to create an atheist, have them read the old testament.” I would add, or just have them listen to some of the hate-mongering and blatant bigotry by far too many of today’s evangelicals.
Thanks Jill. You have shared your interest in those two bloggers before. I have only linked to Padre Steve on occasion, so I will need to check his blog out. To your last point, ministers have a huge role in the lives of many. Some acted poorly during the Jim Crow era finding biblical passages that would support their racism. As Sunday school teacher and former president Jimmy Carter said, passages can be taken out of context to support anything. Now, we are seeing some ministers supporting poor behavior again. People have been voting with their feet as formal religion support is on the decline in America. When ministers teach exclusion, they often preach a self-fulfilling decline in membership.
Padre was silent for several months as he and his wife were relocating, and he was adjusting to retirement, but he has posted a time or two lately.
You’re so right … ministers, priests, pastors — they have the trust of the people and should not betray that trust, but … just the other day I read two articles about two different pastors raping children. I know that’s not the norm, but it … it makes people less trustful, I think. It places a stain or a stigma on the entire lot, much as the scandal within the Catholic church years ago and priests sexually abusing young boys. And to me, any time a religious leader promotes superiority of one race or gender over another, then … he is promoting hatred, not love. And when they teach exclusion, they are NOT promoting world peace, but rather escalating the tensions that already exist.
Thanks Jill. I do seem to notice you have not cited Padre Steve in awhile. I know these are extreme cases, but the recent third party investigative report on the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual assault accusations do not aid their cause. By having a third party investigate, they at least ended the cover-up issue that had been going on. Yet, when more than one minister breaches the trust, it is damning, word intended. Keith