More Than Belief

Belief was a central emphasis in the life of the Church during the era of Christendom (see my 1/7/19 blog - Doing Church in a Post-Christian World). "What we believe" was a primary way denominations distinguished themselves from other Christians groups during that era of history.

This focus on belief is nothing new. It dates back to the Reformation in the 1500's. Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptist, and Mennonites all trace their origins to that period of history. Methodists originated much later - in the 1700's. Other religious groups arose in the 1800's and 1900's - Reformed, Nazarenes, Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, Bible churches and non-denominational churches. But I digress, as I am known to do.

Belief plays a central role in the controversy facing The UMC today. Methodists around the world are polarized around beliefs regarding sexual orientation. Is homosexuality a sin? Can someone who identifies as a homosexual be ordained? These questions lead to polarization around the belief about marriage. Is marriage reserved only for one man and one woman? Ultimately, these controversies involve one's belief about the nature of the Bible.

The controversy in The UMC exposes the downside of focusing on belief.

Beliefs, by nature, are divisive. For the past 500 years, Christians have used beliefs to unify. The result is a plethora of denominations. And that belief-focused pattern is being duplicated in The UMC today. Methodists are gathering with those who "think like us" regarding LGBTQ+ issues. Some have gone so far as to advocate creating a new Wesleyan denomination of those who "think like us." This emphasis on belief does not unify; it divides. Beliefs call us to take a side - to agree or disagree.

Beliefs are an attempt to create certainty. The fear of change, of chaos, of the unknown (mystery) drives our desire for certainty. We seek to create certainty (stability) in the midst of life's uncertainties by defining what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, holy and sinful. The familiarity we create reassures us in the face of our fear, helping us feel secure.

Beliefs appeal to the human ego. We like to be right. Being right helps us (perhaps unconsciously) feel better-than those who don't think like we do. We are the orthodox ones, the pure ones, the Biblical ones, the righteous, the moral, etc. Being right is a not-so-subtle form of spiritual arrogance. It gives us a sense of power and superiority.

Beliefs appeal to the head but often leave the heart untouched and unchanged. In advocating and defending our belief, we are prone to live out of our self-serving human nature rather than the nature of Christ. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul urged the Philippians to put on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). Paul described the mind of Christ as the servant spirit of Christ, not as a set of beliefs. The servant spirit was/is to characterize the followers of Jesus (Philippians 2:1-11).

Beliefs inevitably misuse scripture. People on both sides of the LGBTQ+ issue (of any issue, for that matter) appeal to scripture to support their position. They quote book, chapter, and verse to validate their position as the right position. Such use of scripture, in my opinion, is a misuse of scripture. The role of scripture is to help us know God and the ways of God, particularly as revealed in Jesus the Christ. Scripture was not intended to be used as a book of rules/laws to be followed. The only "law" Jesus quoted was to love God and love neighbor as oneself. That "law" was his guideline for living. Love was the fulfillment of the Law. Paul's book of Galatians challenged this rule-based approach to the Christian life, declaring "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1). (There I go, quoting book, chapter and verse to validate my position!!!).

Beliefs set up the next, yet-to-be-identified battlefield. We gather with those who agree with us on this issue. Our togetherness helps us feel better (right) in the midst of the controversy. But once we have moved beyond this issue that has unified us, another issue will always arise. That issue/belief will demand that we take sides, creating the next division.

I can sense the push back: are you telling us to surrender our beliefs? Are you saying anything goes? Do we not stand for anything? What about the Apostles Creed, "I believe ..."?

Of course I am not arguing against beliefs. I have a core of beliefs that are nonnegotiable: the character of God, the ways of God (the Kingdom), Jesus as the revelation of God and the ways of God, grace and forgiveness, etc. I use these core beliefs to guide the positions I take on other issues/beliefs. (See my 10/22/18 blog, Unity, Not Uniformity, in which I advocated for Wesley's approach in regards to beliefs.) In this blog, I am pointing out the downside of our emphasis on beliefs. This  long-term emphasis has not prepared us to deal with this current challenge. It may even be a hindrance in dealing with this current challenge.

Which leads me to ask: what ever happened to faith? Faith is a good, biblical word. As I read the scripture, faith is an essential part of being a follower of Jesus. And, faith is more than belief!

Belief is about facts. Thanks to the influence of the Enlightenment on our Western thinking, we think of belief as the intellectual acceptance of a fact as true. The New Testament word translated as believe is more than an intellectual embracing of facts. It is a synonym of faith. Faith goes a step beyond belief (as we define it). Faith is about the heart and mind. Faith allows the truth we embrace to transform our hearts and minds. Faith allows the truth we believe to shape how we think and what we do. Faith as found in the Christian scriptures is a way of life, not a set of beliefs. That way of life is a life shaped by the mind of Christ. It is a way of life that reflects the self-giving, servant spirit of Christ. It is a life of love. Faith leads us to God who leads us to love as Jesus loved.

If what we believe does not lead us to love as Jesus loved, then perhaps we would be wise to reexamine what we believe!