The Greatest Danger We Face

I have been home a week, now, recovering from my trip. It was moving and memorable, and I so enjoyed spending time with friends Shirley, Marjorie, Adam and Amy. I am grateful for their hospitality to this weary traveler. I will reflect more on PCUSA issues as time permits. But now, it is back to cultural and religious issues.

Pastor Mark Roberts has done his usual excellent job at responding to really insane comments by former Clinton Labor Secretary, Robert Reich, on the most dangerous threat to America and the world. Reich said this, in an editorial in The American Prospect:

The great conflict of the 21st century will not be between the West and terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The true battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernists; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe their allegiance and identity to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is mere preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism itself is not the greatest danger we face.

Reminds me of a book I read in the 1970's or 1980's, I think, where the author said that the world's only real fear is the "true believer." The book was by Eric Hoffer, and titled, "The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements" Amazon link here.

It seems to me that those like Reich want to domesticate religion. In their view, I would guess, as long as one holds religious beliefs privately, they are OK. But when someone tries to live out their religious beliefs, apply them to real world issues and problems and situations, then religion has crossed a boundary. It reminds me of the comment from a person in a congregation to the pastor who was preaching hard on a particular issue: "Careful now, preacher. You've stopped preaching and started meddling."

I will acknowledge that religious people are vulnerable to "group think", which seems to worry Reich. But secular people are even MORE vulnerable to group think, as their seems to be no allegiance to anything higher than themselves. As Jesus said, they are like sheep without a shepherd.

I am quite sure that Reich is not alone in his opinions concerning religion or religious people. However, I think he is wrong, and barking up the wrong tree.