Today’s Roman
Imperial Christianity
The practice of Christianity today bears little resemblance
to the practice of Christianity in the first century when Jesus walked the
earth. The reason for this change is, largely, that humankind usurped the
initial philosophy for political advantage, among other factors.
Jesus’ ministry on earth appears to be about little else
than Love and Mercy. He does not condemn the woman caught in adultery about to
be stoned, nor the Samaritan, nor anyone who acts with love or mercy. Only
those who support the hierarchy of power, such as the temple money changers,
does he actively condemn. But even his condemnation is not the damnation many
Christians cling to today. For Jesus, there is no Justice without Mercy.
The first Christian century was all about how you act toward
others, not what you believe. In fact, scripturally, Jesus left us only two
commandments. “Love God and Love your neighbor” and then went on to say “upon
these two commandments hangs ALL the Law and the Prophets”.
This is not to say the epistle and gospel writers shared or
followed Jesus example. Paul, for instance, spends a good deal of time
condemning those who do specific evils, and challenges us to avoid them. But
Jesus does not.
None the less, the Romans, when confronted with First
Century Christianity remarked, “What is it about these people, they really LOVE
each other.” Sadly we cannot make that observation today. What happened and
what followed that usurped this Christian love?
In the second and third century many Christian philosophers
and thinkers were dismayed by the lack of a written canon. What defines this
love we are supposed to have? What letters of Paul or Mark are acceptable and
which ones may have been written by someone else with an agenda?
The first written original record of the Gospels we have was
written about 150 AD. Yet Paul’s writings had been around since 50-60 AD and
Mark’s from 60-70 AD and even John’s from no later than 110 AD. Were they
amended? Copied correctly word for word? Not changed to emphasize the copier’s
viewpoint? We can never know.
But what we do know is that in approximately 312 AD
everything changed with the Roman Emperor Constantine’s claim that he and
others had a pre-battle vision from Jesus who lit up the sky with the cross and
the words “in hoc signo vinces” (with this sign thou shalt conquer). This
implied that not only did God wish us to conquer others in his name, but that
the Roman Imperial cause was righteous in God’s eyes. Nothing in Jesus’
ministry indicated one should conquer in God’s name, but Constantine did, and
shortly made Christianity the Imperial Roman state religion. At that point the
state was involved with the Gospel and began interpreting it accordingly. There
are many who believe Constantine’s “vision” and subsequent endorsement were
politically motivated in order to enfranchise the Christians as allies of the
state.
By 325 AD at the Council of Nicea, the hierarchy of church
leadership was endorsed and the imperial structure of Christianity replaced the
love ethic. The next 1200 years of Christian history are marked by the
Crusades, the Inquisition, heresies, the torture or eradication of
non-believers and a Christian Imperialism that endures today.
It is an Imperial Christianity that claims
there is a “them“ and an “us”, rather than Jesus’ concept of we all are worthy.
It is an Imperial Christianity that divides us by such worthless questions such
as “dunked or sprinkled?” It is an Imperial Christianity that claims what we
believe is more important than how we act toward others. It is an Imperial Christianity that divides
us rather than unites us; an Imperial Christianity that throws homage to one
country over another, one race over another, and God forbid women should be
equal and able to preach from the pulpit.
It is an Imperial Christianity because men have interpreted
Jesus’ gentle Kingdom of God message of Love and Mercy for their own political
agendas, and in the process have corrupted the message to the point of one of
today’s preachers actually claiming Jesus wants you to own a gun!
Our relationship with Islam is nearly open warfare despite
Islam’s statements that we both worship the God of Abraham and Moses and Jesus.
Why should there be Crusades and Inquisitions against those who worship the
same God? The answer is political advantage, Imperial advantage that states “I
will take the city of Jerusalem back by force of arms if you enter it.” Or if you do not denounce Judaism in favor of
my faith I will torture you.” Christian, Judaic and Islamic Imperial faiths
murder others who fail to believe as they do.
It is a tragedy fueled vociferously by scripture
interpretation. In those early two centuries few could read, but now most all
can read and interpret scripture. And the interpretations can be rather
bizarre.
On the subject of Homosexuality, for example, scripture
interpreters may point to Leviticus 20:13
13 "'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman,
both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their
blood will be on their own heads.
But they ignore Lev 22:44-46
44 "'Your male and female slaves are to come from the
nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of
the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in
your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can will them to your
children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must
not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.------
Largely because the practice of owning Canadian slaves would
likely result in international war.
So we accept this little snippet of scripture and ignore
that one in order to further our human likes and dislikes, our human and
political agendas. If we are against Homosexuality, for whatever reason, which
may be, often, a total misunderstanding that homosexuality is a choice and not
a genetic condition (something Leviticus
could not have known).
But whether we like or dislike homosexuality should not
Jesus commandment to Love others prevail? The new age command to love the
sinner but hate the sin is ludicrous in its implications. Simply put, you can’t
do it.
We ignore the Canadian slavery problem because our societies
have moved beyond slavery for the most part, and the issue is now moot. Our
understanding of Leviticus 22: 44-46 must be placed in a historical context and
eliminated from modern consideration because we now understand the evils and
injustice of slavery. But why can we not move beyond the injustice inherent in
Lev 20: 13?
It is largely because we have come to worship scripture
rather than God. Marcus Borg has said, “scripture is the lens through which we
attempt to see God. We ought not worship
the lens.”
Rather than extend love and mercy to all as Jesus suggested,
we select, very carefully, whom we should include or exclude, then apply the
appropriate biblical verse to enhance and prove our position. How sad that we should come to that….a
Religion of divisiveness, denominationalism, exclusionism, patriarchy, and
hatred.
Jesus would be other than proud.
Many thanks to Brian McLaren for his leadership and vision.
John P. Middleton
May 2014
