Pharisees

Today's world is definitely a strange one. It is one that has broken from tradition, become more dangerous, and has essentially given us an increasingly-larger number of reasons to fear those who aren't like us. From trans to terrorism, the norm today definitely isn't what it used to be--even in the 90's, the era I grew up in. 

It wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that times are changing. What was acceptable even 20 years ago is not today, and likewise, what wasn't acceptable then now is. With the advent of the internet, our opinions on these changing times have never been more polarized. People share ideas, and entrench themselves in the words of what they read on the internet, at church, in school, or in their circles of friendship and family. There is definitely something strange about these conflicts, however... these conflicts in a way create a common ground on all sides--which is that we prefer to see events that favor our beliefs and shun those that disagree with it, to the point of even dismissing important facts that contradict our own beliefs. Everyone is guilty of it, as it's almost always a subconscious defense mechanism. Our minds are essentially programmed to assume, "If I'm wrong, then everything I've fought for is wrong, and if that's true then I have wasted my life."

Now, I know I said that I wouldn't get into politics, but this post may require a bit of it--however, I promise to keep it light, and I won't be picking on any side of any particular political issue. In all fairness, I will let my readers know that I see myself as a libertarian with conservative leanings. This means that I will often take stances on both the conservative and liberal agendas in the interest of preserving the liberty of all mankind, but I'm more inclined towards conservative viewpoints. That doesn't mean, however, I've gone full-Rhino, nor does it mean I'm a millennial "snowflake". It means I cherry-pick what things I like about either side--and that's okay. I should not have to pledge allegiance to one side or the other, either out loud or in my mind. I'm actually quite against a bipartisan system, and think that we need to let more parties have some weight in the game. Anyway, I just wanted to let people know before we got started where my thoughts are aligned so that people can understand that I'm not siding with anyone.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's get down to the main point. I'd like to begin by taking an in-depth look at the Pharisees of old. For those who haven't been caught up with the Bible--or perhaps read it in a different language (I have a partially-Taiwanese audience, so I do take that into account), the Pharisees were a political party--more of a social movement, really--in the land during Christ's life. These Pharisees, while in historical texts are known to be made up of largely historians, the Bible cites them as scholars with very particular opinions on the topic of religion and the Law of Moses. They often contended with the Sadducees, a rival movement of thought; their rivalry became even more aggravated with the Roman conquest. However, one thing both the Pharisees and Sadducees took issue with were the philosophies of Christ. Many Pharisees who were knowledgeable of the Laws of Moses tried to Bible Bash Jesus, and in many instances attempted to trick Christ into contradicting himself. Where Christ was healing the sick with his Priesthood authority, the Pharisees were pointing out that he was doing so on the Sabbath. As Christ was loving all those around him, the religious scholars were quick to berate him for loving the sinners among them. To sum it up, the Pharisees lived to the letter of God's law. They lived it so stringently that they failed to see the Savior right in front of them, giving them new commandments. They failed to recognize the one that was prophesied, and contended with him on rules that were written thousands of years before they were born. It was because of this that Jesus and the social movements of the time were always butting heads. One night, about a year ago, as I was reading in Matthew, I realized something that kind of shocked me, and it put things into perspective for me. I believe many Christians--actually everyone, for that matter--would also benefit from my wisdom.

I have come to the conclusion that many modern-day Christians have become the Pharisees of our time. It's an unfortunate side-effect of life, but we seem to forget to love others and prefer to persecute them instead. It can be as simple as someone in your church you found out isn't following its standards, or it can be as big as persecuting someone of another faith--or lack thereof. It can be as little as shunning someone for a religious disagreement, or as large as wanting them out of your community because of who they might be. Jesus Christ would not have condoned any such action as persecuting those of another religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or ideal.

"You can use logic to justify anything. That's it's power... and it's flaw." ~Kathryn  Janeway, Star Trek Voyager. Like the Pharisees of old, I see some Christians out in the world who seem to think that it is okay to shun those who would disagree with us and condemn them because of their differences, oftentimes using scriptures to back up their claims. The scriptures, however, are not meant to stir up contention. They do not exist as a means of furthering political agenda. We have the scriptures to help bring the world closer together, and to help build God's Kingdom one soul at a time. Our faith is not a blunt hammer--nor is it a precise scalpel. Our faith isn't meant to club our enemies over the head or otherwise aggressively coerce them into submission. Our religion should instead be an olive branch. We extend it to all, even our enemies. At all times, and in all things, and in all places, we should be loving towards our neighbors whether we agree with them or not. We have been commanded by Christ to do so, and it seems many Christians have forgotten this. Above all else, we have been commanded: "As I have loved you, love one another."

As a Mormon, we do not believe in gay marriage. Perhaps one day, many years from now, that may change. But as it stands, we do not allow it in our church. What exactly does this mean? It means that those in the LGBT community who act on their feelings cannot be worthy Priesthood holders. It means they cannot have callings, attend the temple, or otherwise participate in church activities. It does not, however, mean that we shun those members of our church. We do not hurt them, threaten them, or demean them in any way. We have been counseled to treat them with the exact same respect as we would any other member. I once heard a quote that I liked: "You don't go to a hospital because you're healthy; we don't go to church because we're perfect." Everyone has issues. Everyone has trials. If you believe in the church but struggle with immoral sexual feelings, we do not give you grief about it--in fact, we do what we can to help and support you. I once heard a member of my ward say that his favorite smell in the church was cigarette smoke, because it meant someone attending was trying to better themselves. As a result, we are not and should not be against gay marriage. However, we don't condone it either.

Two of my closest friends are a lesbian couple. Around the time Trump was elected, one of them contacted me and said she was worried that he would rescind gay rights and encourage people to hunt members of the LGBT community down. I assured her that it wouldn't be a problem--removing such a pivotal law would be political suicide for any politician, and people's basic rights would be protected. But even if it were to happen, do not think for one second that I wouldn't return to the United States and fight to the death to defend my friends' rights to marry whom they see fit. I am a man of liberty. Republicans and Democrats are not my guide to governance--Jesus Christ is. Some may say that by believing in someone's right to choose whom they marry and following Christ's example in the way I vote, I am contradicting myself.

Am I?

Above all things, Christ has said to love one another. This takes precedence. Our job in this world is not to judge; it is not to hate; it is not to correct others. We are to turn the other cheek. Missionary work does not include telling our heavenly brothers and sisters that they are condemned to hell unless they join our churches. At the same time, it doesn't mean that we should allow our own beliefs to be corrupted by those who would seek to change them for their own agendas. I'm not suggesting we accept any social revolution as word of God, nor should we use it as a truncheon in lieu of actual doctrine. If I must simplify it, I would say that in order to coexist in this modern world, we must agree to disagree on some subjects without demanding aggressive action against one another. Especially us Christians! We set the example, which means that we can't degrade into petty Bible-bashing, tirades on what we think is best for others, or seeking to suppress others' rights because it's against our religion. Likewise, it would be good for those who don't share our beliefs to extend the same courtesy. It is not our job to tell others they are going to hell, and it is not their job to tell us how to run our religious institutions.

In sum, even though I've said it a hundred times, loving others as Christ would is more important that whatever political or social agenda you have. Seek not to be modern-day Pharisees who can't see Christ when he is standing right in front of them. Remember what Jesus would do. 

Pay no mind to that one time Jesus flipped tables and chased people with a whip. Thank you for choosing Taiwanese Takeout!