Religious and Secular Self-Righteousness
You know what really bugs me most about the whole gay marriage controversy? It's my fellow Christians who feel they have the right to point out what they believe is sin. The issue isn't really if it is sin or not. The issue is someone believing they have the right to point it out and deny equality because of it. I wonder if equality was taken away from each of us because of our sin, how many of us would have freedom and equality at all.
This is the perfect example of religious self-righteousness. The idea that we have the right to take the speck out of someone else's eye while we have a log in our own. The idea that because we are whitewashed and shiny on the outside, the decaying bones on the inside can be ignored. And because we are so shiny and pretty, we can judge others who are no worse than we are.
But, you know, the religious community is not the only self-righteous. The secular community is just as self-righteous - just in a different way. Early this morning, I read this Passage of the Bible,
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had the ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans...
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:3-4, 8, NKJV).
Here we see what the master of the eunuchs was looking for in the young Hebrews. He was looking for the same thing many look for today - no blemishes, good-looking, smart, mental sharpness. These young men would be rewarded with power and prestige. They would have status. They could flaunt their positions.
But Daniel - Daniel refused this status symbol. He would not defile himself with the endowments of the king. Daniel refused to become self-righteous in his status. He remained humble.
In today's society, we do not see a lot of that. I guess I was little unfair when I said this type of status symbol, of power and promotions based upon what looks good (again, the whitewashed tomb analysis could fit), is only secular. If we are going to be completely honest, it is in the religious world - even the Christian world - as well. Those who look good, who have everything that is right - no blemishes, good looks, wisdom and knowledge - are held in a higher position. They have "earned" the right to look down on others who are not quite up to the same level as they are.
I don't think we will every stop the self-righteous mentality. It will always be present in one way or another - at least as long as we're on this earth. I believe, however, that we must be willing to stand up and say "this is not right." We must continue to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We, like Daniel, must be willing to reject the hypocrisy, reject the "right to judge others," reject the status symbols that place us upon a pedestal. This may just start a movement that will help others to see the power is not in discrimination or in position or in status. The power is in humility.
This is the perfect example of religious self-righteousness. The idea that we have the right to take the speck out of someone else's eye while we have a log in our own. The idea that because we are whitewashed and shiny on the outside, the decaying bones on the inside can be ignored. And because we are so shiny and pretty, we can judge others who are no worse than we are.
But, you know, the religious community is not the only self-righteous. The secular community is just as self-righteous - just in a different way. Early this morning, I read this Passage of the Bible,
Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had the ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans...
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:3-4, 8, NKJV).
Here we see what the master of the eunuchs was looking for in the young Hebrews. He was looking for the same thing many look for today - no blemishes, good-looking, smart, mental sharpness. These young men would be rewarded with power and prestige. They would have status. They could flaunt their positions.
But Daniel - Daniel refused this status symbol. He would not defile himself with the endowments of the king. Daniel refused to become self-righteous in his status. He remained humble.
In today's society, we do not see a lot of that. I guess I was little unfair when I said this type of status symbol, of power and promotions based upon what looks good (again, the whitewashed tomb analysis could fit), is only secular. If we are going to be completely honest, it is in the religious world - even the Christian world - as well. Those who look good, who have everything that is right - no blemishes, good looks, wisdom and knowledge - are held in a higher position. They have "earned" the right to look down on others who are not quite up to the same level as they are.
I don't think we will every stop the self-righteous mentality. It will always be present in one way or another - at least as long as we're on this earth. I believe, however, that we must be willing to stand up and say "this is not right." We must continue to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We, like Daniel, must be willing to reject the hypocrisy, reject the "right to judge others," reject the status symbols that place us upon a pedestal. This may just start a movement that will help others to see the power is not in discrimination or in position or in status. The power is in humility.
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