Lines in the Sand

Fundamentalists.

They bug me.  I was listening to a Tapestry podcast last night in which Franz de Waal, a biologist who works with primates has written a book about apes and their ability to be compassionate and moral called The Bonobo and the Atheist.

The conversation turned to how religious leaders and atheists reacted to his book.  He said that most religious people didn't seem to mind too much (and I agree, if God can create people with a moral code, and all of creation is good, than why not apes and dolphins and who ever else too!  We are special not because God made us special but because we are made and loved.  That is enough.)

The people who seemed to have a huge problem with de Waal were the fundamentalists.  Not just religious fundamentalists, but ATHEIST fundamentalists too.  They didn't like that he criticized their black and white view of humanity and society.

Unfortunately, that's the point.
Fundamentalist ANYTHINGS have a very hard line, black and white view of the world, and if you disagree with them, you will find yourself on the "other" side.  De Waal is an atheist, but the  "new atheists", the fanatical fundamentalists are the ones who most strongly oppose his work, because he believes that there is still a place for faith and religion in society, even though he personally doesn't believe in God.

Do you know what else bugs me?

Catholic fundamentalists.

I shouldn't say bug.  Catholic fundamentalists sadden me.  And I know that Catholic is Catholic, it's universal, there is no us and them in the Universal Church.  Trust me, I've tried to believe this to be true, but I can't.  It's not true.  there are real and scary divisions in this Church.  The divisions are not coming from the "left" or "right", but from the fundamentalists.  They are the ones drawing lines in the sand, making everything black and white, while the rest of us are trying to hold this ship together with grey ropes.

Why can't we all just get along?  I say.
Why can't we focus on the real message of Jesus; to love God and to love each other?
Why can't we leave our troubles at the door, or in the confessional, and just go to God?
Why can't we appreciate the difference of values and opinion within the church and use those to make our church stronger and our experiences deeper?
Why is this thing going to fall apart but by the help of the Spirit?

Because of the fundamentalists.

Because it isn't enough to say, "I believe we should do x, even though it's not a rule right now, so I'm still going to do it for my own personal benefit.  We all have our own way to God."

The fundamentalist says, "I believe we should do x, and everyone who doesn't do this is ignorant and misinformed and evil, and I don't even go to parishes where they don't do this because those parishes must be run by evil or apathetic clergy who shouldn't even be clergy and who were ordained as priests by bishops who are also good for nothing for not insisting that every parish do x either.  It's my way or the highway, boys.  Who's in?"

Who are the fundamentalists?
Essentially they are the ones who believe what they believe or prefer what they prefer and who think that anyone who does not agree with them are idiots.  Or they just don't love God enough.
They are the ones drawing lines in the sand and forcing the rest of us in the grey to be "other".  Sometimes I think this goes so far as to "other" our Pope as well.  This is a real problem.  It's a problem of pride.  It's a problem of idolatry; what is more important, the love of God, or the ways in which we love God?  I will not worship the medium, but the Message.  But the medium IS the message.  This is a very fine line we are talking about.  (more on this later)

I'm going to make a tally.  Who are our Fundamentalists?  What are they so divisive about?  Where are the lines drawn?  How can we heal our Church despite them?  And how do we heal our Church while still including them?

NO MORE US AND THEM
Holy Mary, Pray for us.