How many priests have held over the lives of the innocent ones they have consumed the notion of heaven and hell? It happens in many and various ways. It is a part of how much of Christianity has operated. It is part of how the Church has been able to prosper and grow. It is how the truthfulness of a gracious and loving God is thrown away for a domain of violence that allows some to prosper and others to be abused. Unfortunately, this violence works. It always has. The power of evil comes dressed in words and actions that have been labeled as holy but really are tools to allow violence to disregard, dismantle, and desecrate the true holiness that comes as one is a living, breathing human being - made in the image of God. Once again we are seeing in PA., how easy it is for the Church to be vigilante at destroying the image of God in young people. They have become masters of betrayal. They have let the robes and pectoral crosses and head-coverings of religious institutions mean more to them than the lambs - the innocent - the blessed one. Ah, but that is how violence works best - isn't it? It comes disguised and it spins a story that works like hell to sound as though it stands with the innocent. Yet, it is life stealing - the fox always views others as food for its dinner table. Therefore, the master of religious violence work like hell to make life a living hell for those they need to devour to stay alive.
I wonder if the real imprimatur (mark of approval) of the Roman Catholic Church is the mark that let's those in power know how to create victims for the welfare of the institution. Just as the Basilica in Rome was constructed with the threat of the violence of heaven and hell, so too does it seem to be able to sustain itself within walls of violence that understand how to abuse victims, but also, it know how to use the threat of condemnation to hell or the reward of heaven to subvert grace and love and nonviolence and peace. The hierarchy knows what is to be announced - the grace and love of God for all without condition. And yet, the hierarchy also knows what wins the world - what will keep power in place as it always has been and always hopes it will be. It does this by using simple, manipulative, sincere sounding words that actually ignite violence and control. Therefore, the system of violence is maintained and other words - words of truthfulness and hopefulness and graciousness and forgiveness are held off and doled out only when the institution sees fit to do that. This action - this doling out - this holy action - this demonic action - this wolf in sheep's clothing action - this blasphemy, is violent to its core. It may be clothed in words of love and protection and honor and purity and discipline but it exists outside the bounds of love - it does not protect it perverts - it has no honor it only shames - its purity is pure evil and its discipline leads the innocent to a death march while the institution thrives.
Now this may sound anti-Roman Catholic. Well, the ongoing violence of that church body did toss me off my chair as this new episode in PA fell in line with a long line (both revealed and still hidden) of how religious folk are too often some of the most violent people in the world. That was a bit too strong, sorry. Religious folks are just as violent as others. But we, have these weapons of mass destruction - heaven and hell. The way they are used is not to inspire the best of our humanity. They are used to make sure that the image of God that attempts to nurture new life in us is halted - twisted - and weaponized. It is so important that we all - all religious folk - take a long look at how we use the words and images of our faith to commit violence against others. Some may say we must defend ourselves against the powers of evil in the world. But in our language of condemnation and reward, we become, quite quickly and quite masterfully, a part of the violence of heaven and hell that promises to crucify any innocents that long to live into the image of God.
TRRR
No comments:
Post a Comment