Saturday, May 1, 2010

Public Religion

Religion is both private and public. It is private in that it relates to one’s personal experience of God. That experience is personal in nature and typically non-repeatable, just as a conversation with a good friend would be. However, religion is also public in that one’s experience of God is shared with others and it changes one’s activity with others, hopefully in a positive way.

If any person has a relationship with God, it would be significant and life-transforming. If a person can keep their relationship with God private, not effecting anyone else, then that would be different and less meaningful than any other relationship we have. It doesn't matter if one is a politician, judge, pastor, printer or construction worker. If we have a relationship with God, it would only be fair to let others know this, as it is appropriate. Because the more intimate we become with others, then the more our relationship with God effects them.

This can be difficult because people judge other people's relationship with God. So we have to approach such communication carefully. We can begin with a general term, "I'm Jewish" for instance (if it's true) and if that seems well received, we can move onto more deep revelations of ourselves-- "God once told me to feed peanut butter to the fish that controls the weather." It's important.

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