Weekly Newsletter from Christian Vegetarian Association CVA - September 15, 2017
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

1. Original Sin, part 8
2. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

1. Original Sin, part 8

René Girard asserted that communities unite via the scapegoating process. Communal hatred for the scapegoat binds people who would otherwise find themselves in conflict over scarce resources. How can we develop an ideal Christian community if our community is grounded in the scapegoating process? Before considering how Jesus might show us the way, it is helpful to consider the stumbling blocks that impede the realization of the ideal Christian community, sometimes called the Kingdom of God or the “beloved community,” which welcomes everyone and harms no one.
 
There are at least two major stumbling blocks to generating this community, and both involve things that invariably become scarce. The first is the need for self-esteem, which is nearly universal and (as I discuss in my book Guided by the Faith of Christ) seems to be largely related to the universal fear of death. We gain self-esteem be being “better” than our peers at whatever our culture values, such is athletic ability, wealth, or physical appearance. Not everyone can be a top athlete, wealthy, or beautiful, since these are all relative terms.  Consequently, whatever people regard as important to being “successful” becomes scarce, and those who lose the ongoing contest for self-esteem become resentful towards those who win. Further, since no amount of self-esteem can completely assuage our innate fear of death, people tend to seek more and more wealth, power, or whatever defines “success,” increasing scarcity and conflict. Therefore, fear of death leads to obsessive pursuit of self-esteem, which creates conflicts that undermine the ideal of the beloved community.
 
Next week, I will consider a second impediment to the beloved community.
 
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.

2. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
 
God Wants Obedience Not Sacrifice

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