1. Original Sin, part 48: On Faith, part 2
Last week, I maintained that we cannot have peace in our hearts and in
our communities as long as we countenance violence and injustice. Because it
is easy to move the line between those who matter and those who do not
matter, there is much truth in Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dictum,
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Unfortunately, human nature seems to favor tribalism, and the attractions of
participating in the scapegoating process appear to be universal. It seems
unrealistic to believe that it is possible to have a beloved community in a
broad, universal sense. Yet, there are compelling reasons to seek such a
community. Nuclear war, profound environmental disruption, and artificial
intelligence (which threaten to render most humans economically irrelevant)
threaten to undermine human civilization. Meanwhile, industrialized animal
exploitation has already resulted in animal abuse at a much greater scale
than at any other time in history.
Faced with such seemingly insurmountable challenges, it is tempting to focus
on gratifying our senses, limiting our concern to close family and friends,
and indulging ourselves extensively on diversions such as spectator sports
and “reality” TV. It takes great faith to believe that dedicating ourselves
to peace and justice is a worthwhile endeavor. This, I think it what faith
is about. It is not about believing impossible things – such a faith can
easily be manipulated by unscrupulous leaders to cause much harm. Rather, it
is a conviction that the struggle for justice is worthwhile, regardless of
outward appearances.
As Christians, we are not called to save the world. Our faith tells us that
we are called to serve God. We don’t know which, if any, of our efforts will
eventually assist the development of a universal beloved community. But, if
our faith guides our lives, we must seek the kingdom (Matthew 6:33, Luke
12:31). This is a profound and challenging faith, but it is what the world
needs and what, I think, God wants.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
2. Nice Interfaith Video – 11 Minutes
“Anima: Animals. Faith. Compassion,” produced by the Guibord Center3. From All-Creatures.org Ministry