The BYT Has Ascended to Columnist Heaven

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This is the end, my friend. The end of the Budding Young Theologian. Please send him your thanks for helping you out with your religious queries. And fret not, because another advice columnist is on the horizon.

The BYT Has Ascended to Columnist Heaven

Dear BYT,
Ok, let's get right down to it. There are many choices out there for spirituality and religion. We know that. And each of these organizations, or schools of thought, or suggestions for living all operate under the assumption that there is a Higher Power out there, and that their sect's way of looking at it is the right way, or it makes sense to them. True, some of these religious and spiritual groups are pushier and more self-righteous than others. Some insist their beliefs are correct, others assume quietly, and others don't give a flying fuck what you believe. Some seek to convert while others preach attraction rather than promotion. Be that as it may, the underlying issue here is that each one of these groups has a different "God." Maybe they have similar ideas, but they each believe God manifests itself differently. But either one of these sects has to be correct, or they're all wrong, right? I mean, I don't think there are 300 different "God" beings out there with 300 different sets of commandments or requirements for living right. So how is it that we don't just say, look, most of us are wrong because we can't all be right? Sure, one might argue that since "God" is omnipotent, he, she or it can in fact be all things to all people. But come on, I call bullshit on this theory. At some point, something's gotta give and someone has to say, "Look people, you're ALL probably wrong. Unless this God-thing came down and talked to you specifically, took a photo op with you and signed a copy of his, hers or its doctrine for you to share with others, NO ONE FUCKING KNOWS FOR SURE." Right?


You're right to call bullshit on this theory, especially as you state it, which is basically wrongly. Because please, let's bear in mind that there are those religious people who call themselves ecumenists, or those who are passionately involved in having interfaith discussions, debates, and agreement. Certainly there are the pushy, self-righteous religious folks out there. And I wish I could say that there is an ecumenist to match every evangelical believer out there. But Jews and Christians and Muslims (to mention only the Big Three Monotheisms) can, and very often do, get along.

You mention above that all religious sects "operate under the assumption that there is a Higher Power out there, and that their sect's way of looking at it is the right way, or it makes sense to them." That is a very big OR, don't you think? Stating that someone believes his religious faith or practice to be the right way is a long way from saying that it makes sense to him. This capacity to make sense is, in fact, the beauty of religious (and other) freedoms. We do this same thing all over the place. We choose a career, in part, because it makes sense; it feels right and is, we hope, fulfilling. We choose a partner (in some cases) and are chosen by one (in some cases) because that relationship makes sense and is, (again) we hope, fulfilling. Just two examples, sure, and not perfectly analogous, but good enough to make my point: honest religious people are those who actually acknowledge precisely what you suggest religious people, as a kind, cannot acknowledge, that no one really knows if there is a God "out there" and we do our best to make sense of a situation where we are called (so I believe) to have a relationship to the world, within society, among as many beliefs as there are people. For me, God exists not "out there," but only within this situation and this call to be a man (in my case) for others, who acknowledges all our various beliefs. Certainly, some of those beliefs are repugnant (e.g., fundamentalisms of all kinds), and I'm perfectly right to note them, complain against them, and convince others that my way is better. Is my way the truth? To my knowledge, no God-thing has ever come down and talked to me specifically, so I guess all I can say is: Who the fuck knows?

THE END.

(Thank you and God bless.)