Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Non-Conformity
Mark Daniels asked about hostility towards unmarrieds and long-marrieds without children. (Since I have qualified as both at different periods of my life, I'm beginning to wonder if Mark is trying to tell me something
) He does so based on a post by Ann Althouse, essentially reprinting his comments thereupon. Needless to say, I feel pretty strongly about this topic, but Mark said something very insightful that I think expands it a bit:
Before I get to far here, I need to say that there are suitable reasons for hostility and disdain in this world. Much as many will disagree, I think even hatred, there are some things that love, God's love, demands that we hate. However, having said that, simple non-conformity is not one of them.
I once witnessed Macedonians ("Christians"!?) mercilessly beating an Albanian (Muslim) simply because they encountered the individual and they hated Albanians. Of course no one I know gives beatings to single people, but the animus behind the beating and the disdain appear to be quite the same. Recently, it was necessary to arrest and charge Christians for disturbing the peace in the US Senate while they protested a Hindu prayer.
Of course, as I have followed the course of Mitt Romney's presidential aspirations, I have countless tales of animosity towards Mitt simply becasue he is Mormon.
These are all examples of religious non-conformity which is often justified because of the truth claims about faith. Christianity is somewhat unique amongst faiths; however, becasue its founder, Jesus, taught and practiced tolerance of the non-conformist. Jesus Himself was a non-conformist, for it was His non-conformity, and the hatred that created the the established culture, that resulted in His crucifixion. Before you think I am going all hippie here, Jesus was not a non-conformist for non-conformity's sake, He was working to establish a new order - that should never be forgotten.
Which leads to the real heart of where our negative emotion regarding the non-comformist arises. Non-conformity threatens the conformist. Non-conformity challenges the assumptions and prejudices and comfort of the established.
A fact which encompasses all the reasons Mark Daniels discussed in his post - jealousy, suspicion, fear - non-conformity says, quite simply, "there might be another way." Amazingly, most of the time there is not; the wisdom of society tends to be pretty good - I certainly can attest to the better nature of marriage compared to singleness. Which is what makes the negative emotion associated with non-conformity amazing to me because it reveals a lack of confidence in the established order.
If one is sure of his position, the threat from the different is minimal. Which is why, when Christians are involved in the kinds of things I discussed above I am truly disheartened because it means that those Christians lack confidence in their faith, and their God. One of the reasons I do not have a problem with a Mormon candidate is I believe our faith to be the true faith and I have confidence in God to make that truth apparent, regardless of who occupies the White House. And so with a Hindu prayer in the Senate. It is as if people forget that God's authority supercedes even that of the government.
Next time you feel that suspicion or disdain or even hatred, ask yourself where it comes from. Examine first your own lack of confidence. Determine if the threat is real. You will find an immense and wonderful and powerful God upon whom you can rest with confidence and in Whose grace you may abide for eternity.
Related Tags: non-conformity, hatred, disdain, singleenss, grace, confidence, faith
) He does so based on a post by Ann Althouse, essentially reprinting his comments thereupon. Needless to say, I feel pretty strongly about this topic, but Mark said something very insightful that I think expands it a bit: Some people feel that adults have to go through certain proscribed life-hoops in order to truly be considered an adult. They tend to believe this all the more if they have, in fact, gone through those hoops, no matter the quality of their marital or family relationships. They see themselves as part of an adults' club and looking down their noses on those who haven't gone through the hoops is one of the "privileges" of membership. (OK, good save Mark, you can still be my friend!More generalized, Mark is saying that we bear hostility and disdain for the non-conformist. I think he is right and I find it fascinating.)
Before I get to far here, I need to say that there are suitable reasons for hostility and disdain in this world. Much as many will disagree, I think even hatred, there are some things that love, God's love, demands that we hate. However, having said that, simple non-conformity is not one of them.
I once witnessed Macedonians ("Christians"!?) mercilessly beating an Albanian (Muslim) simply because they encountered the individual and they hated Albanians. Of course no one I know gives beatings to single people, but the animus behind the beating and the disdain appear to be quite the same. Recently, it was necessary to arrest and charge Christians for disturbing the peace in the US Senate while they protested a Hindu prayer.
Of course, as I have followed the course of Mitt Romney's presidential aspirations, I have countless tales of animosity towards Mitt simply becasue he is Mormon.
These are all examples of religious non-conformity which is often justified because of the truth claims about faith. Christianity is somewhat unique amongst faiths; however, becasue its founder, Jesus, taught and practiced tolerance of the non-conformist. Jesus Himself was a non-conformist, for it was His non-conformity, and the hatred that created the the established culture, that resulted in His crucifixion. Before you think I am going all hippie here, Jesus was not a non-conformist for non-conformity's sake, He was working to establish a new order - that should never be forgotten.
Which leads to the real heart of where our negative emotion regarding the non-comformist arises. Non-conformity threatens the conformist. Non-conformity challenges the assumptions and prejudices and comfort of the established.
A fact which encompasses all the reasons Mark Daniels discussed in his post - jealousy, suspicion, fear - non-conformity says, quite simply, "there might be another way." Amazingly, most of the time there is not; the wisdom of society tends to be pretty good - I certainly can attest to the better nature of marriage compared to singleness. Which is what makes the negative emotion associated with non-conformity amazing to me because it reveals a lack of confidence in the established order.
If one is sure of his position, the threat from the different is minimal. Which is why, when Christians are involved in the kinds of things I discussed above I am truly disheartened because it means that those Christians lack confidence in their faith, and their God. One of the reasons I do not have a problem with a Mormon candidate is I believe our faith to be the true faith and I have confidence in God to make that truth apparent, regardless of who occupies the White House. And so with a Hindu prayer in the Senate. It is as if people forget that God's authority supercedes even that of the government.
Next time you feel that suspicion or disdain or even hatred, ask yourself where it comes from. Examine first your own lack of confidence. Determine if the threat is real. You will find an immense and wonderful and powerful God upon whom you can rest with confidence and in Whose grace you may abide for eternity.
Related Tags: non-conformity, hatred, disdain, singleenss, grace, confidence, faith
