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Fanaticism
Recently I read an essay
about fanaticism by Elie Wiesel, the well-known author of more than 40
books and a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and
Buchenwald. Wiesel wrote eloquently as he examined the mindset that
overtook the Nazis and that still dominates in parts of the world that
breeds suicide bombers and hijackers.
While he was writing about terrorists, Wiesel was also, perhaps
unknowingly, perfectly describing the mental illness that evangelicalism
and fundamentalism encourages.
"To the fanatic everything is black or white, curse or blessing, friend
or foe--and nothing in between. He is immune to doubt and hesitation. He
perceives tolerance as weakness," Weisel wrote in Parade Magazine on
April 7th.
For those of us who have spent any amount of time in evangelical
churches and have come out, Weisel's description could not be more apt
for what passes as a pursuit of "truth" in those institutions.
As we see it, the "truth" is NOT the way somebody, anybody, interprets
the ancient texts. We believe Jesus is the personification of truth. And
when the Bible says, the "truth" will make you free, it's not because
believing or acting "righteously" or even believing in Jesus which makes
you ultimately free. That would be a gospel of works not of grace. The
reason that the "truth" makes you free is because Jesus is THE TRUTH for
all humanity and HE (the truth) makes you (and all of God's creation)
free.
Free from what?
Free from eternal punishment. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection set
all of us free from the wrath of God. For Jesus took the penalty of ALL
the world's sin on Himself on the cross.
Being quite confident that all men and women are righteous before the
Almighty and headed toward an eternal bliss allows one to hear almost
any argument or point of view without being threatened or taking it so
personally. Our security and emotional stability is not grounded in our
own actions, belief system, or what we think about God. Our sense of
eternal and spiritual well being comes from what God thinks about US and
about all others. We don't have to die a martyr's death or condemn
someone else to purgatory or hell in order to make it ourselves.
Talk about an emotionally stabilizing perspective! Truly this is the
gospel, THE good news from your friends communicating love at
www.gospelrevolution.com.
Enjoy,
Glenn Klein
Director, Mike Williams Media
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