deontology: theory or study of moral obligation

(You are about to engage in Erin's promised ULTRApost #2). Please procede.

It seems that being in this Jordanian environment has got Ash and I engaging in what I like to call "discussion hour." We discuss, argue, occasionally come to blows, then solve the world’s problems in the areas of pacifism vs. war, Obama vs. McCain, Christian joy vs. obligation to God, being super firm when dealing with certain sin problems in the church vs. being gentle and soft, polygamy vs. one wife, does the Bible explicitly outlaw slavery vs. not exactly, etc.

One fairly level headed and non-violent discussion Ash and I have been engaging in revolves around this strange concept of why just about every other religion, and even certain thought groups in Christianity, appear to be much more devout than protestant born again Christians. I have to admit that when I think about Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and even the Amish or Catholics, I have this gut reaction of respect, much more than when I hear someone is Baptist or Methodist. Why is that? Why does the hijab, the priest’s collar, the orange Buddhist robes, the yarmulke, or even the mere mention of the fact that someone is a member of one of the previously named ideologies strike this sense into me?

I once heard that during times of tribal warfare in Congo (and this was pretty recently…I don’t know, 5 years ago maybe?), a protestant missionary was viewed as being no different than any other person, and killed just as easily by rebels. However, a priest or a nun, rebels would not dare touch them out of respect and reverence. So even Congolese rebels know this unwritten law of which I speak.

I believe one part of this mystery has to do with the fact that paired with these religions is a very public, very consistent, very frequently executed set of rituals/actions. And from these rituals/actions has grown the reputation and idea of what a typical follower looks like. I realize not everyone who is Catholic, or a Muslim, or Jewish, fits into the generalities I am about to lay out, but the point is that these are the "stereotypes" much of the world uses when subconsciously categorizing groups into "seriously devout" and "not so pious."

Let’s start with Islam, which has a definite everyday lifestyle/well known image. There is a certain look that often includes the veil, prayer caps, long beards, etc. You pray 5 times a day in the same direction in the same language. You make time not only to pray, but also to wash before you do so. You make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime. You do not eat certain foods. No alcohol. Weddings are dictated by Islamic law. And if your parents are Muslims, you are as well. Likewise, in Judaism, often there is dress that accompanies the belief system-certain hats, hair cuts, head coverings. There is organized Jewish education in the Talmud, certain foods are prepared/others aren’t, there is a common language, and the laws set fourth in Jewish texts are taken seriously. Now take Catholicism: priests are in the collar and nuns in the habit. There is Vatican City and the Pope, praying the Rosary, confirmation, confession, mass is available everyday, absolutely no divorce or abortion, and so on. Again, I realize that not everyone who is catholic, Jewish, or a Muslim fits the generalizations I have laid out, but these are rituals and actions many members carry out on a regular basis.

Now, consider Protestant born again believers in Jesus: there is basically no action, no lifestyle that defines the protestant. Ask the average person and they probably wouldn’t have much to say about hard pieces they connect with Protestants, save attendance at church on Sunday (for some). There is no dress code, no food, no specific education, no time consuming ritual that comes into our everyday life. I believe that piece is key-we have nothing that is a part of our EVERYDAY life. All of the other groups I have named have SOMETHING they do (or do not do), they wear, they speak, they eat…we have nothing! We care not to drastically alter our lives in response to God(s) as all others do. People on the outside look at us and think we are a joke, we are nothing, we are not committed like they are because there is nothing to show it. The conclusion on Protestants thus becomes "YOU DO NOT FEAR GOD BECAUSE YOU DO NOTHING IN RESPONSE TO HIM."

After considering this difference, my mind began down a road that told me:
It is clear that the Muslim fears God-he does things to show it.
It is clear that the Jew fears God-he also does things to show it.
The Buddhist, the Hindu, the Jain, the Amish, and Catholics all have rituals that demonstrate they fear God.
You, the protestant born again Christian, do not.

BUT…

I started to think about this whole concept specifically with regards to Islam, as I am basically swimming in a pool of it here in Jordan. Ashley’s dad was talking about prayer the other day. He commented that with regards to prayer, Muslims go through quite a bit: washing, putting on certain clothing when needed, taking out a carpet, going through the body movements and prayers, and doing all of this FIVE times a day. He then asked how many times a day we pray, and I replied "hundreds." He then explained that he meant real prayer; prayer that involved something, prayer that you had to go through a process to do, a process that showed reverence and respect for God. He ended by saying we (Ash and I/Christians) have something comparable to what Muslims do five times a day just once a week: on Sunday.

I thought about this a lot, mainly because it made me uncomfortable. It’s true that I don’t go through a washing process 5 times a day. I don’t put on special clothes. I don’t do body motions. Do I have no fear of God? Do I haphazardly approach Him on a whim?

My thoughts turned to the motivation behind why the Muslim washes their hands, feet, face, etc., why women put on head coverings if not already on, why they turn towards Mecca. These things are done in order to give the individual the ability to approach God in prayer. Basically, without washing, without putting on the head covering, removing the shoes, putting down the carpet, one is not fit to approach Him. But once these things have been done, the individual is now sufficiently "cleansed" or appropriately adorned to approach. This is similar to the broader picture, where not just in prayer, Islam prescribes things one must do to win a way to heaven, the works one must carry out to be reconciled to God. This is similar to other religious groups I mentioned earlier. In Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Amish, and even Catholicism, certain rituals/deeds/works are required to attain "salvation," whatever that may be.

Now, in contrast to the previous way of approaching God, think of how the born again believer in Jesus does it. Unlike each previously mentioned religious group, the born again believer knows they will never be good enough, through ritual or deed, to approach God. The Christian acknowledges the complete inability of man (in his disgusting state of sinfulness, having fallen so far short of a standard of perfection held by a holy God) to approach God. This is why the born again knows they, and every other person on earth, need Jesus-because approaching God is only possible if approaching through the blood of Jesus. Jesus, who is the perfect life no man could live and the perfect and eternal sacrificial death (and resurrection) demanded by the holiness of God. No amount of washing or any other activity will ever be enough to remedy the horrific sin attached to man.

(This is a photo we took of some religious people bowing down to a slab rock that Jesus' body is believed to have been washed and prepared for burial on. This is at the church at the end of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulchre . Appropriate image during a discussion of outward religious duties/obligations.)

When I think about whether or not the born again Christian fears God, my answer is a strong and confident yes-because the born again Christian knows they will never be good enough, and never be able to do enough pious actions/rituals to approach Him. No matter how clean my body, how well covered my head, how or when or how many times I pray, how many hail Mary’s, how perfect my confession attendance, how many lines of a holy book I have memorized, how little alcohol I drink, how little pork I eat, how long I spend meditating, no matter what, I know it will never allow me to approach the throne of a holy God.
In light of all of this, which is truly more reverent: the one who acknowledges they will never be good enough to approach a holy God by way of their own strivings, but rather approaches through the blood of Jesus OR the one who believes that with the proper rituals and discipline he is good enough to approach the throne of a holy God?

Something that needs to be added, however, is that despite the fact followers of Jesus, by nature of their reliance on the Cross of Jesus rather than personal works, revere God so deeply, there is still a disconnect between this fact and the way the world sees us. There is honestly a ginormo disconnect between what we say we believe and the things we do, or more often do not do. I would venture to say that Christians have gained a reputation of being the most lax and non-devout religious group on earth. We have been given truth. We know Jesus, have His love, and the Holy Spirit. Because of this, something needs to happen; there must be a collective and individual response. Our daily lives need to be affected, in word and deed, by the truth we know. I know that for most all of you reading this blog, none of this is new. In fact, our lives should look far more zealous than those of others. I’m not talking about legalistic crap; I’m talking big stuff: the poor, injustice, racism, hate, violence, pursuing holiness, loving our neighbors, giving up what we don’t need for the sake of those who have desperate need, Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Burma, the Sri Lankan Tsunami victims, living on what is enough rather than our greed, seeking to preserve the environment, sex trafficking, sweat shops, urban issues, seeking to live simple, taking care of orphans and widows, hanging out with people everyone else wants to throw away, etc. And doing these things not for reward or to win points for ourselves, but out of a recognition that our lives are for God’s glory and nothing else. If I love Jesus, I will respond to that love by doing.