Religious disagreements good way to learn

A couple of years ago, a theological dialogue was held between myself and the Rev. Clem Davis, of St. Bartholomew’s. I read a theological paper and Father Clem responded.
Roman Catholicism and Unitarian Universalism are as different theologically as you can get. Catholics have been around nearly 2,000 years. Lutherans and Calvinists broke away 400 years ago, then Unitarians and Universalists broke much farther away from the Calvinist Puritans, 200 years ago.

Father Clem and I agreed on some things, the Iraq War for instance. We agreed, people needed more ethics and morality, and less greed and violence.

But we disagreed on the nature of Jesus, our interpretations of religious history and the respective roles of religious authority and relationship.

I have to hand it to Father Clem. He disagreed with me and made his case well, without ever losing his good humor or “disrespecting” my views. I’ve been known to get “snarky” in the heat of discussion, so I can only hope I did as well.

I did go away reflecting on what he’d said. It made me re-examine and refine my own views. We still disagree. But I understand my faith better for having been disagreed with by this thoughtful man.

Years ago, I was the only Unitarian Universalist among a dozen chaplain residents at Chicago’s Lutheran General Hospital. When you put Jews, Christians, atheists, and Buddhists together, you’re going to get lively discussion.

It wasn’t always comfortable, but again, our disagreements forced me to think about what I believed. At the same time, my comments also forced my peers to think about what they believed.

Here in Columbus, our church hosts the local Hebrew Congregation and Hindu Worship Society. I’ve attended their services, and we’ve even had their leaders fill our pulpit a couple of times.

We’re all richer for the challenge. Different religions haven’t listened to one another enough through the ages.

Four hundred years ago, Catholics, Calvinists and Lutherans fought it out with guns and swords, rather than listen to one another. As far as that’s concerned, 200 years ago, New England’s Unitarians and Congregationalists fought it out in newspapers and with lawyers.

These days, the Associated Press reports that Shiite extremists are forcing Christians by the thousands out of their villages in Iraq.

Some have been murdered. Violence between Shiite and Sunni extremists has also been a problem. In India, Christian villagers are being subjected to violence and forced conversion.

There’s not much organized religious violence in the United States. But there has certainly been violent rhetoric against minority faiths. Some of it against my faith. I’ve seen the Web sites.

I don’t see how such discord gets us anyplace. Again, my experience is that when different faiths exchange opinions respectfully, everyone walks away with a more profound sense of what they, themselves, believe.

If your faith is threatened because someone believes differently, well, frankly, it reflects badly on the strength and honesty of your faith. 

We need to get over the “My dad can beat your dad” notion that God will exalt whomever’s “right” and punish whomever’s “wrong.”

I hate to disappoint someone, but I suspect we’re all wrong. I suspect divine reality is so far beyond the grasp of our small human minds, nobody “has it all.” No book “has it all,” either.

Far better to put our heads together, exchange notes and learn from one another.

As I heard one Episcopal priest of my acquaintance put it, “I’ll dine at any table that feeds.”

In other words, he had definite beliefs. But he felt enriched, not threatened, by someone else’s belief.

So here’s to the unfortunates of India and Iraq and all those places (including pockets here in the good old U.S.) where people threaten — in this life or the next — those who disagree.

Whether it’s physical or just emotional pressure, when everyone is forced to agree with something, you can bet nobody’s learning anything.

The Rev. Dennis McCarty is a Unitarian Universalist minister in Columbus. His opinions are his own, and not necessarily shared by members of his church. He can be reached by e-mail at columnists@therepublic.com.