If Your Right Hand Offends You

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” -Sinclair Lewis

This may seem like a strange quote to put at the beginning of a post on a decidedly Christian blog. It's a common enough quote; I hear it quite often, usually directed at Christians (Catholic or otherwise) by people who disagree with our teachings or beliefs. Certainly Lewis, an atheist himself, had a bone to pick with Christianity, even famously standing on a preacher's pulpit and commanding God to strike him down to prove His existence (no lightning or falling anvils were forthcoming). Most often, however, I see this quote being used in the political arena, as a response to the political actions of the fundamentalist Christian right.

We've all witnessed the shenanigans that far-right extremists have gotten into in recent years; from the formation of the Tea Party to the obstructionism that has become routine in Congress, they have certainly gone out of their way to sully their names (and the name of their party) in front of a very disappointed nation. The media is filled with examples of hateful words spoken by those who preach from a pulpit founded on the teachings of peace, love, and forgiveness. The recent debate between Bill Nye and creationist Ken Ham only further cemented the secular public's view of Christians as backward in their education and reactionary in their politics.

We wonder why so many people, young people in particular, are driven from organized Christian faith. We look everywhere: the allure of secular culture, the novelty of passing trends, the wholesale rejection of tradition and morality in some circles. Certainly, all these things are problematic, but some of the burden of guilt lies with us as well.

I know what many Catholic readers are thinking, or perhaps saying out loud, at this moment:

“But I'm not like that! WE'RE not like that!”

True, by and large Catholics are not “like that.” We are under no obligation to reject science and supplant it with blind faith; the man who conceived the Big Bang Theory, let's not forget, was a Catholic priest, and many other scientists and philosophers throughout the ages have been Catholic. We are taught not to hate any person or group of people; though some people's choices are reprehensible in our faith, it should not lessen our love for them as a fellow child of God. By and large, we try not to become the “fascists” that Sinclair Lewis warned of.

But our silence and detachment is not enough. We may be the silent majority who reject the vitriolic new rhetoric from the Christian right, but as long as we remain silent and inactive we allow this noisy minority to speak for us. Reflect on this verse from the Gospel according to Matthew:

“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” -Matthew 5:30

We must show we are different from the populist caricature of Christianity by actually being different, not just in our words but in our actions. We must cut off and throw away these stereotypes by removing ourselves from them; from their media circles, their political blocs, from our own thoughts. We are members of the Church that Christ entrusted to us; it is to Him we must ultimately look for guidance. People turn away from the Church because they see her (or a portion of it) not fulfilling her promise to spread the good news through works of love, mercy, and charity; it is precisely these things that will draw people back.

It is easy to become caught up in political debates, to be swayed by the impassioned rhetoric of a charismatic radical. But let us never forget to center our decisions and actions on the teachings of Christ, who taught us to act with love and mercy; if we follow in His footsteps, we shall never go astray.