Alexa Responds - OSU Lantern article

(a copy of the article Lex responds to is at the bottom of this post)

If a physician abused the Hippocratic Oath, would you blame the oath, or would you blame the doctor that broke it? It would not make sense to blame the oath, but for some reason it makes sense to people, like Andronic Orosan, to blame a religion like Christianity for historical atrocities that are completely inconsistent with its teachings. I doubt, however, that the point of Orosan's article was really to prove that religion has caused most of the world's deaths (a statistically unfounded idea; look it up: atheists have done far worse -- and could do so without acting inconsistently with their beliefs). Such an illogical objection to Christianity is merely an attempt to justify dismissing "religion" altogether. The heart issue, rather, is this: Why do Christians have the audacity to claim that their religion is true -- for everyone?
This is why: Because truth is NOT like ice cream, it is like medicine. With ice cream, you choose what pleases you. With medicine, you must choose what heals. While tolerance simply means avoiding offending anyone or infringing on their happiness, the importance of Christianity's implications requires Christians to do something harder: To love. To say, "Evidence, logic and reality all suggest that Christianity is what heals. In fact, I am convinced, not that it makes me happy all the time, but that it is true, and if it is, it's a matter of life and death. I care enough about you to warn you not to throw off Christianity lightly without considering the evidence. I love you enough that I'll risk our friendship, my reputation, even my life -- because I believe you are worth it." That is the heart of true Christianity.

Despite drawbacks, religion good for some

I never go to church except for the rare family-induced holiday special, and I have joined and left more religious denominations than I can name. I no longer even believe in the Santa Claus-like story of a bearded, all-knowing white man who watches over my thoughts and deeds, gently guiding me down the righteous way.

I'm going to hell.

Religion, I have found, is most often an angry and unforgiving business. It has been at the root of more wars and the cause of more deaths than all the greedy, land-grabbing capitalists combined.

Charismatic con men have fooled our society on their televised telethons. Perverted priests, with protection, commit foul acts against children of their own flock.

Failing to convert us, religious extremists strike against us "savages," trying to tear down the capitalist evil they see inside of us.

These antagonistic preachings are displayed on a lesser scale in our own Oval, as Brother Tom condemns the sinners and whores with vaudevillian style as anti-everything students revile and ridicule him.

Where is the compassionate Jesus many so-called Christians claim to emulate?

Why has God's marketing arm appeared to have taken over in the new millennium, sprouting catchy slogans like "What Would Jesus Do?" and "Why Are U Here?" on everything from sidewalks to bracelets?

Many of the missionaries seem to have become so busy spreading the word, they forget to follow it themselves. Worse still, their faith in goodness seems to have been downgraded to a demand for the destruction of perceived evils.

Yet, we cannot condemn all organized religions. They simply are only as good as the congregation who creates them. A childhood friend of mine "found God" in recent years, and it's made all the difference in his life.

Angry with his parents, defeated by society and unsure of his own skills and purpose, he was lost. He had found a way to care less for himself than he did about others, following only what satisfied him on an instinctual level.

Now he has a path and a plan, a structure by which to define not only himself, but the world in which he interacts. He found his happiness.

Each of us is born with innate skills in some particular areas and certain weaknesses in others.

Our socialization shapes what remains, forming our personalities and belief systems. Race, class, gender and location influence it all, creating the wonderfully unique individuals each one of us has become.

Like flavors of ice cream, no single religion could possibly satisfy us all. Simple spirituality, however, may quench all our thirsts just like the water we all share.

Wouldn't a God just want us all to get along? We'd learn, love and live balanced lives. We'd be kind to our allies and compassionate with the opposition. We'd share our truths but understand they're not absolute.

Our human race is too simple to understand the all-encompassing force weaving through all forms of matter, creating the unique quality of each individual amid a complexity of relationships within the balance of nature. Why must we then continue to barter, belittle and butcher in His name?

Andronic Orosan is a graduating senior in english. He can be reached for comment at andronicporosan@lycos.com.