What Is True Faith?
by monty keeling
12/06/2002

What is true faith? That’s a question being asked a lot these days usually in the context of what kind of religion is Islam. President Bush says Islam is a religion of peace, but a lot of people, many of them conservative Christians, are denouncing the Islamic faith as one of the main causes for violence in the world today.

Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer had this to say on the subject in the Friday, December 06, 2002,Violence And Islam issue:

"Is Islam an inherently violent religion? A debate on this subject has received much attention in the United States. The question is absurd. It is like asking whether Christianity is a religion of peace. Well, there is Francis of Assisi. And there is the Thirty Years' War. Which do you choose?"

Krauthammer’s observation got me thinking. Can any religion follow and worship God accurately if it condones and advances violence? Being a Christian pacifist you know my answer will be no. And I would go on to offer that acceptance of violence as a means for solving problems by the majority of the world’ religious people has polluted every faith on earth including Christianity.

By turning towards state and "just cause" sanctioned violence as the most used method in resolving conflict, the world’s faithful, and Christians especially, have denied and rejected the power in God’s peace that took human form in Jesus Christ. We have exchanged compassion for compulsion in a never ending cycle of violent revenge and subjugation that preaches only the guy with the most powerful military matters.

Our world at this hour has become so used to violence that it seems more natural than peace. I am 51 years old now, and my entire life the United States has been in one kind of war or another. America’s war machine has become so all powerful, not because of the military and its leaders – who themselves has expressed some serious reservations about this trend - but because Christian politicians, from our presidents to our congress, have willingly given much of our country’s resources to the military in an effort to meet a progression of enemies from rogue nations to terrorists spread all over the world.

And so we come to Christmas 2002, about 1,700 years since we Christians believe Jesus died and was resurrected Christ. And it seems that people of faith aren’t much different from God’s effort. But the light still shines. And those who believe true faith in God demands living a life of peace like Jesus are still reminding others there really is "another way."

The most recent issue of the Church of the Brethren’s Newsline publication carried this account:

"Mid-Atlantic District Executive Don Booz had an opportunity to dialog about the Church of the Brethren peace message with some prominent people last week.

Booz is serving as chair of the Ecumenical Leaders Group for
Central Maryland, including the city of Baltimore. A retreat for the group took place last Monday at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore and was hosted by Cardinal William Keeler.

Booz asked each participant to share a meaningful scripture and to describe the reasons for its significance. When Keeler's turn came, he shared the beatitudes as his favorite scripture, citing the "Blessed are the peacemakers" passage and expressing his awareness of the Church of the Brethren's peace position.

In further conversation, Booz shared his concern that peacemakers are especially needed in light of current events surrounding Iraq. Keeler then asked for permission to share those concerns when he met with President George W. Bush this week. He planned to tell the president about the retreat and that, "We want you to know that we are praying that we do not go to war."

Booz said the group immediately gave its blessing to make such a statement on its behalf."

So the light still shines. Blessed are the peacemakers indeed.