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Religion and Politics
Yes, I know it’s an old argument–whether our religious organizations should be preaching politics from the pulpit — or in my case, speaking politics to the sangha. As a Zen Buddhist, I’ve become increasingly distressed at the dominance of the left in almost all Buddhist communities. For many years I belonged to a Zen community (sangha) that was guided by the belief that participants ought to decide, from their own research, values, and discussions (outside the community) what they believed in and supported. But in the last ten years, leading Buddhists and lesser ones have moved from subtle support of the left to blatantly stating their leftist views, leaving out the segment of conservatives (however small) of their communities. So much for “we are all one.” Choose any leftist cause — climate change, gay marriage — it’s supported in mainstream Buddhist publications. I finally left the larger Buddhist community (and lead my own meditation group), but still consider myself a Zen Buddhist. Of course, when I tell Buddhists about my decision, they assume I support “Japanese Zen” so they think I must believe, for example, in treating women as second class citizens. Even though their assumptions are wrong, I guess my holding to the Buddha’s original teachings makes me a “fundamentalist Buddhist.” So be it.
Has anyone else thrown up their hands and abandoned their religious communities because they just couldn’t take the propaganda of the left anymore? How’s that worked out for you? Do you still consider yourself a practitioner of your religion? I’d love to hear from you.
Susan the Buju
Published in General, Religion & Philosophy
This is shocking to me! I was married in the Presbyterian church! What on earth is going on here! New World Order, anyone?
My faith is my faith no matter what. Abandoning my Roman Catholicism would be like abandoning the solar system: It’s there and it’s the truth. I’m not a particular fan of the current Pope, but so what? If your faith is so fragile that it would be effected by mere politics, then you have to question yourself as to whether you really believe.
What the heck?!
Forgive my misplaced priorities, but I’m more shocked by the running around topless at a retreat than about their worship of “Christa.” Maybe I’m just more familiar with the goofy and twisted theology that’s spilled into segments of the Methodist Church (I remember the “Sophia”-worship debates that were coming up about the same time), but I’ve never met one I thought would wind up stripping at a church retreat.
Please don’t forget, the leftward shift includes totalitarianism. The PC-USA denomination owns over 90% of the actual church buildings, even though they built/paid for almost none of them. We had a congregation nearby padlocked out of their building for their views and actions.
I’m sorry the Left is usurping your religion, Susan, I imagine it’s pretty frustrating.
Fortunately for me the LDS Church leadership on a general and local level remains very non-political. Individuals members in the US tend to be pretty conservative although I know there is a small percentage who are somewhat Progressive in their political views. Politics is not discussed over the pulpit, thankfully.
Why don’t you just join one of the plethora of right-wing Buddhist sects?
I’m a Methodist and have been frustrated with my church’s leadership as long as I’ve been aware of their existence. ;) But despite what a lot of others think, Methodists are a lot more conservative than our leadership. Nationally, we probably have a wide range of views, and I’ve been in conservative congregations as well as liberal ones. I’ve never considered leaving my denomination over the politics, but I have left a local church.
This one was the only one I can ever remember explicitly admitting the members’ political beliefs from the pulpit. Truthfully, I moved away for a few years, but when we returned to that city, I couldn’t go back to church there. What really made me give up on them, though, was how this mindset went into their theology. I’d heard an entire sermon preached without any reference to God or even anything in the Bible. Something about migrating geese.
The gender-neutral pronouns were the most obvious part, and they so objected to calling God our Father, that the preacher started baptizing in the name of “The Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.” I’m pretty sure they mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but at that point, we decided to have our daughter baptized at my parents’ church, 500 miles away. I trust them there.
Luckily, we moved away a couple or three months later, and I’ve never gone there since.
Susan, to reply to a specific comment, just hit the “quote” button.
One small clarification: the PCUSA doesn’t own the church buildings of its congregations, the individual Presbyteries do. There are some sound reasons behind this structure, primarily to do with encouraging the view of The Church as one body with many parts and discouraging any inclinations toward congregationalism. I’ve been hearing horror stories for years about the adversarial stance various Presbyteries have taken toward those congregations who, as a matter of principle, feel led to leave the Presbytery. It would seem that the “unity” and “tolerance” our General Assembly speaks of after each controversial (and nowadays, always progressive) overture is voted into ecclesiastical law is expected only on the part of the more traditional or conservative congregations in service of their PCUSA overlords.
My wife is Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a theologically-conservative group that split from the increasingly-liberal PCUSA several years ago. Informally, I know most of the people in her church are conservative, politically, socially, and theologically. But I’m pleased that we haven’t had the political aspects discussed from the pulpit. The theological aspects are a defining feature, and I think the social guidance (separate from politics) is obviously an appropriate and important part of a church’s purpose.
P.S: Welcome to your first post, Susan!
I disagree. Even more central to Buddhism than non-violence is the idea that desire causes suffering. Buddhism starts with the four noble truths.
Pretty Picture
Informative Picture
Then Buddhism goes into the eight-fold path where the non-violence comes in.
Why Buddhism is represented by an eight-spoke wheel
Buddhism has two goals. One is to encourage enlightenment which releases people from reincarnation and grants than a state of nirvana where they are freed some wanting anything. There are variations of some Buddhism that tell tales of Monks attaining enlightenment so they fasted until death because they have conquered even the desire to eat.
The second goal is help other people and not do bad things and thus be rewarded for your goodness in the next life. Most Asian Buddhists focus on the second goal because not wanting anything is really really hard. Earl for example focuses on that part of Buddhism.
Karma Explained
Hipsters think Buddhism is cool because they are under the false impression that it is a nonjudgemental religion that exists to make people feel good about themselves. They interpret Buddhism as not being filled with rules and regulations on their personal conduct.
In reality, the very best Buddhists abstain from; violence, weapon-making, alcohol, sex, pride, fancy expensive things and some usually the eating of meat (Buddha himself ate meat and Tibetan Buddhists are permitted to eat yak meat and drink yak milk. Local cultures vary)
I have always remembered a Buddhist apologizing to me after committing a rather large wrong against me. “Buddha will surely punish me.” this Buddhist said.
Something about that sentence has always stuck with me and to me it seems more real than sentimental white leftist Buddhism.
Sure. I suppose, cause no harm is more like important rule for layman to live by.
The very best Buddhists don’t involve with earthly affairs, period.
Back to Susan’s topic, the left turns everything into politics, we can’t escape it. My aunt once found herself in a shouting match at a baking occasion when talk about butter, cream, cheese turned into the need for equal pay and free college.
If you meet the Buddha on the road to enlightenment, kill him.
Susan, many faithful Catholics (including me) “parish-shop” when possible, to get away from modernist priests (and, often, congregations). Maybe we should stay and fight, but through the 70’s & 80’s you pretty much always lost.
That’s changing a bit currently, as the generation of groovy bishops retired – we can sometimes turn around a priest or parish that’s off the rails.
But for many years I lived in small towns with one church – not being Catholic wasn’t an option, so you stayed and copped it, pushing back when possible.
Yes. I have. Not the Faith. But the religious organizations/churches that purported to be teaching/adhering to the tenets of my faith but clearly were not. And, not just because they had become too political or leaned too far left but because known violations of the tenets were allowed to go on for a very long time without action by church leadership. And, yes, also because, after allowing the church to become infiltrated with leftist ideologies, the church itself seems to support violations of the tenets of the faith.
Somehow, slowly — I just came to the certainty that striving to live a life committed to Christ’s teachings — faith, hope, and love ( as well as self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and integrity) did not require a membership in any particular organization.
Only time I ever feel a little sad about my decision is when there is an event in my family that involves lengthy interaction with relatives. All have retained at least a Sunday connection to their church and all are quite certain theirs is the only legitimate faith/path to heaven. Relatives are never quite sure what to do with me.
No worries on my part; however, I admit, that although I’m no longer a member, I still find the group name Catholics for Choice stings a bit.
But political influence, or earthly power if you will, seem to corrupt any religious practice – including Buddhism (in Myanmar, in Sri Lanka), Hinduism (Hindutva in India) and certainly Islam (Pakistan, Saudi, Iran, the list goes on and on and on…). And political influence and earthly power are almost irresistible to humans – especially if they’re convinced that these can be harnessed to achieve what they believe are good goals.
Susan – first of all, welcome, and secondly: how does a Buddhist meditation group have such an overt political aspect? Don’t you think that, conservative or progressive, this subverts its purpose?
In my town there’s the synagogue I go to and the synagogue I wouldn’t be caught dead in (kind of like this joke). The former is a fairly traditional place with a young, energetic rabbi but a very quickly-aging (and decreasing) membership. The clergy at the latter appear to believe that gay marriage is the number one issue affecting the Jewish community, and are very loud and obnoxious in their condemnation of all things conservative and Republican. Not sure what I will do when my synagogue closes down as it inevitably will, but I won’t be going to the other place…
I left my Reformed synagogue because it was changing into a replica of “the skillfully choreographed mega Christian church without mentioning Jesus. In Josephus’ book 2 of his “Against Apion or Antiquity of the Jews” he carefully explains why Judaism had lasted for the prior 2,000 years. Not a single word of the law was allowed to be changed, and for the most part in an additional 2,000 years the words are the same. The Law comes from G-d and is not changeable. We have modified some aspects of behavior in 4,000 years but not the words. We no longer stone adulterers, (both men and women by the way) but the words of the law still state that it is a sin. “The law, moreover enjoins us to bring up all our offspring, and forbids women to cause abortion of what is begotten, or to destroy it afterward; and if any woman appears to have so done, she will be a murderer of her child, by destroying a living creature, and diminishing humankind.”
Great comments, all! Love it! I’m so pleased to see you describing your faiths and the sometimes difficult choices you have had to make. Just to be clear, my own meditation group doesn’t discuss politics. Early on, people tried to bring up what I thought were political (and leftist) comments. I courteously reminded them that we don’t get into those discussions. Frequently they didn’t even see them as political. Or occasionally a topic would come up that was marginally political, and I pointed out there was another way to look at the subject. Rather than an argument (and not just because I was the group teacher), they’d nod thoughtfully (probably because another viewpoint never occurred to them).
I do disagree about the best Buddhists not being involved with earthly affairs. Two thoughts on that–one is that we are called to relieve the suffering of others (which usually has to do with their desires and clinging), also known as the Bodhisattva vows, and we do that in the real world. Second, even once we reach enlightenment, we have to come down off the mountain, so to speak.
And I do think that ANY kind of politics doesn’t belong in a religious community. Ideally it might be nice to set a time aside to discuss ideas openly. Most people just can’t do it politely.
And all said, I miss my old Buddhist friends, liberal or not.
My family left the Episcopal church. We have been meeting with a small fellowship under the care of the Anglican Church of North America for 6 long years. All of our Eucharistic vessels and altar linens etc are in a box that we unpack and repack every week. At times we have had the care of one priest for an extended period, and we have persevered through the loss of that shepherd several times. We lack much of what I thought went into being a church. We have greatly missed the larger fellowship, the prayer covering, the rest. And the ACNA is a young organization with a lot of conflict that it may not survive well. It may be a piece of driftwood that we cling to until a more sea worthy vessel comes along.
Our old parish is not as liberal as the national church or their diocese. They insisted that those influences did not affect them. Of course they do. I saw many times that even rock solid, well educated mature Christians absorb and reflect the theology presented by the heretical voices in the church, with no sense of the contradictions they were speaking. Because their church family was more important than right doctrine. Because they had built this building and community and were sure God wouldn’t want them to give it up.
How did that work out? Not well at all. It is a thorn. I have no doubt about the decision to leave TEC. I have prayed and researched and discussed other denominations, other area churches, with no clear direction. No matter where I go, I detect the fallacies that start the cracks, that become fissures and then schisms. Admittedly, I am hyper sensitized because f the painful experience f seperating from my church. I have come to the conclusion that there simply is not a home for us here. But isn’t that what Scripture says after all?
Yes, but the two work together, and Zen Buddhism was particularly the religion of the Samurai. Since Buddhism tends towards a feudal structure (see pre-Chinese Tibet, or contemporary Bhutan or Burma) with the monks at the top, it tends to be more popular with the ruling classes. There’s a similar thing in China, where Taoism praises getting on with your lot in life, while Confucianism advocates values highly compatible with excellence in bureaucracy, with Taoism forming the most popular religion for the poor and Confucianism the most popular religion for the people whose lives it flatters.
Obviously, there’s a lot of simplification in this, but the key take-away is that Zen Buddhism was the religion of the Samurai. I find this to be helpful context for claims about its aversion to killing and the seeking of political power.
Well said in a small space! When my husband and I went to Kyoto, almost all the temples were Shinto. Unlike Thailand, there are very few Buddhas displayed in public either. Most Buddhist temples primarily handle funerals, and are not like our Western Zen communities. We know of Zen in the U.S. (which is the Japanese version of Chan/Chinese Buddhism) because of the Japanese efforts in the ’60s to bring Zen to the West.
The Apostle Paul described what is happening in your churches in 2Timothy;
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Seems a very apt description of the Progressive contamination ya’ll are describing.
Me and you both, sister. Tricycle is the worst about this (of course), but Shambhala and the others are not far behind. A lot of it, I think, has to do with the origins of American Buddhism and the culture in which it grew. The fact that our centers are in Northern California, NYC, and to a lesser extent Chicago, certainly doesn’t give much room for political diversity. For me, it helps that the military sangha is much more politically and socially realist than Buddhists in academia and the broader culture. As well, there are so many different traditions in the military that everyone has to be “foundationalist” to a certain extent just to communicate effectively, which tends to trim a lot of the unnecessary baggage from the flight, so to speak. Like it does for a lot of things, military life serves as an example of ecumenism and proper fellow-feeling. :)
The reason that sticks out is that what’s happening in Burma and Sri Lanka is such an aberration. The call to violence doesn’t exist elsewhere in SE Asia or the subcontinent, China, or Japan,and certainly not here or Canada. I have faith that Burmese and Sri Lankan Buddhist leaders will eventually awaken to peaceful means of resolving interreligious conflict in their nations.
I can’t speak to Susan’s experience, but many Buddhists I know are pro-life and fairly socially conservative. Those that are, are typically cradle-Buddhists, meaning they were raised religiously Buddhist. Which makes sense, given that cradle-Buddhists are usually first or second generation Americans, and new immigrants regardless of national origin tend to be pretty socially conservative. Family-focused, hard working, want to hang onto their money, etc.
Sort of. Shinto is more cultural than anything. It’s not super formal, especially since the War. Buddhism in East Asia is… complicated. In Japan, Korea, and especially China, there’s a real a la carte understanding of religion that just doesn’t have any kind of reflection here in the West. Regarding Japan, most people could be considered agnostics; just as in Europe, the War did a lot to kill religious feeling among the populace. Only about a third of people consider themselves Buddhist, there are a very small minority of Christians, and almost everybody engages in some form of Shinto religious practice; it’s just part of being Japanese. Also as in Europe, the prefecture governments tax their citizens to pay for historical and cultural preservation of religious sites, with those taxes going to pay for membership and upkeep of each citizen’s local temple. My Japanese friends say that membership is semi-required but that it entitles the member to certain privileges, such as basic funeral costs. Most young people have a Western-style “Christian” wedding, celebrate major life events in a traditional Shinto manner, and have Buddhist funerals. Japan’s weird.
It’s like my teacher always hammered home: “Don’t be a Buddhist. That is stupid. Be the Buddha.” I love that man.
Thich Nhat Hanh speaks to this repeatedly in his ecumenical works. Paul Knitter’s work Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian was an immense help to my marriage. Are you familiar with The Jew in the Lotus? I believe Kamenetz coined the term “JuBu,” or at least one of his fellow travelers did. It’s a neat work.