God is Love: Religion and Secularism in America
Can religion and secularism coexist harmoniously in our society? Can we ever get past the underlying social and political warring that seems to so often rear its head between the religious and the not in America?
That question is often scoffed at by many on both sides. Perhaps because while there are many religiously tolerant people, that does not always equate to social harmony. And there is no shortage of discord between the religious and the not in American social and political dynamics.
It must first be understood and accepted that we often are not as “tolerant” as we believe ourselves to be. As a spiritual or religious person, one is naturally prone to feel that the only path to true social harmony is the one that coincides with their path to personal harmony—that of religion and spirituality. By the same token, the non-religious are just as prone to believe that the only path to harmony is the abandonment of religion altogether, and the fading and dissolution of religious belief and practice. We must acknowledge that most all of us will, whether on the surface or deep down, hold that our way of life and belief system must be what is ultimately best for everyone else. This is a natural human sentiment, which we must acknowledge, within the world around us and in ourselves.
But is there another perspective to be had—one that leans us toward a more truly tolerant approach to one another? If so, can that perspective become reality?
Let’s focus on America, where Christianity, in all its forms, is the most prominent religion involved in the rift of the religious versus the secular, due to its place as the dominant religion. Modern Christianity can generally be categorized into three categories, broadly labeled fundamentalist, moderate, and liberal. Within these camps, the convictions, principles, and dogma—the very interpretation of “God’s will”—all differ substantively. But there is an underlying theme that is often heard: the familiar maxim God is Love.
Interestingly, this maxim is not only common across other Abrahamic religions but is mirrored throughout the rest of the world’s existing and former religions. Themes of “light” and “love” in relation to higher powers and the most revered virtues of humanity are interwoven within many of the religious traditions of the world.
However, in order to understand both the impact and the implications of the philosophy within God is Love, one must know that there are varying definitions and interpretations of both “God” and “Love.” The maxim means as many different things as there are people who subscribe to it.
How do we define God, then? That question has been debated for thousands of years, of course. And it is safe to assume that there will never be an unanimously agreed upon definition by anyone—Christian or otherwise. The question here becomes moot; and we should leave it to the centuries ahead to be debated as it may.
How do we define love? Perhaps that’s a little less ambiguous. To love is to care for, to nurture, to empathize, to feel compassion. That much is possibly unanimously agreed upon. But what is ambiguous is when people or groups establish to who, what, where, when, and why love should be extended or not. The religious, of any following, often enact their moral code through and by the love of their creator or higher power. And the non-religious, although not tethered to a belief in a higher power or being, often structure their own moral code through a reverence of the virtues they hold most high. In both cases, a reverence toward love is a common thread. Yet, for some religious, love is reserved only for the worthy—and “worthy” are defined within their belief systems as copiously as the sects that exist to define them. Their love for others is often reserved only for those who they believe that their God loves. This sentiment is not exclusive to the religious, though. The non-religious are often victim to this appropriation of love, but in their case, it is often born from prejudices toward differing belief systems.
Most of us can agree that the highest ideal of love is that which is unconditional. Unconditional love is bold. It stands easily alone and unafraid even amidst a world of fear and judgment. If we believe that a love toward mankind should be unconditional, then it extends to everyone, everything, everywhere, and always. And if God is Love, then the experience and act of love is God itself. The religious then experience and enact love as an embodiment of God—who is Love. The non-religious experience and enact love in and of itself—but the expression is still an embodiment of God, regardless of what they hold it to be. The difference becomes simply in words, but the outcome is the same: If God is Love, then those who uphold the virtue of love embody God. And if God is Love, then the religious, the atheist, and the agnostic alike, who share a reverence toward and expression of love, all walk equally with the same God.
If we embrace and embody the philosophy and principles behind the maxim God is Love and we believe in the virtue of unconditional love toward humankind, the social rifts between the religious and the secular would be far less severe. Seeing this truth, our collective eyes can be opened bright and made free of the flames of fear, intolerance, and judgment that too often jade them.
