[The Wide Shot] When faith turns toxic

Writing about interfaith harmony, and reading the comments, can open a bottomless pit of hate.

“Clearly, the author does not understand theology,” said a Facebook user in Rappler’s comments section, referring to last week’s The Wide Shot article titled, “We cannot put God in a Catholic box.”

“Heresy,” one declared. Another comment went, “Que horror.”

One follower asked, “Bakit ang mga pagano opinionated?” (Why are pagans opinionated?) With a smile, I couldn’t help but respond, “Paterno po ako, hindi pagano. Salamat.” (I am Paterno, not pagano. Thank you.)

Ah, how faith can unite but also divide!

I am consoled, however, by people who — while holding opinions different from mine — expressed their views in a respectful manner. They’re proof that religion, even if it breeds divisiveness, also holds immeasurable power to bridge our differences.

One reader, whom I have never met, sent me a Facebook message the other day: “I’m honestly just concerned about your soul, brother.”

If my articles are an indication, he continued, “I think there’s a real possibility that you aren’t in a state of grace at the moment.” The state of grace is often understood as a good relationship with God, which involves the absence of mortal sin, or the kind of sin that leads to eternal fire. In plain terms, not being in a state of grace meant that if I died today, I would most likely go to hell.

On surface level, his message sounded harsh. But his mindset was familiar to me; I used to think of morality as a checklist of rules in the catechism. 

I knew, then, that he was coming from a place of genuine concern — following the advice of Paul in Galatians 6:1, stating, “even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit.” 

The reader asked, “Emotions aside, ‘the heart’ aside, what evidence convinces you to be liberal on controversial moral issues?” 

“Thank you for your concern!” I responded. “I believe that God is actively at work in the world — not merely in the exactness of written words, but in the messiness of life as it is lived by ordinary people. It is in this context that we practice discernment, applying the timeless teachings of the Catholic Church to everyday realities that are not as black and white as catechism books.”

“Orthodoxy,” I added, “is not only found in exactness. It is also found in the conviction that eternal truths coexist with temporal matters. God can be found also in the gray areas of life.”

“I understand, Paterno,” the reader replied, “but I’m wondering what convinces you that what you’re saying accurately represents divine revelation? Thank you for expounding more on your beliefs, though.”

I answered: “This is best discussed over coffee or a prayer session or somewhere else. But this is a good question. Thank you!”

Other readers have had similar discussions in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app. It’s our new platform for respectful, meaningful exchanges beyond what our chief executive officer, Maria Ressa, calls the “toxic sludge” of social media.

They didn’t necessarily agree with me, but I like how they shared a piece of their mind in a way that enriches, rather than polarizes, the public sphere.

Inside the faith chat room

Jim, one of our active chat room members, said “it would not have mattered if anyone said it other than the Pope.” “In fact, I personally believe that the propagation of such idea, devoid of any religious aspect, is good as it fosters unity to all and for all.”

The problem for Jim was that “the one who said it was the Pope, Vicarius Christi (Vicar of Christ).”

For Jim, the Pope’s statement “was theologically flawed” — a form of “religious indifferentism, a theological heresy condemned many times over by the church throughout its history.”

“Religious indifferentism,” according to New Advent, refers to “all those theories, which, for one reason or another, deny that it is the duty of man to worship God by believing and practicing the one true religion.”

Jim explained, “Simplistic analysis tells us why: If all religions ultimately lead to God, if all of them are a path to God, then why stay Catholic? Why stay Christian?” 

How, then, does one relate to people of different faiths? 

“The answer is simple: Don’t talk about faith, rather about commonality and goals — for example, peace, prosperity, respect, human dignity, and family. That way you’d preserve humanity and its unique individuality and rights from any biased discussion,” said Jim.

Hayzel, a Seventh-Day Adventist, asserted the belief “that Jesus Christ is the way to God, as taught in the Bible” — even as “each individual’s path to understanding and connecting with the divine can be deeply personal and unique.”

For Seventh-Day Adventists, “faith teaches that everyone is valued and loved by God.” Therefore, they ought “to approach nonbelievers with love, respect, and understanding.”

“We see it as our duty to share the message of Jesus Christ not out of judgment, but as a reflection of our faith and concern for others’ well-being,” said Hayzel. “Conversion is a personal choice and should come from a genuine understanding and acceptance of the faith.” 

Jan — who was “the stereotypical ‘debate me’ atheist” years ago — spoke of a personal journey back to the Catholic faith. It happened as a college student at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, which “broke many stereotypes regarding Catholics.”

“As a Catholic, some of my closest friends are from different faiths. Despite our differences, there are certain virtues that I learn from them. These virtues make me a better Catholic,” Jan said in Rappler’s faith chat room.

Jesuit scholastic Kevin Stephon Centeno said, “In our world today wherein religious pluralism cannot be overlooked anymore, the Pope’s actions speak louder than words.”

Francis, according to Centeno, is exercising a papacy “in the spirit of Jesus who emptied himself.” The young Jesuit said, “We need a humble and dialogical Church in the current world.”

Faith chat room member Jobs824 said that “nonbelievers can be saved, provided that they are in a state of invincible ignorance (through no fault of their own, they do not know or understand Christianity) and strive to pursue Truth and live a good life in accordance to their conscience.”

One, however, cannot be “intellectual dishonest, slothful, or religiously indifferent,” which means that one cannot simply say “I don’t like Christianity’s rules” and thus choose “to live as I please so I won’t investigate Christianity honestly, fully, and vigorously.”

Nonbelievers, added Jobs824, “should be evangelized,” as Jesus explicitly states in Matthew 28:16-20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father…”

“We need to evangelize but it’s up to the person to freely choose Christ. People have free will and there is nothing we can do if people choose to reject the faith. You cannot force people to follow Christ but you can invite or encourage them to do so,” said Jobs824.

Faith chat room member Tim said he agrees that “all religions are a path to reach God,” but “this boils down to one question — which God?”

Tim said, “Our path to God is through our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ,” who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

“And the path to God is by following Jesus’ greatest commandment: Love God and love your neighbor,” said Tim. “Now, if love is the path to God, who then is the sole religion that will say and claim they are the sole and only path to God?”

The Rappler follower added, “Differences in religion should not be a reason to lose friends with other beliefs. I share, but I don’t impose.”

‘Reality is superior to ideas’

The faith chat room members — whom we engaged on a person-to-person level, even if virtually — showed us a path to peace even without making bold statements like “All religions are a path to reach God.”

We can assert our faith, even if it is exclusivist, without demonizing nonbelievers or condemning them as pagans or heretics.

In the face of differences, one key to staying civil — and respectful of fellow human beings — is another statement by Pope Francis. On September 4, the 87-year-old Pope told his young audience at Scholas Occurrentes in Jakarta: “Reality is superior to ideas. If you go only for ideas, there will be conflict.”

“Life is to be lived in differences. If all things were the same, if all of us were the same, this would be boring,” said the Pope. “In our differences, we can choose war or we can choose dialogue. We need always to choose the path.”

It’s easy to think of religion as an abstract concept with clear and distinct borders. But if we go beyond ideas, and dive into the world of realities, we will find a complex world where any black and white will never suffice.

Let’s meet, have coffee, laugh, and share our stories. Silence — one that is reverent, not indifferent — can also bridge intractable differences.

Life is too short, and faith is too beautiful, to waste in toxicity. – Rappler.com