Happy Interdependence Day
We're all in this together
God's ratings are not looking so good these days. A recent Gallup poll shows that 81% of Americans believe in God. While that may sound high, it actually represents the lowest percentage of belief in God since Gallup started asking the question in 1944.
Back then 98% of Americans said they believed in God, but the almighty's numbers began to slip in 2011, with 92% acknowledging their belief and again in 2013 when it slipped to 87%. God's slipping poll numbers coincided with a rise in the number of Americans who said they didn't believe anything in particular or called themselves agnostics or atheists. Currently 29% of Americans fall into what is called the "none" category.
On its face, this might appear to be bad news for churches and communities that teach about a belief in God, but I think this poll offers good news for communities like mine at Jubilee! Circle in Columbia, SC, and other progressive and metaphysically-minded groups. The evidence is in the question itself, which seems simple, but it actually quite complex. The survey simply asks, "Do you believe in God?"
Back in 1944, that was a straightforward question since everyone seemed to agree on the characteristics of the god in question. Today, folks are not so sure. You can spot the start of that evolution about God from a 2007 Barna survey. The Christian-based research company surveyed Americans aged 16 to 29 and found that 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers described the church as homophobic and that its members had become too political, putting its bigotry and thirst for secular power ahead of its stated principles of love.
Now, some 15 years later, you can bet many of those Barna surveyed are among Gallup's "nones." That's because instead of heeding the voice of its young people, the Christian church especially, doubled down on homophobia and political ambition. In short, the belief in God is taking a nosedive because those who say they represent the Almighty have made the guy so unappealing, people are fleeing the church in droves.
That doesn't mean, though, that these people who no longer believe in the god of evangelical Christianity don't believe in something. Many of them still believe in some manner of higher power, and many of them still have spiritual practices and want to be in community with others who feel the same way. What's changed, in my opinion, is the willingness to believe in a God of separation that is so often peddled by evangelical Christianity, especially as the influence of Christian nationalism grows within denominations and congregations.
I believe those who say they no longer believe in God are simply acknowledging that they are tired of feeling separate from others their church deems as "sinners" or "unredeemable" and are seeking the real God of Love that brings a sense of unity. These people who no longer believe in this vengeful, ego-created god of separation and earthly power are those who still believe in the basic goodness of humanity – something theologian Matthew Fox calls our "original blessing." That's a foreign phrase to our modern ears because, especially those of us raised in a Christian background who had it pounded into us that we're all tainted with "original sin."
The phrase, and it's attending doctrine, came to us in the 4th century by a man named Augustine. He was the Bishop of Hippo in northern Africa back in the day and was very influential in early Christian history. Augustine struggled with what was probably a sexual addiction and while he struggled to get his lower nature under control, he shaped the doctrine of original sin, that posits we are all born with a stain on our soul that can never be erased.
Martin Luther agreed about the base nature of humanity, calling us all a "stinking bag of worms." This is why God had to send his son Jesus as a blood sacrifice to redeem us, just so God could look at us without throwing up.
Just as Bugs Bunny got lost because he didn't take that left at Albuquerque, I believe this is the moment the Christian church lost its way. Fox believes we can counter those forces of fear and pessimism and find our way back by remembering our original goodness, which he says is represented in all of creation.
"This goodness," he writes in his book Original Blessing, "is inherent in the beauty, wisdom, and wonder of creation. Goodness and creation go together as do goodness and God. When creation becomes the starting point of spirituality again, then hope will return also. We will see everything differently, including Divinity itself. This blessing awareness will motivate us to hopeful – and generous – actions."
Today in the US, we celebrate Independence Day – a political victory that has only brought about more separation, not just between nations, but between citizens within this nation. When we look at creation, though, we can see the beauty of our interdependence upon one another. No one tree seeks to outgrow another. No one species of flower seeks to annihilate another. No single grain of sand seeks to become the greatest piece of sand ever. Everything in creation works together for the good of it all. I believe this is what people are yearning for in this moment in history – that sense of unifying interdependence that reminds us that we are all in this together. Let today be the day we declare our interdependence by widening our holy circle to encompass everyone.
"Each one you see you place within the holy circle of Atonement or leave outside," A Course in Miracles says in Chapter 14, "judging him fit for crucifixion or for redemption. If you bring him into the circle of purity, you will rest there with him. If you leave him without, you join him there."
In short: "We are all in this together." We come to know this simple truth when we recognize that we are all originally blessed. Or, as A Course puts it: "Refuse to accept anyone as without the blessing of Atonement, and bring him into it by blessing him. Holiness must be shared, for therein lies everything that makes it holy."
Ah, but this is the point where the ego begins to complain and remind us just how deeply recalcitrant so many people are in this world. It has tons of examples – crooked politicians, power-hungry leaders, crappy bosses, ex-friends and lovers, the crazy psychopath we read about in the news, or worked for or with, and at least 5 US Supreme Court Justices. So many recalcitrant people are running around ruining the world, the ego says. Surely, they are not originally blessed!
Ah, but they are. Everyone is originally blessed. Everyone has the blessing of Atonement. Our calling is stop seeing proof of recalcitrance – which is easy to see – and look deeper to see the proof of holy innocence within everyone, because it's there. Those we brand as bad, mean, or even evil, are simply those who are so lost in their world of ego that they cannot see the good in anyone – much less themselves.
They have buried their light of innocence and love with a mound of egoic muck that keeps them believing that the meaning of life is to gain as much power, wealth and influence over others as possible. They use everything at their disposal, including religion, weaponizing its doctrines and dogmas to the point of welcoming some while condemning others. Separation is the weapon of choice for the ego and if it can make us hate even one person, it has done its job.
"Oh, but we've tried the path of Love," you may be thinking. But, have we? How can we even approach the path of Love if we are willing to see even one person as beyond the reach of it? Our society is so tainted by the idea of original sin that we willingly put some people outside the holy circle of Love, believing them to be beyond redemption. Are there people who do bad things in the world? Yes, but that doesn't mean they are inherently evil. It means that they are deeply unconscious and have almost completely forgotten their original blessing.
Buddhist monk Pema Chodron, in her book Welcoming the Unwelcome has the cure: "When more of us learn to trust our basic goodness, society will get stronger. This doesn't mean there won't be hard times," she continues. "It doesn't mean violence, injustice, and poverty will end. It doesn't mean the polar icecaps won't melt and the water in the oceans won't rise. But it does mean that there will be a lot of resilient people who will never give up on humanity and will always be around to help others. It does mean that when things get rough, it will bring out the best in people, rather than the worst. If we learn how not to lose heart, we will always find ways to make important contributions to our world."
Are you willing to believe in the God – the universe, the ultimate awareness – that calls to us to bring out our best into the world and not lose heart despite the ego's insistence and evidence of an evil and cruel world? Are you willing to believe that we are all in this together?
Given the state of the world, I know it can be difficult to see the original blessing of everyone you meet or see. Spend five minutes on Facebook or Twitter and you will meet some deeply unconscious people, and you will be tempted to judge them and put them outside the holy circle of Love. But what if you found a way to begin to see them more deeply – to understand that we all have far more in common than we might like to believe?
Chodron offers an exercise called, "just like me," and it can be a powerful tool to help you see the common humanity – the original blessing present in all of us. She says that whenever you find yourself out in the world – or on social media – focus in on one person and say to yourself: "Just like me, this person does not want to feel uncomfortable. Just like me, this person loses it sometimes. Just like me, this person doesn't want to be disliked. Just like me, this person wants to have friends and intimacy."
This exercise can help us touch a sense of compassion for everyone – even the most recalcitrant among us. Chodron reminds us that "those who believe in violence are desperate to get some kind of ground under their feet, desperate to get away from their unpleasant feelings, desperate to be the one who's right. What would we do if we felt so desperate?"
What would we do? What have we done in the past to get away from unpleasant feelings, to feel right and find some sort of solid ground in this ever-shifting universe? We have far more in common with those we condemn or judge than we want to believe.
The truth is we're all trying to figure out this weird and wonderful world we've been born into. The good news is, though, we can create the beautiful and unified world we want if we can see the inherent goodness in all of creation – including within those we dismiss as recalcitrant. If we are willing to see everyone as holy – as worthy of the God of Love that created them – then we will begin to notice a flicker of holy light in what we perceive as the darkest of souls.
"Holiness must be shared," A Course tells us, "for therein lies everything that makes it holy."
If it's true that holiness is shared, then it is impossible for us to put anyone outside of the circle of God's Love. I am among those who don't believe in the old-fashioned god of division anymore. The God I know is one of unity, peace, joy and an all-encompassing Love. I cannot, in good conscience, put anyone outside the holy circle of God's love and compassion, because I know, we all have the mark of original blessing that calls us into the circle and assures us that we belong to one another.
A Course offers a reminder that we are all in this together: "Come gladly to the holy circle, and look out in peace on all who think they are outside. Cast no one out, for this is what they seek, along with you. Come, let us join them in the holy place of peace, which is for all of us, united as one within the cause of peace."
This is the invitation celebrate our interdependence, because we are all in this together.
Happy Interdependence Day.
What are your thoughts? How are you celebrating Interdependence Day?
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Take 20 with Candace
This week’s Take 20 is from Jubilee! Circle's July 3, 2022, celebration: “The Humanity of Original Blessing.” We are all originally blessed with God’s goodness, not originally tainted with sin.
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Want to learn more about A Course in Miracles?
Jubilee! Circle hosts an informal discussion group about A Course in Miracles every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. If you’re in the Columbia, SC area, you can join us in-person at 6729 Two Notch Road, Ste. 70 in Columbia. If you’re anywhere else in the world, join us by Zoom using the link below. Whether you’re new to ACIM, or have been studying it for years, this is a low-pressure, friendly environment to learn more and grow together! Join us:
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About the Motley Mystic:
The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true, Divine Self.
Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.