by Br. Jesus Matias, ofs
Do you believe that one’s faith makes one intrinsically good?
Or that the lack of it makes one intrinsically evil?
We have a common notion that a set of socially-motivated (or socially-imposed) set of beliefs, creates a moral compass that inspires norms for proper living and behaviour. Such notions arise from our own experience within Catholic culture, and from our own observations of circumstances outside of it.
An instance of socially unacceptable conduct in a child, triggers an immediate inquiry ‘if the parents are going to church’; or that a praiseworthy adolescent likewise triggers immediate acclaim ‘because the parents are going to church’. Indeed, the family and the Church are instrumentally vital in shaping and strengthening one’s core values, and indeed embodies the lingering conscience of one’s life, but the questions of good or bad behaviour simply puts the credit or the blame on one’s heredity, domestic background or adopted religion.
Overly simplified “pigeon-hole” thinking that tends to brand people as either good pigeons or bad pigeons because of who their parents are, and what church they belong to, may make matters worse when we generalize: if someone belongs to a certain family, community, social class or religion, then they are this-kind or that-kind of a person.
One of the worst perversions we have generated in modern civilization is the ability to give everyone a label.
This is the source of our own prejudice against different neighbours and communities; against different social classes such as views of the affluent against the poor and marginalized; and against different religions. Of all our wicked biases, it is our discrimination against religion that lacks the most basis, but can sometimes be the most dangerous. Our nearly fanatical devotion to a belief system will render anybody outside of it ‘worthy of hell’. And we will even make sure that ‘his will be done’.
It is an irony of history that even faith when uncontrolled or misguided, can make one evil.
But where does goodness come from?
Every human, it seems, is truly born with the capacity for being good, and the potentiality to do good; faith therefore becomes an expression of goodness, and for many people it provides the framework of teaching goodness. Therefore faith is not so much the source of goodness, but rather its language. We cannot say “I believe, therefore I am good”, but rather “I am good, I can do good and so I can believe”. The source of goodness is the great Spirit, and with enough mindfulness, through our acts of goodness, we are led to the Spirit.
That journey of faith, only the Spirit knows …
