The First Liberal
The Liberal Code
of Jesus Christ
By Rev. Fred Plumer
President, The Center for Progressive Christianity
Jesus would never have considered himself a political figure, but from the very beginning, as a result of both his teaching as well as his actions, he managed to get tangled up in the politics of Rome. But Christianity did not become a true political force until it was adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine as the unofficial state religion.
Most Christians today are not aware that a great deal of what they believe about Jesus and Christianity was decided by a vote (actually several votes) by the bishops in the fourth century. The huge struggle was between two groups with opposing views of Jesus and the future shape of Christianity. On one side were the bishops who were adherents to the philosophy of Arius. They believed that Jesus was fully human, although angelic, and that through his willingness to totally and completely align his will with God's will, he proved worthy to be adopted by God as a son.
On the other hand, there were the bishops primarily from the west, led by Bishop Athanasius. Athanasius insisted that if you did not believe that Jesus was born as the only begotten son of God and was divine, his sacrifice on the altar of humanity would not have been worthy of the cosmic redemption for the sins of the world. This group argued that the proof of this divinity was in Jesus' "Immaculate Conception," the miracles, and of course, the physical resurrection. For Athanasius and his adherents, if one did not believe in these things, one could not be a "true" Christian, although there were multitudes of Christians at the time who did not believe those things.
I tell this story because I believe that this historical event describes some of the root differences between most Progressive (Liberal) Christians and the Conservative Religious Right today. One is much more interested in behavior, especially in the way one treats others, and less interested in beliefs. They tend to focus more on the teachings than they do in the creeds. They tend to be far more open to change and more inclusive in their relationships.
But it seems clear to more and more people today that the folks who feel that Jesus came to earth to judge and decide which of us has the correct beliefs have had far too much say and have had power in the public forum for far too long. Although most studies indicate that the Religious Right are a minority in our country, it is been a very strong, tightly organized minority that has been able to affect elections, agenda, and policy. However, most of the political pundits today believe this organized voting block is unraveling, a point that Professor Altman has noted.
Another trend that Altman reports is the growth of the Christian Left, which can be measured in part by the numerous new organizations that have sprung up over the last decade. These groups are steadily becoming more vocal about teachings of Jesus that demand a follower to be concerned about the welfare of others and the call to work toward a greater social justice. Some of these organizations (and many individuals) have been working on these issues for a long time. Now they are becoming better organized and financially supported, and as a result they have become far more vocal and effective.
So, Professor Altman has picked up on some things that a good portion of the population has not yet discovered. I suspect that most people have not noticed these things because they have no interest in religion, or they do not think that religion and politics should be mixed. Unfortunately, it is way too late for that ideal. A whole lot of what is happening in our world today is because of religion, and a particular type of religion.
That makes The First Liberal a timely book and one I think will get more than a few people talking. It is the kind of talk that has been needed for a long time.
-Rev. Fred C. Plumer
President, The Center for Progressive Christianity
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