wjh

Richard Rohr:

I know I am walking on sacred ground here, but I am going to say it: The church often does not really encourage an inner life. It substitutes belief systems and belonging systems and moral systems for interior journeys toward God. As a result the outer behavior is pretty weak as well. I would be willing to argue this position at the highest levels of Catholic hierarchy, Protestant scripture interpretation, or fundamentalist mental gymnastics.

In fact, the reason that such external hierarchy, simplistic and dualistic readings of scripture, and heady fundamentalism exist at all is primarily because of the male unwillingness to feel, to suffer, to lose, and to stand in the place of the outsider with even basic empathy. Which, of course, is exactly where Jesus stood and suffered, “even to accepting death, yes death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). How do we dare to worship a “loser” and yet so idealize winning?

Richard Rohr (via zurik)

Undercover Nun agrees… to a point.  But do not believe Rohr’s hypothesis of the entire Church Universal.  There may be some — there may be many, or even most — parish churches where the inner life of faith is not nurtured.  As an institution, we of The Church Universal can be pretty terrible at helping people to develop and nurture the inner walk with God. But this kind of accusation is disingenuous at best.

The Church Universal is far from a “simplistic and dualistic” place.  And I do not believe that fundamentalism exists from a fear of feeling; rather, fundamentalism comes from a fear of thinking, a fear of responsibility, a fear of accountability.  In a fundamentalist environment, all the tough decisions have already been made for you.  All you have to do is show up, do what you’re told, believe what you’re told, and say what you’re told.  You don’t need to think — it’s positively discouraged.  Doubt and question are considered pathological, if not demonic.  No, what is demonic is to deny the complete mystery of God.  What is pathological is to think we can know everything definitively, simply, dualistically. 

As a Religious, Undercover Nun tries to shine light on the inner life, on the journey toward God.  Clergy can be caught up in running the church from day to day.  Bishops are protecting their institution.  And we lay people — we who make up The Church Universal — it is our job to find our inner lives, to nurture them within ourselves and others, and to support each other in our path to Christ.

(via hedwyg)