When Religion Refrains From
Explaining “Why”
March 7,
2015 by Domyo
Burk Patheos
If religion’s purpose is to help people find peace and strength and
to live good lives, which I believe it is, it makes sense that
people would turn to religion to explain why terrible things happen
in the world – particularly terrible things that happen to
individuals that apparently didn’t do anything to deserve
it.
I
think the most profound and true religions – or the most profound
and true forms of the various religions – refrain from any
definitive explanation of “why.”
Our longing to
know “why” is perfectly natural and reasonable. We would like to
understand the “why” so we can try to prevent terrible things
happening to people, including us and our loved ones, in the
future. We would like to understand the “why” so we know our own
culpability in the matter (ideally we find we are free of any
responsibility for a given event, but at a deep level we appreciate
this is rarely, if ever, true).
Religions
throughout time have offered up all kinds of answers for why
terrible things happen: the whims of capricious gods that must be
cajoled and pleased; the position of the stars; the will of ghosts
or spirits; the people affected or involved deserved their fate
because of bad things they did in a past life; the people affected
or involved deserved their fate because they were displeasing to
God in their current life. Whatever the answer, a religion is also
obligated to provide corresponding recommendations for how to avoid
similar calamity via ritual, offerings, beliefs, codes of behavior,
or adepts who can intercede with gods or spirits on our
behalf.
Thus, with the
help of religion, out of the sadness, confusion and fear associated
with terrible events and situations there can arise certainty and a
plan of action. But at what cost? It’s one tiny step from
explanation to blame. If you are the one who is suffering right
now, what good does my explanation for that suffering do you,
unless you agree it is correct and get with my religion’s program?
Far more likely that you do not do either of these, and the comfort
my religion provides me only serves to alienate us from each
other.
What if a
religion offers no explanation, but instead offers this: “In this
world there is great suffering as well as great joy. It can be very
difficult to find peace and strength and to live a good life in
such a world, but here are some ways to do it…”
With support,
then, the religious practitioner is asked to develop the spiritual
maturity to tolerate ambiguity and a lack of control over the
fortunes of life. Without trying to come up with explanations just
to comfort herself, this kind of religious person can bear true
witness to the sadness, confusion and fear that come along with
terrible things. Out of this bearing witness there can arise
insight into what might best be done to minimize suffering now and
in the future. The easy, simple refuge of an explanation is
foregone for a resilient ability to find a more poignant kind of
peace without reliance on explanations.
I
respect the nod to mystery that is given when religions answer the
big “Why” with, “It’s part of God’s plan. We cannot possible
comprehend God, so we cannot always understand his plan.” This
invites us to let go of explanation. However, religions generally
add, “Still, even if you can’t understand it, you can rest assured
that God has a plan, and that it is a good and beneficial plan.”
Oops, one step too far. Nice to think that everything is going to
work out well in the end, but what kind of good plan involves the
slaughter of innocent children? At some point the
explanations religions offer become too ridiculous for people to
accept – and then those explanations cease to provide the peace,
strength and context they were intended to.
I hope religions as well as individuals will continue to grow and
evolve. I hope we will all work to stay with the discomfort a
little longer each time and postpone as long as possible
explanations that might bring some relief but will shut down our
dialogue with the world. I hope religions will begin to refrain
from offering explanations when there aren’t any, but instead offer
support to people to find peace, strength and direction in the
midst of the wonderful, terrible, ambiguous world in which we find
ourselves.