I think this is absolutely brilliant by Keller (HT – Brian Newman).
He talks about the slippery slope of religion – here are his steps:
- Superiority – A person gains religion – they possess truth and begin living a good life.
- As a result, there is a separation from people who are different – you don’t hang out with certain types because they are impure.
- Next, you caricaturize others – others become one-dimensional people. He likens this to seeing people like cartoon characters – not real.
- Which then can lead to both passive and active oppression – if someone else is one-dimensional, they become less than human and oppressing them becomes a plausible option.
This is precisely why the model of Christ's incarnation makes so much sense. If you are separated or distanced from others it is hard to imagine, empathize or understand another’s pain or struggle, but in an incarnational approach to life one must live in relational proximity to others. If someone is known personally, a friend, it is impossible to caricaturize them. They become real, they cry, they hurt, they laugh…they are fully human. So much of what has happened through the church to the world has happened from long range. From my perspective, this is precisely why the politically co-opted church is so dangerous (both with the right or the left). Many Christians have front-loaded safety and security as a cardinal virtue in place of accessibility and tangible love.
John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (The Message)
What other ways can this slippery slope be avoided?
To me what Keller describes might be more apropriately called separationism than religion.
How do we avoid the slippery slope of alienating the other? How about what James 1 outlines as true religion as a start. Look out for orphans and widows and keep oneself unstained by the world.