I once heard a lecture given by Professor Steven Goldman at Lehigh University, and he defined "belief" as something that influences our actions -- whether or not it is objectively true. For example, he says, let's say you believe it is going to rain tomorrow. What will that mean? Well, most likely, it will mean that you are going to bring an umbrella. If you believe it's going to be a downpour, you may even bring galoshes.
Now, it will either rain or it won't -- the important thing is that your belief about the rain directly affected how you acted here and now.
Our beliefs are truly what guide us. As Dr. Andrew Newberg writes in his book "Why We Believe What We Believe," "[b]eliefs govern nearly every aspect of our lives. They tell us how to pray and how to vote, whom to trust and whom to avoid; and they shape our personal behaviors and spiritual ethics throughout life."
So because our beliefs are so powerful, and so strongly influence our actions, a major question is how religious belief affects us.
There are some who think that religious belief is inherently a force for evil because they see all the harm done to this world in its name. They see people who believe that blowing yourself up will allow you to enter into paradise with 70 virgins, or that if you do not accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior you will rot in hell, or that the entire biblical land of Israel is a God-given right, and so they understandably and naturally reject religion entirely.
But in fact, beliefs (even religious beliefs) themselves are neither good nor bad -- it's how those beliefs manifest themselves in our actions that is most critical.
After all, there are many who believe that the Quran teaches us that we should "know and honor each other" (Chapter 49, Verse 13), or that Christ's love impels us take care of the weakest members of our society, or that we are partners with God in repairing the world. And those beliefs have power, as well.
One of the most incredible experiences I have had recently was being part of the launch for "Westchester United," a new community organization bringing together churches, synagogues, mosques and other institutions to explore the question, "What kind of good do we want to create in this world?"
- East Brooklyn Congregations has built almost 3,000 Nehemiah homes for low-income families -- and according to Kathryn S. Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, "We continue to see an almost nonexistent default rate."
- South Bronx Churches has helped build the Mott Haven Campus, a $160 million school campus for 2,300 students in the Bronx, which, as the The New York City Department of Education says, "includes multiple gymnasiums and science labs, an outdoor football field, and auditorium and cafeteria space that all schools will share. "
- New Jersey Together has spearheaded a $1 billion dollar environmental cleanup, forcing several of the worst polluters in northern New Jersey to take responsibility and clean up the messes they had created.
Now, were there religious communities that felt that "social justice" was a dirty word and so elected not to be a part of these initiatives? Almost certainly, and that was their choice. But that fact doesn't negate the fact that hundreds of faith communities strove to improve this world because they believed they were commanded to do so.
So today, progressive religious communities have both an opportunity and a responsibility to advocate for a belief system that inspires people to improve themselves, their society and their world. Because in my experience, the strongest congregations are the ones that create a strong sense of community and lead people to rally around a shared sense of mission together.
Religious belief has undeniable power -- so the question is how we can use it most effectively to make the greatest positive impact on this world. Religious communities can and need to ask, "What do we believe about what God demands of us? What do we believe about human nature and the way the world works? And what do we believe about our potential to make a difference in people's lives?"
Because ultimately, religion is a tool, like fire. And while some people are using it to destroy this world, there are so, so many who are using it to take a world that is far too often cold and dark and bring just a little more light and warmth into it.