The Straight and Narrow Path

My mother can always make me laugh when we decide to get serious.  We were talking about the Bible last night and straightaway she is dubious because “the church was out for themselves”.  Then she went into her favourite discussion of the loathsome, despicable, lousy bastards that were the priests and bishops of Denmark through the ages.  It was a mistake leaving my Encyclopedia of Danish History with her.  She knows all 22 volumes by heart, I swear!

            For a good woman my mother is really quite surprising when it comes to religion.  She will have none of it.  She believes nothing good can come out of a church, synagogue, temple or what have you.  Religion is out for themselves and simply manipulate honest people, duping them of their money (and in the old days their land and other worldly goods).

            “Okay Mum, but surely there are good pieces of advice that come out of the Bible.”  I say.

            She’s dubious.  Perhaps.  Maybe. But you can get better advice from the Familie Journalen (the Danish magazine she frequently quotes).  Oh dear.

            My mother is, in her opinion, an atheist.  At the same time, she would like there to be something else but she is extremely doubtful that there is an after life.  As my father said “it’s a good story” but the imperative proof is not really there.

            So what does all this rambling have to do with the straight and narrow path?  If you remember your Bible Matthew 7:13-14 “. . . because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction . . . whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life and few are the ones finding it.”  Leading a good life is not that difficult, but leading a life that could end in everlasting life (if you believe in that way) is hard.  So if one is truly religious one’s life may become very narrow indeed.  I think Emerson took a different approach in his sermons because he very much espoused the development of the mind, of individualistic thought and the search for betterment of the soul.

            It amazes me to listen to the primaries in Iowa where the Americans still believe that religion should be brought into politics.  Why is that?  Are people genuinely religious or simply paying lip service to what they believe is the expected norm?  How many people in America really believe 100% in God?  If there are as many as the politicians apparently believe then I have to ask, why is America so rotten?

            Something to think about.