Morality is based on what we do, not necessarily our religious beliefs

We are not moral because of what we say we believe. We are moral because of what we do.

We seem to have lost our way a bit in this political season. Or perhaps we lost our way a while ago and it’s just bubbling through the muck and up to the surface now. Often I think we make things much more complicated than they are, and while certainly life has shades of grey weaving in and out, is there not a path we each are on? Is not that path filled with  little traps that tempt our moral compass, but that we can easily step around if we’re clear about ourselves and our beliefs.

No religious beliefs, necessarily. Just beliefs.

It’s a mistake to believe we are moral because we are Christians . . . or Hindus . . . or Buddhists . . . or Jews . . . or Muslims . . . or atheists . . . or whatever. Our religion does not make us moral. Our lack of religion does not make us immoral.

In today’s world (as well as throughout history), people stand up and tell us they are better . . . more moral . . . because they believe in God (or other deity). Of course, even within each religion, believers in one branch of that religion believe they are superior to other branches of the same religion, and vastly superior to those outside their broad religious “house,” if you will. Baptists think they are better than Presbyterians, Catholics think they are better than Methodists, etc. Simplified, perhaps, but why wouldn’t they think that? After all, we’re fortunate in this country to be able to choose our religion, and it’s not much of a stretch to think people always believe they’ve made the right choice.

The belief that, as a group, Christians, say, are more moral than others is, even on the face of it, silly. 

There are good and bad, moral and immoral Christians. And yet, we hear every day that “As a Christian . . . I believe . . .” whatever. OK. Fair enough. But that doesn’t make you right, of course.

Is it moral to say abortion is wrong but executing people is not? Is it moral to believe we should help the poor and needy as best we can and yet scream about helping refugees? (I might argue if the refugees were Christians, there would be no screaming . . . but since many of them are Muslims, the screaming grows louder. “My religion is better than their religion.”) Is it moral to not try with all our might to improve the care we give wounded vets we sent to war? Is it moral to let children in this great nation go hungry because we don’t spend the money on better food programs?

Indeed the world is a different place than it was 50 years ago, but we’ve grown more intolerant, or at least more vocal about our intolerance. Funny, because at the same time we’re often embracing the “nanny state” as we rail against bad language, inadvertent slights, the dangers of school playgrounds and recess, and the political correctness winding its way through universities, business and politics. That can be intolerance of another sort. Some good . . . some bad.

Now we’re at the point where we listen to politicians boldly tell untruths . . . OK, lie . . . and yet we don’t flinch of demand correction. Why? Politicians have never, as a group, had much of a moral compass . . . Many of today’s politicians appear not to have any moral compass. I’m not talking about political spin based on our political leaning, but the bold and boisterous setting aside of our country’s fundamental beliefs and historical road map for political expediency. Not just those at the fringes of political parties, but mainstream candidates.

So let’s stop saying, it’s moral because of our religious beliefs. Let’s just say it’s moral or it’s not. Let’s not confuse our political leanings . . . or the leanings of others as anything more than disagreements, not world-ending, God vs. Satan battles. Let’s remember that our country is filled with millions of people with vastly different beliefs. Let’s not be afraid to be humble and admit when we’re wrong. That’s what makes us better, not screaming louder, hating more and raising ourselves up by pushing others down. We can be tough, but also moral.

Carly Fiorina lies about an ant-abortion video . . . Donald Trump lies about “thousands and thousands” of people in New Jersey cheering the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings . . . Ted Cruz attends a “kill the gays” rally and busts a gut over marriage equality as being immoral . . .

Examples are simple.

Is it moral to hate other people because of their beliefs or their lifestyle?

No. And those who preach that and those sell that to cheering crowds willing to throw their moral compasses into the flames aren’t worthy of our endorsement. We are all better than that.