The Idol of Ideology

To The Editor:

This article appeared in the October issue of “Living Faith” and was written by Karla Manternach.

“Our culture seems determined to make us take sides. We are pressured at every turn to think in black or white, liberal or conservative, us or them. Many of us identify so closely with a side that, when we face a new issue, we just check to see what “our people” think and fall in line. We make an idol of an ideology. We might even bow down to our group instead of our God. God alone should be at the center of our moral decisionmaking. That means learning, praying and reflecting about the issues facing our world. It means speaking up when we see hatred and dishonesty, even if it’s our side that inflicts it. It means lifting up love and compassion, even if it’s the other side that practices it. It may not be easy to do, but Jesus called us to love our enemies as well as our neighbors. We choose God only when we choose love. Lord God, I will bow down only to you.”