Days 305-309 – Is Being Good Enough?

A woman asked a minister, "Is it enough to be a good person or must I join a religion." It is an old but always-fascinating question.

A missionary nurse in Dallas approached me with a parallel inquiry. "Would you be willing to call my uncle?" she asked. "He is a wonderfully compassionate doctor but he does not believe in religion. He will go to hell. What should I do?"

"Leave him alone," I told her. "God would never turn away such a loving soul."

A lawyer asked Jesus: "What does it take to enter paradise?" Jesus reminded the lawyer that he already knew: Love God & your neighbor. "But, who is my neighbor?" the lawyer inquired.

The most famous parable in history was born. The Good Samaritan modeled Radical Loving Care.

Many might think that all ordained ministers would argue that religion is required for admission to heaven. Not this one.

Practicing a given faith because you think it gives you an edge in the afterlife is wrong-hearted as well as wrong-headed. Love is not a tit for tat game.

Over the centuries the major religions have warned that eternal peace can only be found by practicing the dictates of their religious teaching. Obviously, that can be incredibly helpful in the faith journey. But, do I need to be Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu in order to gain salvation?

Join if you wish. But, do not be surprised if you find paradise turns out to be open to all not a restricted club.

What was the religion of the Samaritan? Whatever it was I want to join his group. Those who do not ask how to get into heaven but simply do good. Those who walk the path of love, not fear.

Reverend Erie Chapman

"The Good Samaritan" – Jan Wijnants

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Categories: Reflections, Holidays, Spirituality

Tags: caregivers, Reverend Erie Chapman, The Good Samaritan

8 responses to “Days 305-309 – Is Being Good Enough?”

Doris Hand

November 2, 2015 at 11:37 am

Goodness defined as human compassion and the actions showing compassion, healing, or sometimes just listening to another person are enough. I know several people who were raised in different religious traditions, Jewish, Mormon, and Episcopalian, yet they did not remain connected to these communities. They showered kindness and compassion wherever they saw a need. My father was one of them. He went way beyond what was expected of a person. He remained faithful to my mother through her ups and downs of being bipolar when the medical profession knew so little about how to treat this illness. He showed loyalty and compassion. I believe God is present with all human beings and especially close to those practicing compassion and the milk of human kindness.

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JVD

November 3, 2015 at 12:10 am

It is in our lives, and not from our words, that our religion must be judged. ~ Thomas Jefferson
At the center of religion is love. I love you and I forgive you. I am like you and you are like me. I love all people. I love the world. I love creating. Everything in our life should be based on love. ~ Ray Bradbury
I see that sensible men and conscientious men all over the world were of one religion. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
O Heavenly Father! convert my religion from a name to a principle. Bring all my thoughts and movements into an habitual reference to Thee. ~ Thomas Chalmers
A circle can have only one centre but it can have numerous radii. The centre can be compared to God and the radii to religions. So, no one sect, no one religion or book can make an absolute claim of It. He who works for It gets It. ~ Swami Narayanananda
A good person is a good person. Love and compassion will be the path.

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~liz Wessel

November 3, 2015 at 9:24 am

“Father, Your Name is Love and so is mine. Such is the truth. And can the truth be changed by merely giving it another name? The name of fear is simply a mistake. Let me not be afraid of truth today.” ~A Course in Miracles
I feel fortunate that I grew up in a home with a Catholic mother and an agnostic father. Little did I realize then that my parents had made space in my universe for an inclusive both/and rather than an exclusive either/or view.
Whether a person practices a religious faith or not, we are all spiritual beings and the face of God can be discovered in every person.
Thank you for challenging us to expand our ways of seeing and being in this world, Erie.

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erie

November 5, 2015 at 5:25 pm

Thank you so much, Doris. Your comments are deeply appreciated. Hope you will keep reading the journal and comment whenever you can.

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erie

November 5, 2015 at 5:25 pm

You always have terrific insights of your own, JVD. You also have the gift of seeing and passing along the wisdom of others. Thank you.

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erie

November 5, 2015 at 5:26 pm

Whatever your upbringing was it has certainly brought you perfect balance, Liz.

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sbeng@att.net

November 5, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Erie: I like your concept “those who do not ask how to get to heaven but simply do good”.
Those who walk the path of love.” As a teenage I observed my father and looked at his qualities. He called himself a Buddhist. What I observed was his kindness in helping out his siblings children when times were hard for them. By his caring spirit he had taught me to live the path of love, not fear.

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Royce Withers

November 6, 2015 at 6:45 pm

There is something inimitable about the way you point our hearts back onto themselves. Truly its life changing to check our doctrine at the door and to lend our best selves the keys to the kingdom

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