He Is Just a Man

I talked Friday about the fact that if we are of the world we will be corrupted by that world. Micro-compromises build up slowly over the years. Eventually we do not even notice the compromises anymore. This is particularly evident in the religious world. No one starts out saying to themselves, "There is a lot of money in religion, I want to get some of it for myself." Almost no one anyway: Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology told his buddies just that in the years he was a Science Fiction writer before he became a cult leader. Joseph Smith fits in that category as well, he was a fake right from the beginning. 

In general what happens is the religious leader is corrupted by the process. I talked to Ron Dart one time about why he did not expand into TV evangelism. He said he thought about it but decided the necessary steps were not worth the cost. In particular he was referring to fundraising, as TV is very expensive. He had written an unpublished book about TV evangelism and fundraising techniques, so he knew how it was done. He was afraid that the money would require him to shift his focus from helping people to raising money. He did not want his Christian Educational Ministries to become Christian Fundraising Ministries. The risk was that he would become what he hated. 

Years earlier I had tried to talk Ron into forming a denomination. I was not happy with the denomination I was in and was looking for another. He refused. Having been at the center of two failed denominations earlier in his ministry (I was still in one of them), he saw no reason to repeat those same mistakes. He was right and I was wrong. 

The reason I was wrong was that I did not understand that when you institute a hierarchy you are on dangerous ground. Nothing wrong with a chain of command, but it is difficult for those higher in a religious food chain to not think of themselves "higher than they ought." This is actually fed by those "below" in the hierarchy. They expect the ones above them in the hierarchy to be better than them. They are not. With the exception of astronauts floating without gravity, all of us put on our pants one leg at a time. 

I heard a story about one church in my tradition (which consists of many denominations.) As you entered the church there was a huge photo of a "great" religious leader of the past. It was the very first thing you saw as you entered. It showed how that church venerated that man. Understand that our tradition does not allow any standard religious symbols, pictures, or icons of any kind. Yet when you enter, there is this man. Totally symbolically inappropriate. I was told they later moved it to the side, but as far as I know it is still there. 

In Ancient Rome a victorious leader would receive a parade through the city of Rome. The General would receive the wild adoration of the crowd as he rode along. A slave was supposedly (this story may be apocryphal) assigned to ride in his chariot and whisper in his ear, "Respice te, hominem te memento" ("Look behind you, remember you are only a man"). Religious leaders need that slave whispering in their ear. 

While modern Hero Worship does not go to the extent of ancient Rome, especially in a church setting, we have our modern equivalents, like a ticker tape parade. 

So my advice is that when you are in church and hear this kind of praise or emphasis on one individual, think to yourself,  "Respice te, hominem te memento" ("Look behind you, remember you are only a man"). Your next step might be to find another church. 

I have been referencing Ron Dart and his history on the issues of Leadership. to download a message he gave on these issues in 1979 click here.