Dives and Lazarus
KarlLB
Shipmate
This has come up in a number of conversations on social media recently, usually evangelicals insisting that non-belief is a matter of not wanting to believe rather than actually having intellectual issues with belief, often forced by a literal interpretation of Romans 1:19-20 ("since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.")
The Romans passage is for another time, but what I'm thinking about here is what I think is a misuse of the parable.
I think it ignores the framing - Lazarus is in "the bosom of Abraham" because he suffered in life - not because of any belief he had or didn't have. Dives is "in torment" also not because of any beliefs he had but because he ignored Lazarus's plight.
So what is it that Dives' brothers don't believe that they have Moses and the Prophets to teach them, and that someone returning from death won't convince them of?
I'd suggest it's not anything to do with adopting the right beliefs about or in God. It's the importance of caring for the poor and marginalised. If they don't get that message from the Law and the Prophets, they won't get it from Jesus' resurrection either.
If anyone stands accused by this parable, therefore, it's not atheists, agnostics or any other non-Christians. It's Christians who supposedly believe in Jesus but have no care for the marginalised, the poor and the oppressed - or, worse, actively support their oppression.
Thoughts? Am I talking crap?
The Romans passage is for another time, but what I'm thinking about here is what I think is a misuse of the parable.
I think it ignores the framing - Lazarus is in "the bosom of Abraham" because he suffered in life - not because of any belief he had or didn't have. Dives is "in torment" also not because of any beliefs he had but because he ignored Lazarus's plight.
So what is it that Dives' brothers don't believe that they have Moses and the Prophets to teach them, and that someone returning from death won't convince them of?
I'd suggest it's not anything to do with adopting the right beliefs about or in God. It's the importance of caring for the poor and marginalised. If they don't get that message from the Law and the Prophets, they won't get it from Jesus' resurrection either.
If anyone stands accused by this parable, therefore, it's not atheists, agnostics or any other non-Christians. It's Christians who supposedly believe in Jesus but have no care for the marginalised, the poor and the oppressed - or, worse, actively support their oppression.
Thoughts? Am I talking crap?
Comments
What I do know from sociology of faith actually covers a broad spectrum of meanings, of which belief is only part; I am here using belief to mean intellectual assent and faith as the broader concept of self-affiliating to a religion. They almost could be swapped around in English. Faith encompasses: belief, loyalty, trust, admiration, affiliation, etc.
If we take the loyalty aspect of it. Certainly, saying the right things helps, but what about last Sunday's Gospel reading, Matthew 21:28-32? The younger is saying all the right things but is not obeying the father's request. God is quite explicit in his requests, and what you list stands out among the priorities.