Is What You Preach is Less Important than What You Do

New York Times columnist David French wrote a beautiful article which sums up today's politics and religion in the U.S. He explained the difference between two theological camps, orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right conduct).

His example was to compare the two approaches of the two camps when confronted with two issues. The first would be philandering preachers or priests. The orthodoxy camp would shrug and say this is to bad but not that important. There is sin in the world. Orthopraxy would see this as a serious matter.

But the two sides reverse on posting the Ten Commandments in school. Orthodoxy would view this as major goal, far more important than philandering clergy. Orthopraxy would not think posting the Ten Commandments as very important. More important is the conduct of clergy and those in the pews.

I grew up in a church with many rules of behavior: no to card playing, movies, dancing, alcohol and several other issues of "conduct." I've since learned the religious term, piety, was what this church was all about. I can't say for certain the terms orthopraxy and piety mean the same thing. There were no Ten Commandments posted in my little school.

This difference between being "right beliefs" and "right conduct" to me explains so much of what we are seeing in religion and politics just now. For example, "right beliefs" is saying the fetus is a human being with the protection of law enforcement as one fertilized cell. It matters not that the fertilized cell is the result of a rape or will endanger the life of the woman.

The woman, or man who sees the point of view of a woman, says the behavior of the male who impregnated the woman must be placed suffer the consequences equal to that of the woman. "Right behavior" is more important than the "right belief" of Forced Birth operatives.

In the gay marriage issue, "right behavior" sees a successful same sex marriage as a benefit to both the couple and society. "Right belief" cares not at all about these benefits because "right belief" sees gay marriage as a sin.

"Right behavior" sees the "right belief" camp as hypocritical. I suppose it works the other way as well. Both camps are leaving the church. "Right belief" is voting for Trump even though he as far from "right conduct" as any candidate ever.