Infidels?

I’ve been thinking about the word “infidel” lately. I’ve heard it frequently on TV this week, remembering 9/11 and hearing newscasters talk about terrorism. There are those who would say that anyone who doesn’t follow their religion is an “infidel”.

Infidel stems from the word “infidelity” which is unfaithfulness, disloyalty, betrayal. The infidel is the one who breaks a contract or who breaks covenant. The married partner who commits adultery is an infidel. The person who makes a promise and doesn't keep it is an infidel. The business partner who secretly embezzles funds is an infidel. A person who doesn’t follow a particular religion, to which he or she never made a commitment, is NOT an infidel.

You can’t hold someone to the terms of a contract that they never entered into. So the problem is when people, especially religious people, impose the terms of their covenant with their god on everyone else. The ones who made the commitment are expected to keep it, not those who never agreed to be in that relationship in the first place. So the infidel is the one who is unfaithful to a contract or relationship that THEY entered into.

I’ve also heard a lot of talk this week about “Islamic fundamentalist”. I don’t have a problem with fundamentalists; Muslim, Evangelical Christian, Atheist or otherwise. I have a problem with terrorists (whether they be Muslim, Evangelical Christian or some other group) who use fear-based tactics to silence anyone who disagrees with them, their "enemies."

A “fundamentalist” means one holds to the fundamentals, or core teachings, of their particular belief system (and yes, Atheism has core beliefs, too). I would like to see us quit using the word "fundamentalist" as a derogatory title, no matter which group we are using it to describe. There is nothing wrong with holding the the fundamentals on one's faith, as long as those who hold to the tenets of that religion do not harm others or force their religious covenant on others against their will.

Fidelity, faithfulness, keeping covenant--all the same thing, and born in the heart of God:

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9, NIV)

The problem is, no matter how sincere our intentions, we are all unfaithful at some point. We mess up. We are inconsistent. We miss the mark. The good news of Jesus is that even though we are all "indidels" on occasion God offers hope:

"If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:13, NIV)

God is no infidel. He is never unfaithful. He never goes back on His word. He never breaks a promise. One thing He has promised is to forgive those who are heartbroken over their sins and turn to Him in genuine repentance:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10, NIV)

That's the good news about Jesus:
"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV)

Everyone on the planet is an infidel, because all of us at some point have been less than perfect, have been unfaithful to One who created us. The good news is that there is hope for all we infidels, hope of having the relationship with our Creator restored, hope of being reconciled to the One who loves us.

~ Father, forgive my unfaithfulness to you. Empower me to be faithful to you as you have been faithful to me. Help me to love my neighbor in such a way that they may come to know and love you, too. Amen.