Color Me Holy

This class may be over, but I still have one more religious question to ask: What makes someone religious? Maybe the answer is obvious to some people of some faiths, but, to me at least, the problem is uncertain.

Let’s consider a hypothetical character around which to frame this question, and how about we name him Grant. Would Grant be religious if he believes in every dogma within a specific religion? Never mind the fact that he is steals, fornicates, lies, and is a generally dishonest person; Grant still has all the rules, practices, and historical narratives of his religion down cold. Does the fact that he can recite the Beatitudes or the Shama make him a devout individual, even if he never puts his faith into action? Or how about if Grant goes to Mass, donates to needy foundations, and teaches children about their faith in weekend classes, but, as soon as he leaves his church or his classroom, he cuts someone off in the parking lot and screams obscenities at a child for walking in front of his car. He practices his faith, or at least the superficial aspects of it, and lives what people in his congregation would consider a virtuous life. Is it sufficient to perform the physical, monotonous chores of one’s religion even though the essence of love and spirituality are missing? Maybe Grant isn’t a part of any specific religious community, but he is a good person. He helps his neighbors when he sees they are in need; he walks elderly people across the street; he gives money to charities without expecting any recognition in return; he volunteers to help at the local hospital, putting on shows for dying children. However, he doesn’t believe in saints, prophets, a God, or anything divine. Even though he is not following a religion, he is acting the way we expect religious people to act. Now consider that Grant is extremely religious, even overzealously dedicated to his faith. His idea of an eventful weekend is reading the entire Torah or Bible and hearing that sinners in some part of the world were either converted or killed. He pickets at abortion clinics and throws food and rocks at the workers and women entering the building. He believes that all those who have not found his faith or who obstinately continue to live immoral lives deserve immediate judgment—whether at his hand or God’s. He cries for all the sin and transgression that occurs in the world, and he would be willing to give his life in order to make others see the error of their ways. Grant holds his Lord and his faith above anything else in the world: his family, his friends, his life, the lives of others and the laws of his country. Would Grant be religious because he is devoted to his beliefs, even though he is so fastidious and fervent that he would not think twice about killing a man who cheats on his wife?

What I am getting at here is simple: on what grounds can we determine if someone is religious? If someone is not part of any religion or never practices the traditions within his faith, we believe that he is not pious. However, if someone is obsessed with his religion to an unhealthy degree, we consider that person to be mentally unstable; he is distorting the religion rather than following it. I suppose someone could argue that moderation is crucial, but that would mean that you believe in some parts of your creed, are virtuous every so often, and act on your faith when you are in the mood—and I can’t think of anyone who would designate the latter person as devout. Can we just accept that humans are innately evil and, therefore, being a little holy is good enough? Or is the term “religious” now being used to mean anyone who isn’t so wicked as to deserve a one-way ticket to hell?

I don’t have an answer to this question; I’m really wondering what makes someone truly religious in the eyes of their faith, and can anyone besides maybe the pope, the saints, and rabbis—unless maybe they too were only “holy” when they knew they were being observed—be genuinely religious if we choose a rigid definition of piety? I’d like to think that I am holy because I am a fairly good person. Then again, I think my pastor would say otherwise since he hasn’t seen me in our church for a long time.