By Fr Mathew Thankachen O. Praem. –
Unlike in the past, ‘intolerance’ towards ‘differences’ is the hall mark of the modern democracy globally. The leaders, once democratically elected, empower themselves in such a way that they turn autocrats, beyond any criticism. In fact, the leaders become “democratically autocrat”, a term hitherto, probably unheard. They tame everything and everyone to suit their end including the diplomatic policies, food habit, dress code, culture, language and religion. In the history of the world, we find the downfall of ‘dominant cultures like the Sumerians, Acadians, Hellenistic, etc. whose leaders once rampaged and unified into powerful nations.
When we go through the Old Testament to the New Testament, we can observe an ‘evolution from intolerance to tolerance’, despite the concept of the unity of ‘one God “or ‘monotheism‘. In the Book of Joshua, we find Abraham, his parents and clan before the call from Yahweh were a ‘polytheist’ of tribal gods. (Joshua 24,2). The hegemony of Yahweh over Israel is very clear when He pronounces, “I am your God and you are my people”. The God of O.T. is presented as a very possessive and autocratic when Yahweh pronounces, “I am a jealous God and no other God but me”. It was further ratified as a covenant / treaty to Moses at Mount Sinai in Ex.ch.20. Such concept of “absolutism” in “theology and religion” led “aggressive conflicts” among the tribals. This conflict goes on aggravating in the Conquest of ‘Canaan’, the “Promised Land”. We too observe such ‘aggressive intolerance’ when Moses find the people under the leadership of Aron making ‘golden calf’ when he comes down in the plain with the Tablets of Commandments. (Ex.Ch.32).
It is interesting to note all through the ‘Pentateuch’ the disobedience of Israel, whenever their innate tendency of Liberty, is curtailed. Then, they complain against God and Moses bringing about the ‘Wrath of God’, rendering Jewish history a ‘cyclic one’. Thus, the progress and uniformity (not unity) achieved by one generation is thwarted by another generation, leading to a ‘vicious circle’.
In their later history, kings and prophets play a tremendous role in restoring their democratic urge while reminding the saving hand of God’ to get them ‘united’ under one God and religion. After the death of Abraham, Moses and Joshua, the role of leadership is given to those chosen by the 12 Tribes of Israel. Thus, we can observe how God admits ‘collective leadership,’ which stands for the word ‘democracy’, ‘power with the people’.
During the Biblical monarchical period, despite ‘Israel being prosperous and united’ under the reign of King David, soon after his death, his son Solomon with all his Wisdom could not keep the nation of Palestine together.
Unlike the God of O.T. who was ‘Almighty’ (Akbar), Rock, Revenging God, God of Victory’, ‘God of Judgement, Jealous God, the God of New Testament as presented in the second Person of Trinity, Christ Jesus is “Meek, Humble, powerless, slave, servant, compassionate, forgiving and tolerant to saints and sinners, Jews and gentiles alike. He came to ‘save mankind’, not Jews or Christians alone. The very ‘incarnation is the fruit of ‘tolerance and reconciliation’ with a ‘fallen humanity’. He exhorted the Jews to exceed their sense of ‘tolerance’ beyond their religion and caste when he said, “What though you love only your brother (Jew) and even the pagan does the same?” and hence he exhorted them to be “impartial” as the “rain falls on the just and the unjust alike”. His attitude was “let the weed and seed come up together” and “those who are not against us is with us”. The apex of his teaching on tolerance was, “if someone slap on your left cheek, show them your right too”, nevertheless taking any revenge to the extent of “loving your enemy”. His democracy and socialism exceeded all socio-cultural and religious limit. The way Jesus was ‘tolerant towards the prostitutes, public sinners, tax collectors and other socially ostracized were grievous scandals to the Jews and Pharisees of his time to accept him as the Son of God, from the family of David.
It is worthy to note while Jesus preached for the values and priorities of the kingdom of God, a futuristic vision of Heaven, the citizenship of the kingdom of God, (eschatological hope) he did not advocate his followers to deny any civic duty. He said, “Give therefore, to emperor the things that are emperor’s and to God what belongs to God”. (Mt.22,21).
The contemporary Indian historical movement gives me an impression of the glimpse of the Old Testament theology of religion and culture in which the political leaders assume the role of a despotic demi-god.
As a matter of fact, every ‘social behavior’, history and culture is determined by the values promoted by the political and religious leaders of the time. Even the very backbone of Indology is based on ‘non- absolutism’ of ‘Nethi… nethi… nethi’. No wonder, the essence of Indian theology is, as in the case of the evolution of a ‘tolerant God from O.T to N.T., we find the interplay of polytheism and monism, (dwaitha- adwaitha) in which the ‘respect for division and difference’ find a place with the proverbial maxim of Hinduism, the ‘the whole Universe is my Family’. Such is the binding force of tolerance in the Indian thought. I wish our leaders- both political and religious be inspired by the ‘common strand of divine values’ revealed in the Scriptures and Constitution.