Originally published as a newspaper column and then in my book, Rambling Reflections for Irreverent Rebels (2023), this brief essay identifies several distractions that attract both religious and non-religious people.

Great Distractions Attract the Attention

A recurring theme, at least since seminary, concerns the “great distractions,” those things that draw our attention from more important matters, like, say, living a good life. I would like to discuss the top contenders for Greatest Distraction, at least in the context of Religion.

Theology may be number one on the list. Beliefs in gods, the divine, the spiritual realm (“spirituality” is a dazzling distraction all by itself) have been the cause of conflict, contention and confusion for centuries. While theologians write long and convoluted tomes full of theological speculations, the world turns, or burns—while learning essentially nothing practical or valuable for daily life. Human lives that depend on fundamental needs in the here and now are given belief instead of bread, heaven instead of real help. Preachers use theology to fill time, filling minds with a great deal of nonsense—literally, words that either make no sense or have no way to verify their “truth” through the senses— while people seriously long for competent teaching, pragmatic education that truly improves their lives, their world, and brings the human family together. Theology encourages division, camps instead of community, godly believing over good living.

Next I would call attention to scriptures, primarily the Bible, at least in our culture. With eyes and noses in these “holy books,” there can be no actual sight or smell of the real world where real people live. Ancient books were written for ancient times, not ours. If one believes their deity spoke thousands of years ago and has nothing more to say than what is written on those fragile pages, anything is possible, including violence. One scripture excludes another. “This is the main source of wisdom, THE Word of THE God,” they claim. And so the age-old superiority of books subjugates masses of people who consent to being ruled by the tyranny of texts.

Then, consider worship, especially worship services. Is it about service, or something that actually distracts from service, serving others, serving the world? What is a sanctuary for? Surely not to house the Creator of the Universe who seems to crave constant praise. Doesn’t that sound like an Eternal Ego, needy for attention and approval? Tough, uncomfortable questions help break the habit of distraction.

Now, let’s take morality. When faith-based standards of behavior take precedence over basic, more universal ethical principles, strict demands from higher authorities take precedence over human responsibility, reason and rights. I would say secular ethics will always be more valuable to humanity than commands from heaven.

And what of Religion itself? Probably nothing calls our attention away from this world more than religion. “My religion, my faith, is superior, above all religions” is akin to “My God rules.” There is much good in religious communities, among the faithful, yet the danger of distraction is built in, endemic to the whole story of Religion.

I should add, many who carry the banner of non-belief, atheism or secularism can be quite distracted as well. Preaching their own “gospel” of the demise of religion becomes all-important. Slamming religious people and dissing religious communities (often using huge generalizations and the worst examples) merely shows they can be as narrow-minded as those they criticize. The “evangelical atheists” are so agitated they refuse to see they are distracted from potentially constructive communication, meaningful relationships or collaborative efforts to make the world a better place. Those who get stuck on one message—“Religion is a disease and religious people are delusional”—neglect any possible opportunity to do good in cooperation with believers who may have similar concerns for our common world. Besides these disappointing “representatives” of the atheist world, the reason I choose not to call myself an atheist is because it’s a negative identity. I’d rather not be distracted by the negatives (which doesn’t mean I ignore the bad stuff) and focus on the positive and good.

Even in seminary we joked about the Church as a kind of Titanic ship. We were still devoted to serving (and servicing) that ship, but we knew the machinery was failing, the iceberg was near, or had already struck the fatal blow. The boat of belief was sailing toward irrelevance. So I was thinking how there must have been many on the deck gazing up at the stars, breathing the frigid night air, even fascinated by glowing ice in the Atlantic waters, all the while the doomed ship was heading for disaster. This is distraction. Things that draw the eyes, and the mind, to something other than what needs focus now, in the present moment. These diversions can be a matter of life or death. Our vision is obstructed by comparably minor things while the most important, critical matters present themselves to those with eyes to see, ears to hear.

Chris Highland
2023