1 Corinthians 2
Materialists such as communists accuse religion of enslaving unenlightened people by unfounded fear and false hope. This kind of criticism of religion is prevalent not only among intellectuals but also among those who are enlightened by the social media these days. They think religion is an apparatus to manipulate the public to build or maintain social order and to gain political control. Of course, its major beneficiaries are the clerical class. And the common people are exploited, oppressed, and deprived of their freedom and rights, according to this criticism.
I will not argue against these observations and opinions. It is a historical fact that many religions went through corruptions and perversions. What I like to ask is how religions fall into self-contradiction and become toxic. To this question, St Paul sheds light in his first letter to Corinthians as we hear today. In this letter, St Paul tells us his work of evangelization does not depend on human wisdom, lofty and plausible words, or eloquence. St Paul proclaimed Christ crucified with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. St Paul tells us in this letter that true religion does not need persuasive arguments and eloquent speeches. A true religion presents the true God whose power naturally emanates for the benefits of his faithful. To our question, when religion loses God but holds on to human plans and ideas, it cannot avoid corruption and perversion. The Christian religion is a true religion because Jesus Christ is the true God. And Christianity can keep her dignity only when the faithful rest on the power of God, not on human wisdom.
Christianity is not founded on best theories and arguments or lofty ideals and hopes or baseless fear and crafty manipulation. Christianity does not teach any esoteric and secretive knowledge. On the contrary, Jesus Christ reveals his divine power through the evangelists, apostles, martyrs, and other saints, and average people, as long as they are open to the truth, can see and understand who Jesus is and what his teachings are. The sanctity of the saints, the heroic sacrifices of the martyrs, the power of healing and exorcism, the visions and prophecies of saints demonstrate the power of God.
