The world will not survive religion based on tribal consciousness. It will destroy the world. But if those who arrive at what is truest from their own tradition, which transcends their own tradition, they recognize each other. And if they would speak up, religious people could be a source for world unity and world peace. - Thomas Merton (Writer, Poet, and Theologian)

1. Religious legitimacy and the Culture of
Entitlement

2. 2018: intentionality Clement Akran,
Healingsprings fellowship

3. Thought…
The world will not survive religion based on tribal
consciousness. It will destroy the world.
But if those who arrive at what is truest from their own
tradition, which transcends their own tradition, they
recognize each other.
And if they would speak up, religious people could be
a source for world unity and world peace.
- Thomas Merton (Writer, Poet, and Theologian)

4. …
Religion recognises a
metaphysical dimension, as
such,
- human challenges are often
explained employing the
concept of causes and effects,
largely, as agency of either
God or Satan

5. For example,
• The gospel without
scholarly theological
underpinning presents a
grave danger which we see
manifested in the Church,
especially in Protestant
settings

6. Christianity
In a bid to highlight the divinity
of Jesus, the writers of the
gospel avoided attributes of
Jesus’ humanity
- their writings are treated as
biographical accounts, instead of
theological interpretation, their
audiences are often misled about
Jesus in history

7. …
So in their bid to project Jesus’ divinity,
the unintended consequence becomes a
Church that distrusts academia, or any
form of rational, or progressive thinking
In fact, a closed Church:
A Church that undermines scholarship, in
favour of mediocrity

8. The impact on our world…
• It is true of all faith traditions that if doctrines are not
revisited as our world advances in ethical literacy they
quickly become at odds with the common good
• For Christianity, as to the notion of praying for ‘the old
time religion’, we should be reviewing our doctrines in
light of social and intellectual progress
• This is exactly what the prophets of old were trying to
achieve which we see culminating in Jesus’ teaching

9. …
• In fact Jesus so radically moved the boundaries of
Judaism from the position of cultural identity, to one
of global relevance
• He presented an interpretation which advances
outreach instead of discriminating by avoiding
spiritual contamination from non-Jews or gentiles as
the faith so believed, with his vision towards one new
humanity
• Hence Luke traces his genealogy to the mythical
figure Adam, as to the mythical figure, Abraham

10. …
One of the key areas in the quest of these early
reformers was the notion of Entitlement or Privilege
• For example, Amos, argues that if other nations
suffered the consequences of unethical actions, then
Israel will not enjoy any special privileges
• In fact, all known faith traditions tackle the problems of
Entitlement. Some to a higher degree, others lesser
• In Hinduism, there is the Ego which must always be
evaluated

11. …
•Jesus would warn his followers against it in
a scripture that is all too often
misunderstood, stating:
• So you also, when you have done all that you
were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless
slaves; we have done only what we ought to
have done! (Luke 10:7–10)

12. …
By way of definition,
•a sense of entitlement is said to exist when
a person believes they deserve certain
privileges, and they are arrogant about it
•Social commentators argue that we now
live in a culture of entitlement, as such we
have highly unreasonable expectations
about what we are entitled to

13. …
Sense of Entitlement and pride go hand-in-hand
• Benjamin Netanyahu (PM, Israel), his
supporters, and the evangelical right in America
have been found wanting for their actions
against the Palestinians
• We also see this in Nigeria over the issue with
farmers and Fulani herdsmen

14. …
A situation that has to do with the scarcity of resources has suddenly
turned to a religious conflict
• Christian leaders are quickly assuming the moral high ground with
some pronouncing negative wishes against the Fulani’s who are
mostly Muslims
• All in the name of Christian privilege, owing to the idea that these
herdsmen lack spiritual legitimacy in the eyes of God — simply
because of their faith
• Sadly, the belief that they have a monopoly on God, and that
everyone else is either spiritually inferior, or on their way to hell
has severely hampered their vision

15. In closing..
With all the harm that have been done to our world in the
name of religion, especially Christianity, people of faith ought to
be more humble
• The writers of Exodus present the Egyptians as a people with a
notion of Entitlement, hence they warned the people in
Deuteronomy of the consequences of acting in such manner
and the consequences of unethical behaviour
They note:
Know, then, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to
occupy because of your righteousness; for you are a stubborn people
(Deuteronomy 9:6)

16. Thanks for watching…
To support this project and for further
information, please log on to:
www.healingsprings.org.uk

17. Clement Akran, Healingsprings fellowship
www.healingsprings.org.uk