Boston-based education commentator and author of Unconditional Parenting Alfie Kohn knows a college counselor hired by parents to help “package” their child, who had perfect board scores and a wonderful grade-point average. When it was time to work on the college essay, the counselor said, “Let’s start with a book you read outside of school that really made a difference in your life.” There was a moment of silence. Then the child responded, “Why would I read a book if I didn’t have to?” (TIME, February 21, 2005, p.47)
I daresay that the child’s attitude is descriptive of that taken by many toward delving into the gospel (literally “good news”). If organized religion—in the case of Christianity, the Church—has already developed a game plan for my personal salvation, why would I want to go to the trouble of authenticating its validity? If the Church says that this is the way it works, then who am I to argue? Especially when the Church claims Scripture to support its point of view is such an attitude understandable. If my personal salvation is the ultimate test, then why not teach for the test and consider all else to be extracurricular?
Jesus saves! More importantly, Jesus saves me! Such reasoning is seductively attractive to the selfish mindset whether or not it is true. But there continues to be that nagging question: is it true? I’m not completely sure that my self is even at risk, but if it is, then isn’t it to my ultimate benefit to make sure that the plan for salvation is “guaranteed”? When it comes right down to it, there’s way too much at stake for me to take someone else’s—anybody else’s—word for it. Even though my selfish nature seeks the path of least resistance there is a stronger impetus to ensure that the plan for my salvation is really going to work!
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