The text of his address is given below.
The
Contemporary Voice of Dissent[1]


Matthew 5:38 – 47 NIV (New International Version)

An Eye for an Eye

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Love your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


Address
Dissent is probably as old as human thought and social interaction. I suppose it could be said that the story of Adam and Eve is a story of dissent – unwise and ill-considered, perhaps, but it has the basic ingredients of dissent; disagreement and non-compliance.

The word, ‘dissent’ has various meanings. In most dictionaries the first meaning of ‘dissent’ is ‘to disagree’ (with a point of view, or an official decision). The second meaning is usually religious. In religious terms, to dissent is to reject the doctrines of a church, usually an authorised, or established, church. A ‘dissenter’ in religious terms, therefore, is a person who rejects the doctrines, teachings and beliefs of the established church. Sometimes dissenters are referred to as ‘Nonconformist’. In our own land Dissenters or Nonconformists have included such influential groups as the Quakers, the Anabaptists (who were the forerunners of the Baptists), Presbyterians, Unitarians and Congregationalists and, a little later, the Methodists.

What is interesting about these groups is that their dissent was not only against doctrines and rituals with which they disagreed, but also against social practices and injustices in society. The Quakers were particularly known for their opposition to social injustice. They were outspoken in calling for equality for all, and in their opposition to corruption. One of their greatest members was Elizabeth Fry who, at one time lived in Frome, and did so much to bring about prison reform. Dissenters, or Nonconformists, have included William Wilberforce who, most of his lifetime, fought for the abolition of slavery. Others introduced the Building Society system and the Trade Unions. Dissenters have been responsible for some of our best schools, hospitals and children’s homes.

There have been dissenters, too, in the ranks of the Established Church; people who have spoken out against what they regarded as questionable church practice and uncaring attitudes. One is reminded, too, of the work of Florence Nightingale and her reforms in hospitals and army barracks.

The message of the Old Testament prophets was the voice of dissent. Again and again, the prophets of Israel and Judah opposed prevailing religious practices, and the attitudes which the people held towards Almighty God and others.

The passage which is our Lesson this afternoon, is part of the Sermon on the Mount. If one had to read that section of Matthew’s Gospel carefully, one would see that so much of what Jesus said indicated His opposition, His dissent, to the beliefs and practices of the Jewish leaders and people of those days. In fact, so much of what He said throughout His Ministry indicated His opposition to their interpretation and practice of the Jewish Law.

This cemetery was founded because the church establishment of the mid-Nineteenth Century would not tolerate a different voice in the practice of faith. No doubt, in those days, the Dissenters’ Cemetery was on the very outskirts of Frome. Today it is surrounded by the extensions of the town, and is part of the social fabric of the community. Differences in religious belief no longer carry the stigma they used to. We pride ourselves that we live in a more tolerant society, and the various interpretations of religious belief and practice are now accepted and respected.

The truth is that today religion is taken very lightly by many – and many more are not at all concerned with faith. One is entitled to believe or not believe what one likes, and there are few who are concerned by what others believe. We might well be tempted to think that the age of dissent is a by-gone age, and that we live in a far more liberal and understanding time.

But there are contemporary issues about which concerned Christians are called to care, unpopular issues, perhaps, which require taking a stand with courage, determination, and positive action.

What might cause us to dissent today? Many events of the past few weeks call for a loud voice of dissent.

We need to dissent against materialism and greed in the face of extreme world poverty. The world-wide Live 8 concerts and the protests at the G8 Summit have highlighted unnecessary poverty, particularly in Africa. We have seen the images on our TV screens, and in our newspapers, of children who are nothing more than skin and bone, of aid workers desperately doing what they can with meagre funding and supplies. Is it, perhaps, an indictment on the Church, that pop singers and rock stars should galvanise the world to some action, when caring for the poor and vulnerable should be the mission of the Church? We need to make poverty history!

We need to dissent against intolerance and prejudice, cruelty and violence, particularly when these hide behind the face of religion. It has been well and truly said that the recent bombings in London have nothing to do with religion and yet, in so many of the trouble spots of the world, people and political leaders use the excuse of religion to justify less than noble ends. In the Middle East the unrest is caused by the intolerance of Judaism and Islam. In Northern Ireland Roman Catholics and Protestants are blamed for the troubles. In Eastern Europe there is enmity between Christian and Moslem, and in Asia the Hindus of India and Moslems of Pakistan are blamed for causing conflict. When the truth is told, none of those great religions preach intolerance or violence. On the contrary, the teachings of each of those world faiths espouse love for life, respect and dignity for all, and tolerance and understanding. We need to speak out against those who hide behind the cloak of faith to justify their evil.

We need to dissent against injustice in Zimbabwe, Burma, China, and Ethiopia, and other countries, too. We have possibly muttered our horror at the evil Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe, but the world has largely stood by while sturdy homes have been bulldozed to the ground and thousands have been left homeless, without proper shelter, and food or water. Even our Government has been tempted to turn a blind eye to that intolerable situation and very nearly returned refugees to Zimbabwe in spite of warnings of retribution against returning exiles. Is Mugabe less evil than Saddam Hussein? Or is it, again, materialism and greed which motivate different responses? By that comparison I am not advocating taking up arms against the Zimbabwe regime, but I believe that we as Christians should make our voices heard strongly enough to induce governments to take steps to alleviate the suffering of so many in that trouble-torn land. So, too, should we speak out against the atrocities in Burma, Cambodia, China and Ethiopia, and against ethnic cleansing, which is no more than a euphemism for genocide.

We need to dissent against the world’s half-hearted attempts to address the problem of the HIV/Aids pandemic. How much more could be done if cheaper medications were made available. We need to dissent against the lack of proper stewardship of the planet’s environment, and the causes of global warming.

It should be the priority of the Church, in this country and throughout the world, to speak with authority and to act with compassion in addressing such urgent issues. We should take our cue from Jesus Himself. When He began His Ministry He announced His purpose by reading from the Book of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth. You will recall what He read:

18 “ ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”[2]

That is our calling, too. It is incumbent on us to be obedient to it. How important it was to Jesus might well be summed up in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, which He told near the end of Ministry. You remember well His words in that parable;

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’[3]

Amen.

Archie B Rowe




[1] Prepared for ‘A Service of Praise and Thanksgiving’, Frome Dissenters’ Cemetery, 17th July 2005

[2] Luke 4:18,19 NIV. Quoted from Isaiah 61:1,2

[3] Matthew 25:31-45 NIV