For many years I can remember hearing people say, “The three things you should never talk about is Sex, Politics, and Religion”. However, from what I have seen over the last couple of decades I think this has caused more harm than good. Let me explain further, first, I believe it teaches our children that if it is a tough topic then we just ignore it or we should not discuss such things because it could cause strong responses. At the same time, it also tells our children if something is uncomfortable or could cause others to be uncomfortable we should not talk about it. This mentality has caused us as adults to not be able to have mature conversations about sensitive topics so we retreat back into our bubbles where everyone agrees with us or we look down upon others who don’t view things the same way we do.

So, what do we miss out on by discouraging conversations around Sex, Politics, and Religion? First, let’s start with sex. I think avoiding the topic of sex causes us to miss out on seeing the beauty of our bodies. It reinforces the idea from the Fall with Adam and Eve that our bodies are something to be ashamed of, instead of something wonderful that God has made. Just think if we would talk about sex and our bodies it could foster a positive view of not only our bodies but the bodies of others. Rather than shame, it could encourage a healthy view of intimacy, rather than our bodies being something to hide they could be something to celebrate.

Secondly, let’s reflect on politics and what I believe has happened because we have been told we don’t talk about that. I believe from decades of telling people not to talk about it, instead of teaching people how to talk about it in healthy ways, it has caused people to either not talk at all so those who are oppressed or struggling remain in pain, or people have been taught to talk in an aggressive harsh way. I also believe this mentality has been a detriment to the Christian faith because it has caused a disconnect between what we believe and how we live. This translates into people saying, “Just give me Jesus and leave politics out of it.” Now, I want to make it clear I think Jesus has no interest in partisan politics (democrat, republican, libertarian, green party, etc…), but Jesus himself was very political and the message “Jesus is Lord” is highly political. As Christians, if we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, then that means all other kings and kingdoms are not (including the U.S.A.). This means as Christians our ultimate allegiance first belongs to Jesus, and we submit to Jesus above all other powers. For too long I believe this concept of “we don’t talk about politics” has caused a disconnect where we can say we love Jesus, we can sing worship songs to God, and then walk about the doors of the church and not care for the hurting, the broken, the sick, and all those that we read about in the scriptures we see Jesus caring for. It has caused a separation between works of piety and works of mercy. It has caused us to view the Christian faith as saying a little prayer, asking Jesus into our heart, going to church on Sundays, and then going to Heaven when we die, instead of remembering we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s will be done on Earth as in Heaven and that as followers of Christ, filled with the Spirit, we are active ambassadors of the Kingdom of God right here and right now until Christ returns and restores all things.

Lastly, when we discourage conversation around religion we don’t just avoid tough conversations around what we believe and how we live, but we also discourage asking questions about the faith. In my opinion, this encourages our children to just blindly accept whatever they are taught about God, it enforces the idea “don’t question, just believe”. Yet, I don’t think Jesus expects us to check our brains at the door. Some people may say, “Yeah, but what if we encourage kids to ask questions about our faith, we don’t have the answers, and then it causes them to not believe?” However, I would say that if God can’t handle our uncertainty, our doubts, our fears, and our questions then that God is not much of a God. I believe on the other hand that God can take it, that God welcomes our questions and doubts and is not afraid of those things. When we don’t welcome questions around religion it makes faith a “fill in the blank” life. Where we just need the right answer, and every question has a correct response and we just need to figure that out. Yet, when we welcome questions it allows us to dive deeper than superficial answers and cliches, it opens the door for uncertainty and mystery. Is mystery scary at times? Definitely! Certainty is always more comforting but we also know that not everything in our world can always be understood in black and white terms. When we welcome questions around religion it also helps us to see others who believe differently, follow other faith traditions, or don’t believe at all not as threats but as people to learn from and grow with. Asking questions tears down fear and ignorance that leads to hate, and instead replaces it with a desire to know that other person.

So my encouragement today is not, “Don’t talk about Sex, Politics, and Religion”, but instead it is, “Let’s teach people how to talk about these topics, let’s encourage questions, let’s encourage uncertainty, let’s encourage people that it is o.k. to see things differently than they did before, and let’s grow together.