Shouty Bits, or Humility?

 A few months ago, I heard someone on tv say, “Humility is part of most religions—not the shouty bits”. That statement has stuck in my mind ever since.
But, is it true?

You’d wonder, with the ‘shouty bits’ that are going on lately, concerning religion.
It’s the ‘shouty bits’ that make news.

It’s not only the ‘usual’ comments about Muslims, Jews, Catholics and others that produce ‘shouty bits’.
Lately there have been shouts concerning the Sydney Anglican archbishop’s request for those who support SSM to just leave the church. He’s shouting and people who disagree with him are shouting back.
Well, I guess they’re not actually shouting but they were certainly making headlines.
Humility is a bit thin on the ground there.

Then, there’s the latest of our PM’s ‘shouty bits’ as he suggests we pray for rain to ease the horrific effects of drought. Seriously! Meanwhile, he ‘fiddles the figures’ to make it look as though the government is helping.
Nothing very humble about the PM — a man who loudly espouses his Pentecostal faith.

I don’t wish to upset people of faith. I suppose I consider myself to be a ‘person of faith’, but am reluctant to shout it out.
I guess the words ‘humility is part of most religions’ is the important segment of the original statement. 

But, too many of the ‘shouty bits’ surround opposition to other faiths. It’s surely time for a bit more humility towards those holding beliefs different from people’s own ideas and ideals.

Joumanah El Matrah, a PhD student at Western Sydney University, writes:
“….when Israel Folau states that hell awaits “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters”, religious conservatives respond not by drawing a line between faith and hate, but by campaigning to enshrine their view of faith…”
And so on it goes…

I’m sure that humility in all areas would make a better world.
Not just in religion but with everyday people practising humility every day.

And fewer shouty bits.