A Priest, a Preacher, an Imam, and a Rabbi

If a priest, a preacher, an imam, and a rabbi all walked into the bar, I’d want to sit next to the rabbi. Here’s why.

This article isn’t about religious faith or believers. Rather, it’s a post about religious leaders. Admittedly, I’ve made some generalizations.

You’ve all heard jokes about the priest, the preacher, and the rabbi. They’re at the pearly gates…. Or, they walk into a bar…. Fill in the blank. Sometimes, an imam gets tossed into the mix. This isn’t a joke, but a series of observations. I hope to raise questions and generate some interesting discussion. Please read my story, and share your own story (and opinions), if you wish.

Let’s begin with this premise. Even though many of us are now atheists and agnostics (we ascribe to no religion), we’re all shaped and continue to be influenced by our upbringing and who we are.

I hit the religious quintfecta. I was raised in the Catholic religion and even attended Catholic school for a time. In my teens, I briefly dabbled in Protestantism and visited a few churches. Marieta’s family is Romanian Orthodox (i.e., Eastern Orthodox) and my marriage exposed me to yet another facet of Christianity. Then, I spent 7 years working for the Republic of Turkey, which allowed me to get to know dozens of Muslims, affording me the opportunity to learn more about Islam. Finally, over the course of my adult life, I’ve had more close friends (and former co-workers and employers) raised in the Jewish faith, than any other religion.

This destiny of faith wasn’t planned. But if I had to list “20 people closest to me (friends),” then perhaps 15 of them would be Jewish. And, over the course of many experiences that introduced me to people with different backgrounds as well as engaging in innumerable conversations over the decades, I’ve found one thing to be true: Rabbis seem to be far superior as moral and philosophical mentors than any other religious authorities. When I add in all the rabbis I’ve also seen interviewed on TV and in debates on various subjects, they consistently impress me as people serving the true purpose as was intended by their faith. This genuine affinity and respect are odd because I share utterly none of their views on religion (and certainly not on Israel).

Now, let me dig a little deeper. Is this realization the by-product of negative experiences with other religious leaders? No. Growing up, I had entirely positive interactions with priests (and nuns, who were teachers). Yes, the scandals in Catholicism around the world are very real and extremely troubling. But I never knew about those things while in school, when attending mass, nor as a player on Catholic sports teams, or as a member of the Knights of Columbus. Even to this day, I generally have favorable first-hand memories of priests. I even think of them (those I’ve met) as being surprisingly open-minded on most issues. I don’t expect everyone will agree with this benign assessment, but it’s my own.

The imams I’ve met, which weren’t many, were mostly through my work with the Turks. These imams also tended to be more open-minded and far more tolerant than one might expect. I ascribe this apparent “outlier” to those imams I encountered being mostly Turkish (then, a very secular country), which was not entirely a valid representation of the larger population of Muslims living elsewhere.

It’s probably not fair to criticize Protestantism as a whole, since there are so many different branches of it. However, I find many protestant leaders to be reprehensible. Those I’ve met, those I’ve heard speak, those I’ve seen on TV — most appear to be narrow-minded, intolerant, and often angry. They seem to be the exact opposites of people trying to help others. They spearhead dangerous political movements. They foster human subjugation. They shame others. They shackle minds. Unlike what I’ve seen and experienced with the leaders of other faiths, I have zero desire to engage them, nor listen to what they say. Yes, I’m biased. Maybe this assessment isn’t fair. But my disgust is based on reality and a long period of observation. Just look at the most powerful leaders of American Protestantism in recent years — the Franklin Grahams, the Falwells, the Joel Olsteens, the Swaggarts, the Popovs, the Bakkers, the Robertsons, the Dobsons, the grifters, and the faith healers. They stand for almost everything I’m against. Like I said — reprehensible.

Now, to rabbis. I’m sure there are exceptions. And, I’m sure my attitude would be different if I’d met many ultra-orthodox rabbis, who look just as dangerous as other religious leaders I’ve criticized elsewhere in this article. But I can’t dismiss my own experiences as to how superior most rabbis are to other religious authorities. To me, most of them seem: (1) Far more worldly and better-read than others, e.g., “smarter” (2) Far more tolerant of other faiths and non-faith, seemingly comfortable with co-existing rather than coercion, (3) Far more expressive of love and learning, instead of division and dissuasion, (4) Far more inclusive of those outcast by other religions, such as gays, nonconformists, etc. (5) Far more accepting of science, and (6) Far more willing to debate issues honestly, without demagoguery.

So, back to where we began — if the priest, the preacher, the imam, and the rabbi all walked into the bar, all other things being equal, I’d want to sit next to the rabbi (since the preacher would likely refuse to come in). Yes, these are generalizations. YMMV. Everyone’s experiences and opinions will be different.

This article is intended to measure the perceptions of those of all faiths, or no faith, as to religious leaders. Are your views on religious authorities different, and if so, please share them and explain why.

Thanks for reading. I’m genuinely looking forward to learning more and hearing from others.

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