On a warm day in early August near Gloucester, Maine, 30 Tibetan Buddhists of various ages boarded a boat and sailed across the dark Atlantic on a mission motivated by their heartfelt religious convictions. At dusk, they stopped at their destination, and they carefully clipped the bands to free the claws of 534 lobsters. They sprayed the confused crustaceans with blessed water and gently dropped them over the side and into the ocean.
WeathersFree. No longer destined for a dinner plate.
This was no random lobster liberation. It was planned for Wheel Turning Day, the day that commemorates the first sermon of the Buddha, and a day on which the Buddhists believe that good deeds are multiplied. Earlier that day, the Buddhists had purchased the lobsters from a seafood wholesaler and preceded the liberation with prayers and mantras, and parading the crates of lobsters in circles around displays of blessed objects. Buddhists believe that creation rotates in a cycle, so one day the lobsters’ souls will roll around again. Wendy Cook, one of the Buddhists, explained that these rituals “develop a karmic connection for the creatures’ future lifetimes and help ease their future suffering.”
So after 534 splashes and plops, the lobsters were free to swim again.
But not for long. Four days later, lobstermen from the fishing vessel Degelyse said they traveled to the site of the ceremony, laid their traps, and hauled up exactly 534 lobsters.
The episode illustrates the futility of religion. Like freeing lobsters that will, inevitably, be caught again, even the most sincere religious convictions drive us to futile rituals and hollow events, hoping for some kind of “karmic” satisfaction. Whether it’s spraying crustaceans with “blessed” water or suiting up to sing hymns out of a sense of duty, religion serves as a disguise, a cover, a false hope that distracts from the real problem.
We are estranged from our Creator.
We need God. He puts all things in perspective. He clarifies the distinctions between Creator, creatures, and the reasons for creation. Apart from a biblical worldview, we lose this perspective (1 Timothy 4:4; James 1:17). God gives us this world to enjoy, to bless, and to manage. And gives Christ to save us.
Without that perspective, it’s all just religion.