Tuesday, October 23, 2007
You learn something new every day
The Judeo-Christian tradition has not ever been my preferred form of faith, but it has always been a curiosity. Being that I grew up with no formal education of the Old and New Testaments, I developed the generic understanding of their god shared by many of my peers, i.e. Old Testament God=Fire and Brimstone, New Testament God=Doves and Rainbows. Recently, I asked a Jewish friend about the spiritual implications of another friend's past behaviors and what his chances are of receiving salvation, as this particular gent had recently rediscovered his love for Jesus. She shared some surprising and educational insights that changed my perspective on the matter somewhat.
My preferred version of Jehovah has always been the fiery, punishing god described in stories like that of Sodom and Gomorrah or the golden cow idol. That God makes sense to me, as it only seems logical that a patriarchal, monotheist deity would be much like a supernatural father figure, doling out discipline when his children got out of line, rewarding or praising them when they did well. In the case of an almighty creator figure, discipline could escalate to the point that wiping said children from the face of the Earth becomes a viable option. If you're the creator of all things, there really is no reason to take any sass or backtalk.
What I neglected to factor into my base understanding was that the Old Testament clearly states that YHWH issued warnings, sometimes several of them, and gave the people in question various opportunities to change their behaviors before finally dropping the big hammer of holy justice down on their collective heads. These warnings are important, because they serve as a measure of the patience displayed by the Old Testament's deity. He wasn't acting out like a 6-years old who wants a piece of candy, he was being fatherly and offering up chances for forgiveness. Things only got ugly when warnings went unheeded, which makes sense. What really got me thinking was the connection between Revelations, which is the New Testament, with the acts of Jehovah as described in the Old Testament.
Revelation had always seemed out of place to me, as it contrasted drastically with Jesus' "God loves you unconditionally" doctrine, but in reality, it fits seamlessly with the Biblical accounts of YHWH's past behavior. My ignorance of Judeo-Christian history led me to believe that God had gone from fire and brimstone disciplinarian to touchy-feely enabler, when in reality, his nature as described by the Bible has not changed at all, only his follower’s perception of said nature has really shifted. Honestly, it's embarrassing to be this ignorant of what constitutes the most significant component of my cultural history, but in the end, I am not a believer, and I was raised by parents with little or no interest in spirituality, so I haven't ever been adequately motivated to pursue an education in the matter. At the same time, I feel like I should have at least an accurate, basic understanding of what the monotheists presently piloting humanity's latest social Hindenburg are on about. At present, it is obvious to me that I do not and that this ignorance is to my detriment.
Monotheists make wars, enact policies, and direct whole societies according to their spiritual beliefs. They believe that their god guides them, watches over them, and loves them. Not having an understanding of their "why" leaves non-believers like me wondering "wtf" at times, whereas a little knowledge could go a long way toward understanding their rationalizations. I may not believe what they believe, but I am certainly subjected to their beliefs every day of my life (in the form of social norms, government legislation, etc), so it would certainly benefit me to know more about their lineage and traditions. As far as I'm concerned, it's all details and distractions leading people away from the core principles at the heart of every form of faith, but it is those details and distractions that lead to planes crashing into the sides of buildings and wars that claims thousands of lives, so it is probably a good idea to pay attention and get educated. Too bad they're not all pseudo-Buddhists/generalized spiritualists…things would be so much simpler for me. :)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
We could all be a little more Jesus
I like Jesus, as a man, as an example of what a human being is capable of, as role model. Do I believe he was the son of a god, or immaculately conceived, no, but I have always believed that those things are irrelevant. How can something as immense as godliness be irrelevant? Simple, I sincerely believe that Jesus' life serves as a powerful story of spiritual faith, transcendence, and the beauty we are capable of as humans, and is made more powerful by the notion that he may have been an ordinary human, made of the same stuff as the rest of us. The power of Jesus' words are not in the magic, but in their simplicity, purity, and inarguable truth. No decent human being can argue against the principles behind idealistic love, honesty, and altruism. What rational person would make a sincere argument against honor, respect, dignity, integrity, kindness, and compassion? What decent person does not hold these concepts in reverence? How can anyone argue that these concepts should NOT be the cornerstone of decent society?
The best thing about Jesus' life, in my mind, is that many of his teachings, at their core, were ancient, even in his time, and thus, were completely obvious. He may have been something of a revolutionary in his description of a loving, accepting, and forgiving God, but the idea that love, peace, gentility, kindness, and selflessness were the most direct paths to spiritual bliss had been a part of many Eastern philosophies for ages by the time Christ was giving his sermons. These ideals run deep through numerous spiritual traditions and despite humanity's monotonous nature, they seem integral and self-evident. Would it be so terrible if Jesus were "merely" a very faithful, devoted, courageous man?
Would he be any less admirable, were he a man who reached out to the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, and offered them his wholly human assistance? As far as I am concerned, there is no value added to his lessons by the magic attributed to him in Christian mythology. I find it more amazing to think that a man, flesh and blood, like you and me, preached the virtues of goodness, righteousness, and love, then backed those words up with action. Magically creating food, walking on water, and even coming back from the grave are nothing compared to living an authentically good life as a material, simple human being. With all the distractions, temptations, and hypocrisy surrounding us in our daily lives, isn't it magical, in and of itself, to live a decent, honest, and just life? Why is it always necessary to assign superhuman powers to religious figures after their deaths? Why do we always have to spoil the lessons with theatrics and special effects?
The message was, and has been for eons, that we are ALL capable of living righteous lives. We are all worthy of love and we can all be part of something better. In my eyes, the idea that Jesus was something more than a man is a loss to us all, because his message is now that of a superior, not a peer. His actions are now the byproduct of a supernatural heritage, rather than those of an equal. Instead of a seeing a man who overcame the same challenges we all face, we are taught to see a man who is something more than any of us can ever be. Why does our species always do this? The man credited as being the original Buddha, Siddhartha Gotama, is said to have explained himself as being a simple man, with a simple story, that he felt had culminated in something special that he was compelled to share. He walked amongst like-minded peers and shared their stories and ideas. He was accepted as a man with knowledge to bestow on others, but it was not until after his death that he would be assigned the powers of godliness, and subsequently be made into a religious icon.
What is wrong with the idea that every man and woman walking the Earth is born with the capability to make something more of their life than selfishness and gratification? How is the message diminished or cheapened by the thought that a man like Jesus may have been nothing more than a man? In my opinion, his story becomes all the more inspiring! Take away the mysticism, magic, even the resurrection, and the story that remains is still awe-inspiring. What good comes out of making such a story of faith unattainable by the common man? Honestly, I simply do not understand what motivates average human beings to idolize others, denying their own possibilities in the process.
Which is why I am not a Christian, or a Buddhist, or a subscriber to any other fixed form of indoctrination. I believe that we are all capable of living these supposedly special lives. I believe that we all have it within us to infuse goodness into our world through our lives. None of us has been, or ever will be, perfect, but that is no excuse to discard the principles of goodness for some form of poorly rationalized apathy, or pervasive disinterest. The greatest lesson I have learned through my years of dabbling in various religions and philosophies has been that decency is a real, and totally achievable possibility. We are all capable of righteousness and courage. Our spirits beg us to be true and devoted to ideals, because it is this devotion that ultimately frees us to live a life of sincere spirituality, just like the men and women who have come before us, whether they be Jesus, or an anonymous neighbor who has devoted her life to loving her family, her friends, and her existence.
Maybe I am the only one who sees any truth in that. Maybe people feel more comfortable with magic, and myth, as it frees them from accepting that the only thing stopping their ascension is within, and not the result of some inherent flaw or eternal inequality...I think I've gone down this road in one blog post or another, but the questions continue to linger. I don't understand Western religions and probably never will, but I do understand exactly what men like Jesus were talking about, and I believe that is more than enough to keep me pointed in the right direction.
Labels: life, love, religion, spirituality
Monday, November 06, 2006
Evangelical diabolical
What is the deal with conservative America these days? First we had Mark Foley, now we have Pastor Ted Haggard. Everyone in the US knows the story by now: stridently anti-gay pastor turns out to be a closeted homosexual. Not an Earth shattering revelation in a world of child-molesting Catholic priests and teenager seducing politicians. What really sets Haggard apart is that he paid a male prostitute for sex, abused methamphetamine, and did it all under the radar of his wife, his five children, and his New Life Church, which includes 14,000 members.
Haggard is an evangelical, which is to say he is a Bible literalist, and his New Life Church is one of the largest evangelical organizations in the US. Haggard’s personal congregation was inarguably substantial. As president of the National Association of Evangelicals, he oversaw a collective congregation of over 30,000,000 American faithful. Naturally, Haggard’s political influence was far reaching, to say the least.
This man was named one of Time’s top-25, most important evangelicals in 2005. He participated in White House conference calls, served as one of President Bush’s advisors on evangelical activities, and mingled with the highest ranking movers and shakers in America’s right wing, evangelist movement. It is safe to assume that he was on a first name basis with just about everyone who is anyone in the modern evangelical subculture. In short, he was The Man, and certainly must have been a force in evangelical politicking. His most recent pet project: lobbying for a ban on gay marriage. The irony of all this is so thick that it borders on the insane. Here is a pastor who was cheating on his wife with a man, deceiving his family, his Church, and millions of believers, and he is out stumping for the oppression of homosexuals.
According to my understanding of the Ten Commandments, adultery isn’t exactly a minor sin in Haggard’s religion. Sex with a man is the sort of thing that got whole cities wiped out in the Old Testament. Deception, especially on the level Haggard has engaged in the practice, is no small thing either. Put it all in the modern media pressure cooker, pressurize it with the heat of election season, and you’ve got one clusterfuck of a mess. The man’s politics influenced millions. Worse still, these are the sort of people that vote as they are told. After all, Haggard is one of the men who helped Bush remain in the White House in 2004, as the evangelical movement is widely recognized as a significant part of Dubya’s “base”. Should we be worried about any of that? I say, absolutely. If Haggard could rise to such power, who’s to say there are not other morally vacuous hypocrites in positions of incredible power within the conservative monolith? If he was able to hide it, how many others are similarly saying one thing and doing another?
Politics aside, religion in general has taken a beating in recent years. American Christianity gets another BIG black eye here, and the scandals just keep coming. Honestly, I feel for those believers in the country who actually practice what their leaders, and their religion, preach. The idea that church is a hospital for wounded souls has never seemed more accurate to me. How can a man put his penis in another man’s ass, go home to the wife and children he allegedly loves, then go before 14,000 faithful followers and decry the very acts he has just engaged in? How can no one know about it?
With all that has happened (going all the way back to the founding of organized, Western religion), how can anyone still see institutionalized religion as viable? When so many prominent adherents fall from grace in such incredibly hypocritical ways, doesn’t there come a point when following others in one’s faith becomes inexcusably foolish? The Catholic Church is STILL taking damage for the way it handled child molesters in its fold, now it appears that the evangelical movement is going to take a turn in the spotlight. Of course, no rational person would condemn the entire movement because of the actions of a single man, but this particular man just so happened to be the leader of their largest, national organization. How does that happen? I repeat, how did no one know that this was going on for 3 years?
Now his family, friends, and even members of his former congregation, are asking for forgiveness. His wife has publicly stated that she intends to stick by his side until the bitter end. I ask myself, are these people for real? I suppose some of them are sincere, but I have to believe that the rest are feigning piety, rather than genuinely pleading for absolution. They should be disgusted, angry, and condemning, not consoling. How do you feel sorry for a man who cheated on his wife? How does his wife look past the fact that her husband was sleeping with a male prostitute? Fact is, in the real world, you don’t and she won’t. This man is not worthy of forgiveness. He’s a liar, a fraud, and an adulterer. What good is he to anyone, beyond serving as a lesson of what NOT to do with one’s life? Is their redemption for such a person? Not in my mind, but opinions will vary widely on that one.
What is certain is that Haggard’s credibility, and in some ways his life’s work, is now destroyed. At the same time, we are given yet one more example of a person in a position of power being utterly corrupted. It seems that power and corruption walk hand-in-hand in the American political and religious landscape today. Not exactly the stuff of sunshine and happy optimism, for sure.