Wednesday, March 29, 2006
New Moon, New Cycle
Been almost a week since last I blogged. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of Kevin Phillips' work American Theocracy. Damn, that book has truly fleshed out much of my understanding of the political progression of this country since the civil war. This is a guy who was a republican stratagist, so his historical intrest has less to do with the ideologies of this political progression, and more with who won the elections and how.
He also draws some frightening parallels betwixt various countries at the height of their empire (England, the Dutch, the Boers, Spain) that reveled in the religious notion that they were 'The Chosen Peoples.' Apparently, the Israelites and the Americans are not the only nation to indulge in this opinion. Anti-gay sentiment, religious intolerance towards science, the merger of hawkish militarism and religious worship - I guess this ain't nothing new.
In particular, he does a great job invoking a level of comprehension regarding 'the south' that a Minnesotan like myself just ain't likely to get my head from the usual learning curve in the school of life. He's got these graphics representing the frequency in local phonebooks of companies having the name 'Southern' vs. 'American' and the alignment with red/blue states is staggering. Add to this regionalism a super-charged Southern Baptist Convention - what Phillips refers to as 'the State Church of the Confederacy' - not a happy picture.
That same graphic of the fifty states has an uneven triangle lying along the canadian border with one point running down the Mississippi in Iowa. This little section of about five states represents lands where the influence of Luthernism held dominance. What a trip.
As an atheist, I guess I've always held on to some looney little faith that, if people would just think about reality for a while, maybe indulge in a bit of rebellious behavior, the sway of religion would dissipate. Phillips' analysis of the SBC has challenged that faith in me. This is a religion that can be best understood as a social virus. Number one priority is reproduction and the spread of their dogmatic material. Their zeal for evangelism remains their greatest motive force, and makes a lot of sense from an 'evolutionary' kind of world-view. Religions gain their power and their authority from having a large number of followers, many breeds of christianity have come and gone in our country in the last few hundred years. Those which possess the greatest tactics for evangelism, are the ones that will thrive. Others' like the Shakers, are doomed to extinction as their slice of the christian population pie gets thinner.
The SBC is all about evangelism. These poor fucks believe that nothing is more important than 'saving souls.' I think this represents the greatest clash with the Liberalism which I continue to find more and more respect for. Liberalism is kinda based on the notion that some of the problems in society - poverty, drug abuse, child abuse - can be minimized with the wise application of changes to that society. These evags think that society's ills can only be properly addressed by getting everyone to accept Jesus into their heart. Honestly, I've now come to believe that when my evag associates see a homeless man on the street begging for change, they see him as a man who is needlessly suffering; if only he would accept Jesus as his personal savior and be obedient to Him then Jesus would take care of him somehow.
Anything that interfers with the mission of being missionaries is bad in the SBC. The virus must spread as rapidly as possible. Questions of dogma or the integrity of political and religious leaders interfers with the spread and is therefore bad.
Today is the New Moon. I'm hoping to transform myself into a more productive phase. I've read well over a thousand pages in the last five days, I have inhaled - now may I exhale.
On a lighter note, my brother and his family are still having their wacky adventures on the other side of the planet. I guess a few days ago they tried to take a car out into the countryside, but had to turn back when they were attacked by a pack of monkies. I can't wait to see the pictures of that!
He also draws some frightening parallels betwixt various countries at the height of their empire (England, the Dutch, the Boers, Spain) that reveled in the religious notion that they were 'The Chosen Peoples.' Apparently, the Israelites and the Americans are not the only nation to indulge in this opinion. Anti-gay sentiment, religious intolerance towards science, the merger of hawkish militarism and religious worship - I guess this ain't nothing new.
In particular, he does a great job invoking a level of comprehension regarding 'the south' that a Minnesotan like myself just ain't likely to get my head from the usual learning curve in the school of life. He's got these graphics representing the frequency in local phonebooks of companies having the name 'Southern' vs. 'American' and the alignment with red/blue states is staggering. Add to this regionalism a super-charged Southern Baptist Convention - what Phillips refers to as 'the State Church of the Confederacy' - not a happy picture.
That same graphic of the fifty states has an uneven triangle lying along the canadian border with one point running down the Mississippi in Iowa. This little section of about five states represents lands where the influence of Luthernism held dominance. What a trip.
As an atheist, I guess I've always held on to some looney little faith that, if people would just think about reality for a while, maybe indulge in a bit of rebellious behavior, the sway of religion would dissipate. Phillips' analysis of the SBC has challenged that faith in me. This is a religion that can be best understood as a social virus. Number one priority is reproduction and the spread of their dogmatic material. Their zeal for evangelism remains their greatest motive force, and makes a lot of sense from an 'evolutionary' kind of world-view. Religions gain their power and their authority from having a large number of followers, many breeds of christianity have come and gone in our country in the last few hundred years. Those which possess the greatest tactics for evangelism, are the ones that will thrive. Others' like the Shakers, are doomed to extinction as their slice of the christian population pie gets thinner.
The SBC is all about evangelism. These poor fucks believe that nothing is more important than 'saving souls.' I think this represents the greatest clash with the Liberalism which I continue to find more and more respect for. Liberalism is kinda based on the notion that some of the problems in society - poverty, drug abuse, child abuse - can be minimized with the wise application of changes to that society. These evags think that society's ills can only be properly addressed by getting everyone to accept Jesus into their heart. Honestly, I've now come to believe that when my evag associates see a homeless man on the street begging for change, they see him as a man who is needlessly suffering; if only he would accept Jesus as his personal savior and be obedient to Him then Jesus would take care of him somehow.
Anything that interfers with the mission of being missionaries is bad in the SBC. The virus must spread as rapidly as possible. Questions of dogma or the integrity of political and religious leaders interfers with the spread and is therefore bad.
Today is the New Moon. I'm hoping to transform myself into a more productive phase. I've read well over a thousand pages in the last five days, I have inhaled - now may I exhale.
On a lighter note, my brother and his family are still having their wacky adventures on the other side of the planet. I guess a few days ago they tried to take a car out into the countryside, but had to turn back when they were attacked by a pack of monkies. I can't wait to see the pictures of that!
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Normally I am under the "Live and let live" mentality when it comes to religions. If someone wants to beleive that some book from 2 thousand years ago, when they didnt even have flushable toilets (or did they...) is canon for some omnipotent being that they have no proof of, then hey, nothing I can say will change their minds. But I take offense to those that try and convert me over to their way of thinking without me asking for their opinion.
A perfect example is that fruitcake you work with. If she had pulled that crap around me I would have given her a verbal lashing that would have left marks on her very soul. Make Baby Jesus cry and all that... (that statement is more funny when you realize I am an athiest like Matt).
A perfect statement for her is thus. "Beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone."
A perfect example is that fruitcake you work with. If she had pulled that crap around me I would have given her a verbal lashing that would have left marks on her very soul. Make Baby Jesus cry and all that... (that statement is more funny when you realize I am an athiest like Matt).
A perfect statement for her is thus. "Beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone."
# posted by 
: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 9:36:00 AM
: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 9:36:00 AM
I see the blog mad Icon... but I haven't seen your blog on blog mad... must seek it out...
You do have to surf to get credits. If you have no credits, then no one is sent to your blog.
Lots of Republicans and religious people to pick on there!! Good fun! I've made a few enemies already!! muahahahahahahaa
You do have to surf to get credits. If you have no credits, then no one is sent to your blog.
Lots of Republicans and religious people to pick on there!! Good fun! I've made a few enemies already!! muahahahahahahaa
Heh, in fact, if you like, feel free to whip out your own beat down any time you want and blame it on me. That way you dont get in trouble with your boss.
I can just see it now...
Laurie: "Hey Matt, do you feel the love of baby Jesus?"
Matt: "Cory says your mothers a whore."
or try this one...
Laurie: "The love of the Lord keeps me going every day... How bout you Matt?"
Matt: "Cory told me to kick you in the overies. Prevent you from breeding and all that."
See? its fun!
I can just see it now...
Laurie: "Hey Matt, do you feel the love of baby Jesus?"
Matt: "Cory says your mothers a whore."
or try this one...
Laurie: "The love of the Lord keeps me going every day... How bout you Matt?"
Matt: "Cory told me to kick you in the overies. Prevent you from breeding and all that."
See? its fun!
# posted by : Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:46:00 AM
: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:46:00 AM
Maybe the four of us playing some doubles racquetball tommorow night might not be the best Idea . . .
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