The church I go to has two ministers, at least for the next few weeks, then both of them are moving on. One of them I really don't connect with at all, the other one is the only minister who has offered any support in my going to seminary. He's an interesting guy, with a somewhat diverse theological background. He is also far more compassionate than most of the ministers I have had a chance to spend time speaking with, he doesn't just put on a good act while he is on stage.
Anyway, I just wanted to put in a bit of background. Today's sermon touched on a few subjects, one of which was working with an interfaith group dealing with the poor and homeless. I have often criticized my faith for only helping "those people over there" and making sure they stayed "over there" instead instead of making it easy for them to pick up many of the values and beliefs of the church. Mind you, I'm talking about promoting the church and its values by leading by example. Today's sermon was very passionate about people actually getting involved instead of just paying lip service by throwing some money at the problem and then feeling virtuous.
It also got me to thinking about what I will be able to do once I finish my schooling. I don't think I will be very good at dealing with the typical homeless beggar, I am much more likely to be working with people who are working their way up out of a bad turn of events. Or, working with those who are on the fringes of society. During my last trip to New Orleans I found that I built up connections with a number of the street performers and fortune tellers. I'm also friends with some musicians who will never be big names or big successes, but they are getting by. I'm sure there are those who will criticise me for this, but I need to play to my strengths. My goals are to do good things, not great things.
Even though it is years in the future, I'm trying understand myself better and where I will fit in. It's challenging.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Atheism
Recently I've been dealing with an evangelical atheist online. He seems to be one of those fundamentalist types who insist that everyone else has to believe the same way he does. He is adamant that all religions are evil, that they have never done anything good and that anyone who has any religious leanings is seriously mentally ill. Even when other folks point out the advancements in society that have been driven solely by religious faith, he denies them. The depth of his faith in his beliefs is impressive, particularly given the paradox of denying the faith of others.
This anti-religious stance seems to be somewhat related to modern American culture where the individual is everything. This attitude can be very successful when the number of people who have it is very small, but when it becomes the belief of a significant fraction of the population, it can spell the destruction of the culture or society. The human drive and desire to be part of something greater than oneself is what has driven much of the development and advancement of humanity. In fact, one of the current evolutionary theories is that humans developed a larger brain to deal with being part of a larger group or tribe than others. Long term survival and prosperity of the group is what was important, not that of specific individuals. This led to concepts that we now know as duty and self-sacrifice. When these ideals become lost, society starts to fall apart.
while I get the point that many horrible things have been done in the name of religion, there has also been a lot of good. Probably the best example is that literacy in Europe was driven solely by Gutenberg printing and distributing Bibles which led to parents wanted their children to be able to read just so they could read the Bible. There were also advances in architecture and engineering made so that cathedrals could be built. And, being a Classical Music fan, there was a huge body of music composed for religious purposes.
Personally, I've been trying to take a step back so that I can analyze and understand why various religions are successful and what they contribute to the long term prosperity of the society. I'm also trying to understand what causes the failure of religions or churches, but that's a rant for another post.
This anti-religious stance seems to be somewhat related to modern American culture where the individual is everything. This attitude can be very successful when the number of people who have it is very small, but when it becomes the belief of a significant fraction of the population, it can spell the destruction of the culture or society. The human drive and desire to be part of something greater than oneself is what has driven much of the development and advancement of humanity. In fact, one of the current evolutionary theories is that humans developed a larger brain to deal with being part of a larger group or tribe than others. Long term survival and prosperity of the group is what was important, not that of specific individuals. This led to concepts that we now know as duty and self-sacrifice. When these ideals become lost, society starts to fall apart.
while I get the point that many horrible things have been done in the name of religion, there has also been a lot of good. Probably the best example is that literacy in Europe was driven solely by Gutenberg printing and distributing Bibles which led to parents wanted their children to be able to read just so they could read the Bible. There were also advances in architecture and engineering made so that cathedrals could be built. And, being a Classical Music fan, there was a huge body of music composed for religious purposes.
Personally, I've been trying to take a step back so that I can analyze and understand why various religions are successful and what they contribute to the long term prosperity of the society. I'm also trying to understand what causes the failure of religions or churches, but that's a rant for another post.
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