In Harry’s class today we had to tell three stories, two of which were true and one which was a lie. I’m not very good at lying, but I managed to convince most people that Jeanette Fitzsimons is my third cousin once removed. Most people refused to believe that I got hypothermia at a rock concert.
Realised last night that people don’t actually argue with me much these days. Or tell me how wrong I am, or how foolish. The guys I hung out with in high school used to point that out to me quite a lot. We’d often have heated discussions, which I would usually use because they used big words and confused me. And because I wander around with the idea that I am always wrong ingrained upon every particle of my being. I’m not very good at defending myself (you wouldn’t think that I was once captain of an award winning debating team…)
Last night someone had a great time ridiculing me about my subscription to spirituality. The argument was amusing and frustrating and rather silly… but also slightly alarming. I woke up this morning and realised that I wasn’t actually entirely sure why I’ve ended up as involved as I am.
I don’t believe that the bible is a divine document, that it is God’s word, or that it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But, as this friend pointed out last night, I’ve never told the Rainbow room kids this. I’ve never said, I think most of this book is a load of crap, but we’re going to pick and choose a few stories from it because… well, I don’t know really. Because that’s the tradition in the community we have chosen to be a part of.
I don’t really know why we (as a fairly radical church) still use the bible so much. Sure, there’s some good stuff in there. Some interesting ethical discussions, some cute metaphors, some beautiful poetry. And a whole lot of awful stuff too – brutality and bigotry and injustice.
Not just in the bible – in the history of the church. There’s centuries of terrorism, corruption, coercion and abuse in the name of God. It’s still going on – and nothing can justify that. It’s bloody awful. But I’m not ashamed to be a part of a church community – because it’s not the same church that committed those crimes. It’s a church that works towards peace and justice, a church that tries to prevent institutionalised brutality, not perpetrate it.
I’m there because I love being part of a community that includes people of all ages and many walks of life, coming together because of common passion, and hope. I like being part of a community where ethical issues are discussed, questions are asked, ideas are explored. I feel healthier when I spend a bit of time each week meditating, or singing, or listening to music. And yeah, I do believe in something that I call God. Using the word God is problematic, but I lack the imagination to dream up a better word. I just believe in this collection of things and ideas, and I call that God.
It’s got something to do with the pattern of self-organisation, the “mind,” that is present in all matter. It’s got something to do with the distance between stars and the dance of electrons. It’s got something to do with wanting to plant trees, and be kind to people, and challenge injustice. It’s got something to do with the laughter of friends, and tears, and how silent Saskia was before she died.
I just don’t have a word for the wonder of life, the universe and everything, and sometimes I use the word God.
Oooh, you made me think lots!
Heres my 5 cents.
Church as community is an amazingly valuable thing. Churches, interfaith councils Theological colleges, whathaveyou are hotbeds of radical politics, why? I think because, amongst other stuff, they are founded on a mutual respect that allows dissent and real debate. And THAT is an attreactive quality if ther ever was one.
Also
Not sure if you agree, but for me the entire point of the bible is the narrative. Stories that still speak to us yeah?
Document as revelation, I'm not sure about. The God thing even less. But as a great piece of art Bible has continued to be a revevant, and beautiful piece of literature at the very least. Given the western notion of the subline, the text as art transcends its form, to become something more. Something close to what ever the top of your spiritual food chain is. Something that makes me hold my breath. Text as the divine?
In conclusion (cos all essays have conclusions)The Wasteland makes me cry, so does Exodus.
And bits of the Song of Songs are just plain DIRTY.
"Set me as a seal upon your heart,
a seal upon your arm
for love is strong as death
and passion as deep as the grave"
Heavinly paraphrased Song of Songs 8:6)
*Life* is brutal and unjust. Every day, in order to survive, you kill and consume something which lives. That the Bible depicts people, and life, and God being brutal and bigoted is a mark of its reality, not something which should lead to it being censored (or censured).
Posted by: Jamie at July 19, 2003 10:06 AMi find
40-odd authors
over several thousand years
writing independently
and coming up with such a document
without divine intervention
is highly unlikely.
(p.s. we have church documents that are written like that, with line breaks between each clause; the best idea long-sentence writers ever had, i swear.)
Hey mate :)
Well ... I'm not Christain and I do struggle with various forms of Christianity for many reasons... but what I do know and believe in is Faith.
No matter what you are or where you come from, faith is the key to our existence...
Hypocrites, human brutality, hatred etc aren't Christaian or religous things, they are human frailties and weaknesses.
I still say that Jeezus was a long-haired hippy peacenik! And he hung out with some real disreputable riff-raff! Then he disrespected the gubmint, and got in trouble with the po-leese!
Is that really the kind of role moldel that you are offering those impressionable young children?
-V.
Censorship is entirely inappropriate, but I think anything that holds up brutality and bigotry as ideals (not just depicts them as real) should most certainly be censured. Life may not be nice, but we should be striving to minimise brutality and injustice, not celebrating them.
I'm sure the bible does contain some passages of great artistic or philisophical merit, but that doesn't give the bible as a whole any special credibility. There are plenty of non-biblical and non-religious writings about which the same could be said.
Richard - what do you think a religious document written by 40 authors over thousands of years _without_ divine intervention would look like? How would it differ from the existing bible?
Posted by: darthsappho at July 22, 2003 12:31 PM