TENNESSEE TURNS INWARD

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennesee's Republican governor says he will let a bill become law effective April 20 that protects teachers who allow students in their classrooms to criticize evolution and other scientific theories, such as global warming." (Lucas L. Johnson, Associated Press, April 10, 2012 on msnbc.msc.com/id/47001)

 

There are historical examples of society turning against science, technical advancement and change. One instance would be the Amish who decided to freeze their culture at the early 19th Century level. Of course, as a culture, they are protected and allowed to exist by the larger one that surrounds them and as a result they do not have to compete militarily, economically or intellectually in order to sustain themselves. They also get special exemptions regarding military service, as well as not being required to participate in many ways with the surrounding society. The only reason they exist is because the culture that contains them grants them a great deal of grace, which flows from our traditions of pluralism and tolerance.

If the United States follows the example of the Amish, we will doom our society to third world status and other countries, who do not have our religious hang ups, i.e. China and India, will pick up the torch of knowledge tied to scientific methodology and let it burn brightly in their societies, which will bring them great wealth and power as their scientists create the future.

Our universities are full of students from mainland China. The two who were murdered at USC are but an example. A full 50% of the students in our Ivy League universities are from Asia. The Chinese want what we have and know the secret to our success lies in our institutions of higher learning, which support individualism, creativity and pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge free of right wing and left wing orthodoxies. If we fetter our exporation of knowledge, new ideas and products created by Americans will disappear.

 

The Tennessee law, contrary to the propaganda of its proponents, will narrow our options and we will end up depending on others, while we wallow in and flaunt our self-righteousness just like the Muslim countries have done the last six hundred years. There was a time during the high middle ages when Islam was where it was at, but they lost it because their fundamentalists took over.  And look at where they are now, struggling to fit into the modern world. 

God help Tennessee for they are cursing themselves, not having a clue as to the wider repercussions of their decisions.  God help the rest of the United States as we, entranced by the misnomer, "religious freedom", consider following their example.

MORALITY AND RIGHT WING RELIGION

The most curious feature of the Christian  religious right wing in the United States is its presumption of moral superiority while celebrating greed and wealth in the name of freedom, hating government programs because they encourage laziness, attacking their political enemies with lies, insisting that members of the Progressive Caucus in the Congress are card carying communists, comparing the Democrats to Adolph Hitler, teaching that Barack Obama is the Anti-Christ,  and justifying torture as a national policy because it promises to gather supposed information that saves lives.  Not once do they step back and ask, as they claim to do, "Is this what Jesus would do?"

If we look at Jesus' teaching, we discover their behavior and attitudes are the exact opposite.  "Blessed are the poor," proclaimed Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Luke 6:20).  He didn't say the poor were leaches selfishly trying to suck nourishment from the veins of the hardworking establishment.  When they were hungry, he didn't say that's your concern; go to the market and buy whatever you can afford.  He fed them.  Jesus also said that the measure you give will be the measure you get back (cf. Luke 6:37-38)  Not much giving to the poor in right wing politics.

And Jesus didn't blame the unfortunate for their circumstances.  In fact, he got into a major theological argument with religious leaders over why a certain man was born blind.  They insisted the man or his parents must have sinned in order for him to be so punished.  Jesus said that was not so and rebuked his accusers by healing the man (cf. John 9:1-7).

What about people who cheat and abuse you, how many times should they be forgiven?  His disciples generously suggested that seven times would be appropriate.  Far more lenient than our current "Three Strikes and You Are Out" laws?  But I digress, back to the story.  Jesus responded that his followers should be willing to forgive seventy times seven.  Seven being the number of completeness, it means that they should never stop forgiving.  Is that good politics?  No!  Is that good economics?  No!  Is that good for the soul?  Yes!  Does that build peace in a society?  Yes!  (cf. Matthew 18:21-22)  Jesus also warned that people who do not forgive sins will not have their own sins forgiven.  (cf. Matthew 6:14)

What about retribution?  Jesus taught "do not resist one who is evil".   If anyone strikes you on the cheek, turn your other to him.  What about a person who sues me for my coat?  Give him your cloak also.  What about anyone who forces me to walk with him a mile out of my way?  Walk with him two?  (cf. Matthew 5:39-42)

What about hating liberals, socialists and communists?  "Love your enemies and pray for those who use you dispitefully."  If you salute only your brothers what are you doing that is different from heathens?  (cf. Matthew 5:43-48)  Judge not, or you will be judged.  (Matthew 7:1) 

What about the adoring the rich and the politically powerful?  "You cannot serve both God and mammon."  (cf. Matthew 6:24)  Do not lay up for yourselves wealth on earth because wherever your goal is, that is where your heart is also.  (cf. Matthew 6:19-21)  A religiously observant rich man approached Jesus asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus instructed, "Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor."  The man owned a great deal, was unwilling to part with his weath and went sorrowfully away.  (cf. Mark 10:17-23)  How hard it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.

What about having the right doctrine?  Not everyone who calls me, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, not even if they show evidence of spiritual power such as prophesying, casting out demons and doing miracles.  Jesus said that what counts is living according to his teaching.  (cf. Matthew 7:21-27)  At the end of time the human race will be divided into goats and sheep.  The goats will be cast into the eternal lake of fire because they failed to feed people and give them drink.  They failed to welcome strangers and did not clothe the needy.  The goats will say, Lord, when did we ever see you in such straights?  And God will say, when you failed to do it to the least human being, you failed to do it to me. (cf. Matthew 25:31-46)  I wonder if that includes blacks, hispanics, women, gays, lesbians and transgenders.

What is amazing to me is that right wing Christians mistakingly think they worship Jesus as God.  But the truth is told by their behavior.  They dismiss Jesus' words disdainfully claiming any concern for poor and minorities is socialism.  Who do they really worship?  They are worshipping mammon, that is money and political power.  And if you take the Gospels literally, most especially Mathew's twenty-fifth chapter, they are in danger of Hell fire.  But they don't believe Matthew is telling the truth and Jesus is not their God.

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."  (Matthew 15:8, RSV)