Providence

In a post called Providence and Politics Diana Butler Bass discusses "finger-of-god politics," in which a leader of some sort claims divine favor (and therefore authority) attached to their leadership. Here is what she says about the dangers of this approach:

But finger-of-God explanations are dangerous in relation to politics. If God is the power behind a candidate, then, if that candidate wins, he or she is both beyond reproach and immune to criticism—because, of course, that person is seen as divinely appointed or anointed. The politician's actions are synonymous with God's will. This opens the door for political silliness (God desires tax cuts) or hubris (God favors our political party)—as well as making God responsible for a host of reprehensible or potentially evil acts in the forms of injustice, oppression, or war.

She goes on, however, to point out that providence is not rendered null and void by this misuse of it. There is, in fact, another story to be told about providence.

In this story, God does not control human actions as a divine puppet master. Rather, as human beings encounter the story, we change and our actions begin to conform to God's narrative of shalom. In this way, God's intentions unfold as we practice faith in humble gratitude that God has invited us into the story. Providence is not divine Mapquest or supernatural tom-tom. Rather, providence is a pilgrimage of God's people in time as they seek to live in mercy, kindness, and grace—and that is where God's will is made known. Not God's finger, providence is the breath of God, the spirit enlivening human beings to do justice.

God's providence as an unfolding narrative, as life-giving breath is not nearly as useful a tool for gaining or keeping power as the finger-of-god perspective; but is a far more humble, beautiful, and human one.

Lest I get too serious...

A blogger whose posts were too grim
Filled a hole all the way to the brim
With wisecracks and jokes
But then in fell the bloke
And he drowned laughing too hard to swim

God helped me do it

In a terrible tragedy over the last couple days, a young man shot and killed several people at two Christian organizations in Colorado before being confronted by a "volunteer security guard" (When did churches start fielding armed guards?) and killed. The security guard gave credit to god for helping her kill the gunman. While I am glad there was no more loss of life, I find this a little disturbing. I keep thinking of the story of Jesus healing the servant's ear after Peter went all ninja with his sword in the garden of Gethsemane.

Does god help us kill people? Even people in the midst of terrible acts?
I am not suggesting this guard should not have fired her weapon or, by association, that we shouldn't have police to preserve the peace. This guard had an explosive situation on her hands and did her best. I am just questioning this view in which we assume god micromanages the world for our benefit and another's destruction. Would god help an American soldier kill an Iraqi soldier? What about the Civil War? Both sides claim the same god; who's side is he on?

I can't pretend to understand what it is like to be a police officer facing an armed gunman or a soldier facing an armed foe in a battle I did not choose. What would I pray? "God, let me kill this guy before he kills me"? "God, help me stay alive"? How about, "God have mercy on me"? It seems to me that if we believe in a god who created and loves all of us, we cannot help but see every death, regardless of whose it is, as a terrible tragedy. I am perhaps bothered by the reduction of complex tragedies to simple victories and defeats.

What do you think? Are those of us in faith communities too quick to assume god is on our side?

Hmmm. That reminds me of a Bob Dylan song. It is talking about war in particular, and I recognize that is different from police or security matters, but I still think it has something to say about our proclivity for claiming god's blessing on what we want to do.

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

More Golden Compass News

My friend Dennis sent me this article from the Scottish daily The Herald; I think it makes a lot of sense. I particularly like the following paragraph:

Pullman has stated that it doesn't matter to him whether people believe in God or not. He is a champion of kindness over cruelty, democracy over tyranny, open-minded inquiry over the shutting of freedom of thought and expression. He is right when he says: "To read a great story is not to absorb a doctrine but to begin an imaginative collaboration. It is that freedom that the boy cotters find so frightening. Thou shalt not', is soon forgotten. Once upon a time lasts forever'."

While I may come to different conclusions about the story than Mr. Pullman, I gladly join him in the imaginative collaboration. In my opinion, a big problem with any religion, philosophy, political movement, or what-have-you is that they all tend to move from discovery and freedom to dogma and self-preservation. When you build a big organization, you have to keep it going, protect your interests, pay the bills, and control your followers. It's all too easy for these things to take the place of whatever the organization was for in the first place! I think those who remind us of the values in the quote above are doing us all a service by their challenge.

Pullman must die!

Well, the loudest Christians are gathering wood, preparing to burn Phillip Pullman at the stake for daring to write a book that spawned a movie that represents his beliefs. The title of this egregious book (and the movie) is The Golden Compass. Yes, Mr. Pullman is atheist or agnostic (depending on the interview). Yes, Mr. Pullman is anti-religion and even admits to promoting said view through his stories. What cracks me up is that the charge leveled at Mr. Pullman is that he is trying to persuade children of his views. Children! Um. Has anyone heard of Veggie Tales? Mr. Pullman isn't the only one foisting (What a great word! Say it again with me: "Foisting!" I knew you could.) his beliefs on unsuspecting young minds. Isn't our job as parents to help our children explore and process all that is foisted upon them? I know, I know; it's much less work to simply abandon them to the Christian entertainment industry. I mean, helping them think for themselves implies we have to, right? What the Flying Spaghetti Monster is that all about?

My wife recently posted on her blog about her views on this horrifying movie event, and I heartily concur. She did a fine job, and I won't repeat what she had to say. Instead, I will add a couple quotes from a recent article on the hubbub that I found on CNN.com titled "Is 'Golden Compass' Selling Atheism to Kids?" The answer to the title's question is: probably. Still, I think the quotes below suggest a better response to the issue than a cheery Yuletide Pullman bonfire.

"If you just say 'no' to your kids without engaging in a conversation, they're going to see the movie anyway and all you're teaching them is power, not really teaching your values. If we have faith, what are we afraid of?"
--Sister Rose Paccate, director of the Pauline Center of Media Studies in Culver City, California

Donna Freitas, a visiting assistant professor of religion at Boston University, goes a step further, calling the books a "theological masterpiece." Pullman's intent aside, she views the trilogy as a treatise on Christian belief.

To Freitas, the series' mysterious "Dust" -- portrayed in the books as connected to original sin -- represents the Holy Spirit. Pullman is not attacking religion but those who use power to corrupt, she said.

I think Freitas is wrong. Pullman is attacking religion. Art, however, is always made up of two parties (artist and audience) connected by a medium. Both parties bring their experiences, beliefs, emotions, and reason to the medium. Most authors would say that it would be hubris to insist that readers "get" their message and only their message from a story. In this sense, I think Freitas' interpretation is certainly feasible.

Ultimately, I want to help my children form values, not merely enforce my power as a parent. They must learn, in age-appropriate ways, to engage with the world in which they live. I want them to react not from fear, but carefully, thoughtfully, and compassionately. Perhaps we should spend more time working through these things with our children and less time campaigning to make everyone we disagree with shut up. After all, If our faith is genuine, what do we have to be afraid of?