A Crisis of Faith, Part 1

Having been raised a Catholic in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, I’ve been following the recent scandals quite a bit.  I can’t imagine the grief felt by the core group of victims. What a hardship it must be to see an ideal of perfection in a form that it so completely fallible, and in way that so violates a sacred bond of trust. I wonder, though, about the private emotional battles existing in the minds and hearts of many area Catholics who are questioning their faith in a system that may not have their best interests at heart.  If the image of the Church has been put above the welfare of its parishioners, how can it possibly see for the beam in its own eye?  Part of me stands in awe at the ability and ease with which the Church sought to cover up these allegations and in wonderment at the parishioners who knew what was happening to the victims and SAID NOTHING.  What do you say to someone to convince them that an act so deplorable should not be openly condemned?

Education

People travel the world to study the artwork and music of great men and women because of what it teaches them about themselves and history.  They climb mountains and trudge through jungles to seek out the knowledge of one philosopher or another.  They will pay thousands of dollars to hear a lecture by a great  professor.   There are beautiful minds untapped worldwide, and though they may be sparked by the law, by the microscope, or by the Word, they become flames by the work of the teacher.  If society chooses to build stadiums instead of schools and cases instead of classrooms, it has already passed judgement on the importance of what I choose to do.

Without knowledge of law there is chaos.  Without knowledge of medicine disease reigns.  Some teachers sacrifice time and money and energy to teach people to read, but others sacrifice EVERYTHING to teach people to live.  Education has built nations and lack of it has destroyed them.  Knowledge is so revered that many civilizations believed that only the gods possesed it, yet society places so little value on those who seek to distribute it.  If every last being on Earth were destroyed save two, they could recreate the world using our books.  I am human, I am fallible, and all I have ever wanted to do from the depth of my soul is to be good enough to inspire someone else to be great.  I would do it for free and unappreciated every day for the rest of my life.  I believe in education like you believe in God.  Judge me as you please.

The Vatican Forgives Lennon

But did Lennon want to be forgiven?  It’s easy to do what you want with someone’s reputation once they’re dead, but what if John Lennon didn’t want to be forgiven for saying that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ.  It may have started as an off the cuff remark, but when Catholics and Christians condemned his and his music for the statement, burned albums, refusing to let their children by records, etc… it became something deeper.

In many ways, Lennon became more like Christ than most Christians, professing peace, harmony, and love at a time when Christians themselves were fighting against the idea of equality for all races based on… the Bible.  He brought people together in a time when churches were tearing them apart under the “believe this or you don’t belong” doctrine.  Lennon was closer to the second coming than most Christians will ever be, and to decry his music because of a statement is reprehensible at best.  I’m glad the Vatican is moving on.  I only hope Lennon can forgive THEM.

Stop Waiting

One of the most frustrating things that people say about the economy, politics, environment, etc… is, “God will proviode.”  We have intelligence.  We can learn things.  We can support politicians who support education so that we can learn more things.  Knowledge is not a punishment.  We weren’t punished for wanting knowledge, we were punished for disobeying god.  And that’s an allegory anyway. 

God will not fix your roof.  God will not fix the hole in the Ozone layer.  God will not fix the economy.  God will not pay your health care bills.  All of that is up to us.  The closest we get to god is electing the right politicians so that all of that gets done with us having to know as little about it as possible and when all goes well we can say, “See, God has provided.”  It may not all be chance, but it is NOT God. 

If you want something, if you need something, DO DOMETHING ABOUT IT.  Don’t just sit there and pray, then complain about the state of the world.  Find the cause of the problem and figure out a solution.  If you can’t figure it out, don’t say, “It must have been God’s will.”  Find someone smarter than you and ask for help.  Is no help is available , accept that it’s just that way through no fault of your own or anyone else’s.  The devil is not involved.  Let it go.  Stoip waiting.  Provide for yourself.

Jesus Christ Superstar

I don’t know if Andrew Lloyd Webber intended his musical to tell the story of Christ or to humanize him, but the first time I saw it, it reinforced my belief that Jesu bin Josef was a political figure and an incredible philosopher, but NOT the son of God.  My favorite line in the entire show is sung by Judas and states, “You’ve begun to matter more than the things you say.”  I can’t imagine that God’s intention was ever for us to worship Jesus as a god, but rather to listen to his words and implement them in our own lives.

Envy

Why is it that we, as human beings, are rarely happy with what we have?  We always seem to want something more, especially if we see that someone else has it.  Keeping up with the Joneses has been a game played since the beginning of time, and yet we don’t seem to have learned much from it as a whole.  When this “deadly” sin was first introduced, the church was engaging in all kinds of envy – the desire for wealth of other nations, land that had been previously unavailable, and the souls of heathens to increase the holy sea.  The Vatican didn’t attain all of that wealth because they didn’t envy others for having it, and many times it was attained through avarice and the careful misuse of other sins (That Shalt Not Kill comes to mind).

The other side is this: when we want something, we need to force ourselves to examine the cost and consequences of recieving it.  The ultimate goal is to want only what we absolutely need to survive and be reasonably comfortable.  I could have a better job and make more money, but I would have to give up a lot of time with my husband and son.  A larger house means larger bills, and what I already have is more than adaquate.  We complicate our lives by envying those who have more than we need, and waste precious time in the struggle to attain them.  But envy can be a positive force as well.  Envying those with better grades forces us to study harder.  Coveting the health and vitality of someone older than us forces us to re-examine our own choices in food and exercise regimines.

Avarice (Greed)

Money is the root of all evil, or so they say.  It’s not so much the money itself, but the power and control that comes with having what others do not (and the idea that focusing on money means you’re not focusing on God).  Of course, when greed was first labeled a “deadly” sin, the church was the most corrupt institution in the land, but no one likes to talk about that.  In fact, avarice has long been a vice of religion, from the selling of “holy” relics and special favors to the evangelical preachers of today raising money to build a mega church and buy themselves a Hummer.  I wonder how many people have been convinced to rid themselves of their greed by donating all they have to their local church. 

The other side is this: putting yourself above others in one area (especially when it comes to sharing) makes it easier to put yourself first in all aspects of life.  Any time you forget to think of others you open yourself up to the ability to ignore their needs completely.  That doesn’t mean you should never put yourself first.  It is also important to learn to say “no” when you’re feeling overextended or you must do something to take care of yourself, but, as with anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.  Being greedy with your time is the same as being greedy with your possessions.  Try to make sure to do something for someone else every day, and if someone needs something that you have (and don’t absolutely NEED), it’s should be theirs.  Many of us learned to share before we had any concept of religion or God.  It is a basic requirement of humanity, and something we should all be paying more attention to.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Even if we are not religious or we find ourselves absent of religion, we can still learn a lot from what religious texts and people have taught.  One of my favorite lessons is centered on the seven “deadly” sins.  Though I don’t believe that I will automatically end up in hell if I commit any of them and do not repent, I do recognize that having a life ruled by one or more of these unflattering attributes contributes to a personal hell that cannot soon be overcome and generally necessitates professional help.  Each sin contains a lesson on how to live your life.  Since many people tend to think of these things in the Biblical sense, it is difficult for them to see each to a lesser degree in themselves.  In truth, these are the things that destroy our lives, our relationships, and our ability to see the world as it is.  When we are clouded by greed, evny, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth, or wrath, we cannot see what is really happening around us.

Expecting a Miracle

It scares me that many people in the United States believe that God can save their loved ones when doctors cannot.  Though we don’t know everything about out bodies and minds, and I do believe that there is something to the Chinese method of directing energy, I find it difficult to wrap my head around those who rely completely on the mythological.  To me, it’s tantamount to expecting to be cured by a fairy.  My sister’s chronic illness had opened me up to the possibility that prayer helps, but not because God had anything to do with it.  Directed energy, along with the patient knowing that many people care for them and are hoping for their recovery, can do wonders for the psyche (which in turn affects the body). But just because a recovery or remission is unexplained does not make it a miracle.  It just means we don’t know how it happened.  My concern is that believing so completely that God will heal someone can be psychologically devastating when they do not improve, but then, the religious will just explain that away as God’s will.  What the people of the United States need is to rely less on God and be more in touch with reality.

Home Invasion

I’ve railed against the paparazzi in the past, especially when they’ve taken some deeply personal incidents in a person’s life and made them incredibly public.  There’s no reason why Dick Cheney’s and George W. Bush’s crimes, deceits, and missteps should be largely ignored while actors and singers whose lives have no impact on our own should have everything they do broadcast for all to see.  Deciding to make a movie, TV show, or album is not the same as choosing to run for public office, and yet one career is scrutinized a every step with personal attacks and public failures and the other is left alone to fester until real damage is done.  Even if you believe that a career in film or TV opens you up to public criticism, hopefully you agree that there are limits.  Halle Berry should have been able to play with her infant in her own backyard without being photographed* (and as a mother, if someone had done that to me I would have ripped their head off).  Politicians should be transparent in most aspect, but Barack Obama should have been able to place a prayer* in the Wailing Wall without it being taken out and made public.  This country has some seriously screwed-up priorities and a better America is a pipe dream until the media stops bombarding us with useless information that only harms us.

 

*Out of respect for both individuals, I will not post the pictures or the prayer.