This is an individual post from E Pluribus Unum
There's more on the main page.


On Democrats and spirituality

Surveys show that people who (say they) attend church services regularly usually vote Republican. People who don't, vote Democratic.

So does that mean Democrats can't talk about spirituality? And if they don't, will they continue to lose elections in a nation more and more being forced into a quasi-theocratic mold?

In Bill Moyers' On America, the author talks about aging and how the most successful and happy older people maintain "a capacity for wonder, surprise, and joy -- especially the joy of the present experience."

He talks about his last televised conversation with Joseph Campbell, the longtime teacher of comparative mythology at Sarah Lawrence College, and how Campbell talked about the "guiding idea of his work: to find the commonality of themes in world myths, pointing to a constant requirement in the human psyche for a centering in terms of deep principles."

"You're talking about a search for the meaning of life," I [Moyers] said.

"No, no, no," he answered. "I'm talking about the experience of being alive!" He explained: "People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is the experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."

World (or national myths), deep principles, and the rapture of being alive -- being connected to something bigger than ourselves. America has just such a tradition and it isn't about religion. Democrats would do well to think about that some more.

Comments

Testing one two.

I find it sadly ironic that perhaps one of the biggest liberal and radical activist in history (Jesus of Nazereth) would hardly feel at home in the Republican Party that is so quick to invoke His name.

My observation is that social conservatives and fiscal conservatives are often very opposite creatures. When we're talking about social conservatives, we are almost always talking about sexuality. This phenomena is almost entirely and American issue as we tend to be the most uncomfortable dealing with issues of sexuality. Hell, we impeached a President over sex. (And don't say it was perjury...that dog won't hunt.)

You've reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of The West Wing. In it, President Bartlett confronts a right-wing radio "Doctor" who has expressed some rather homophobic views:

BARTLET: I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an "abomination!"


JACOBS: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.


BARTLET: Yes it does. Leviticus! Chapter and verse.


BARTLET: I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I wanted to sell my youngest daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown Sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?


(Bartlet only waits a second for a response, then plunges on.)


BARTLET: While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGary, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? Or is it okay to call the police?


(Bartlet barely pauses to take a breath.)


BARTLET: Here's one that's really important, because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?


(The camera pushes in on the president.)


One last thing. While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building when the president stands, nobody sits.


(Jacobs sees that, in fact, the president is standing and she is the only one in the room sitting. After a moment, she rises, holding her tiny plate of appetizers. After the president exits, Sam Seaborn sternly approaches a thoroughly belittled Jacobs.)


SAM: I'm just. Going to take that crab puff.


(Sam snatches Dr. Jacob's crab puff, then hurries after the president.)

”I find it sadly ironic that perhaps one of the biggest liberal and radical activist in history (Jesus of Nazereth) would hardly feel at home in the Republican Party that is so quick to invoke His name.”

One measure of the true godliness of a group is how doctrinaire and ritualistic, and always how prideful, are the religions they practice. People who don’t understand (those who expect to), frequently turn to doctrine and ritual to find the spiritual meaning they can only find within themselves. This makes them ripe for manipulation by others. They also tend toward the most paradoxical actions to prove that their faith (usually, only their faith) is worthy.

BTW, good to hear from you again, Tim.

Noticed you've taken up beating your head against the wall for fun ;-)

And apologies to President Bartlett (if only) but American-style “footballs” have never actually been made of pigskin. And the Skins still can’t play football.

Granted, but can I still burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?

"Granted, but can I still burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?"

Did she show your "bath time pics" to your friends?

Hmmm, no. She actually had nothing to do with the most embarassing moment of my life.


Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Full Feed RSS

Creative Commons LicenseThis weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Powered by
Movable Type 3.2