Fundamentally Incorrect
Guy T. Sturino
December 11, 2005
The rantings of the fundamentalist fringe are stunting our growth as a nation and hindering our passage to maturity. The incessant repetition of claims that the Bible is the literal word of God by the radical fringe of Christian leadership has managed to maintain control over the thoughts and actions of about ten percent of American citizens. This is a rough, low end estimate based on what the few available survey results indicate.(1) However, if even as much as ten percent of Americans are willing to state publically that they believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, our country is in real trouble, and it’s well past time to speak truth to this misled group.
First of all, the Old Testament is simply an anthology of stories handed down before the advent of writing. Every group of people, as they became aware enough to ask themselves who they were, wanted to know where they came from. Unfortunately, no one who was around at the beginning left any clues to how they came to be, or how the world came to be. The only thing left to do was surmise, and surmise we did, sometimes in short stories and sometimes in novels. If you are not already familiar with various stories of creation, you might find them interesting. I’ve presented some brief overviews as an addendum.
Today, the vast majority of the American public views these stories with humor. Yet too many Americans persist in beliefs which have no more foundation than the oral histories of the Egyptians, Africans, Aborigines, Shinto or Iroquois. They believe, and teach their children, that the earth just appeared, out of nothing, at a thought from God, and in six days God created everything we see. Then, they have the absolute audacity to refer to those who don’t believe their stories as heathen, and declare that unbelievers will spend eternity in some fiery underworld.
Why should we care? Because, those that refuse to accept what they can see in favor of that which they choose to believe, are having an extremely negative effect on our quest for maturity.
I never dreamed that I would ever be so passionate about publically pointing out flaws in someone else’s belief. Even as I type, it feels rude, crude and indecent. But, the passionate believers have no such compunction when it comes to belittling what I believe. And, no amount of polite writing or polite distancing on the part of those who are anchored in a tangible reality has done a thing so far to stop the incessant clamor of the pompous, self righteous, and hate mongering fanatics of the extreme Christian sects. If those who want to follow a literal translation of the Bible don’t want to associate with blacks, gays, or liberated women – ok, do that. If they would just keep those narrow and hateful personal views within their own community and out of public schools and government affairs, I, for one, would be content to let them be. Unfortunately, they will not.
Have a Merry Christmas,” they insist on chanting to strangers who may be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. A more socially sensitive greeting would be, “Happy Holidays,” but let’s not confuse sensitivity-to-others with evangelism. I might be able to respect their position more if they were consistent, but consistency is also not part of their makup. Christmas is Holy they cry-- but only 150 years ago churches said just the opposite. It was, according to Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist churches, a heathen, pagan holiday, not to be honored by the church.(2) I wonder how many children today, or adults for that matter, know that.
The story of creation is not the only myth that needs to be questioned. Remember those folks who thought salvation came in a space ship behind a comet and died to get there. Well, another group is waiting to be taken to God in the Rapture. Is only one of these groups misguided?
In addition to the myths there is still an even greater impediment to maturity – outright hypocrisy. At the same time the fundamentalists claim to have higher standards and beliefs than the rest of us, they demonstrate exactly the opposite. They tell us that they have been saved by Christ, yet turn to the old testament for solace when the teachings of their Savior run contrary to their innermost desires and impulses. As I have said before, it’s much easier to follow the bigoted prophets of the Old Testament. Following Christ means walking a hard road. It means putting aside prejudice, hatred, personal revulsion, and vengeance.
So why do people allow themselves to be led and to continue to repeat what even they may think is questionable. I think it is simply the safety of having a community. How could any one person stand up in a church full of neighbors, friends and family and say, “I think we’re going the wrong way.” Those who do feel that way simply stop going to church and remain silent about their reasons out of fear of alienation. In strong fundamentalist communities religious alienation can be torturous.
Yes, this writing is harsh, but it is also necessarry. There are a lot of people who firmly believe that the fundamentalist’s teachings run counter to our nations growth toward maturity. Fundamentalist Christians tell themselves it is their duty to evangelize – they don’t have to be sensitive to the sensibilities of anyone who does not accept their position. If the rest of us remain silent, out of some misguided sense of politeness or propriety, our period of adolescence will be very long indeed.
Along the way though, there is nothing wrong with having a good time, so I wish that each and every one of you, –
Have a Merry Spending Time,
enjoy a Happy Receiving Day
and revel in a Joyous Commercial Binge Season.
Sources
(1) www.religioustolerance.org
(2) www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/opinion/04sun3.html
Addendum:
According to the Egyptians, in the beginning there was only water, which the Egyptians called Nu or Nun. It was out of Nu that everything began. Eventually there was flooding, and when the floods receded dry land emerged. On the first dry hilltop, on the first day came the first sunrise.
In Africa different stories were told. In one the world was created through a powerful being named Bumba, who regurgitated the sun, moon, stars, and the first nine living creatures. In a Kabyl tale of creation the world just is, and starts out with just one male and one female. They live underground, and eventually find each other and mate, having fifty sons and fifty daughters. The rest is history.
Aboriginal Stories tell us yet another tale. They explain how the world came into being during the Dreamtime when powerful beings woke up underground and emerged on the surface.
Shinto stories explain the birth of the earth. Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto stood talking on the floating bridge of Heaven. "Is there not a country beneath?" So they poked around with a shaft and found the ocean below. When they lifted the shaft, brine dripping from the point of the spear coagulated and became an island. Eventually, the Sun Goddess Was produced.
The Iroquois tell a long and involved story. It began in the Sky World. In the Sky World, there was no sickness or death, or greed or hatred. It’s a long story, but the gist is that an unfaithful wife and her lover were to be banished. A hole was dug next to a tree so deep that it went through Sky World, and below it was a globe of water. The couple was thrown in the hole. On the earth one day, Sky Woman simply appeared. Her lover, however, showed up as a spirit who could fly and throw fire. What follows, in a very long and detailed story, is the creation of the five races, and the interaction of men and spirits.
First of all, the Old Testament is simply an anthology of stories handed down before the advent of writing. Every group of people, as they became aware enough to ask themselves who they were, wanted to know where they came from. Unfortunately, no one who was around at the beginning left any clues to how they came to be, or how the world came to be. The only thing left to do was surmise, and surmise we did, sometimes in short stories and sometimes in novels. If you are not already familiar with various stories of creation, you might find them interesting. I’ve presented some brief overviews as an addendum.
Today, the vast majority of the American public views these stories with humor. Yet too many Americans persist in beliefs which have no more foundation than the oral histories of the Egyptians, Africans, Aborigines, Shinto or Iroquois. They believe, and teach their children, that the earth just appeared, out of nothing, at a thought from God, and in six days God created everything we see. Then, they have the absolute audacity to refer to those who don’t believe their stories as heathen, and declare that unbelievers will spend eternity in some fiery underworld.
Why should we care? Because, those that refuse to accept what they can see in favor of that which they choose to believe, are having an extremely negative effect on our quest for maturity.
I never dreamed that I would ever be so passionate about publically pointing out flaws in someone else’s belief. Even as I type, it feels rude, crude and indecent. But, the passionate believers have no such compunction when it comes to belittling what I believe. And, no amount of polite writing or polite distancing on the part of those who are anchored in a tangible reality has done a thing so far to stop the incessant clamor of the pompous, self righteous, and hate mongering fanatics of the extreme Christian sects. If those who want to follow a literal translation of the Bible don’t want to associate with blacks, gays, or liberated women – ok, do that. If they would just keep those narrow and hateful personal views within their own community and out of public schools and government affairs, I, for one, would be content to let them be. Unfortunately, they will not.
Have a Merry Christmas,” they insist on chanting to strangers who may be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. A more socially sensitive greeting would be, “Happy Holidays,” but let’s not confuse sensitivity-to-others with evangelism. I might be able to respect their position more if they were consistent, but consistency is also not part of their makup. Christmas is Holy they cry-- but only 150 years ago churches said just the opposite. It was, according to Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist churches, a heathen, pagan holiday, not to be honored by the church.(2) I wonder how many children today, or adults for that matter, know that.
The story of creation is not the only myth that needs to be questioned. Remember those folks who thought salvation came in a space ship behind a comet and died to get there. Well, another group is waiting to be taken to God in the Rapture. Is only one of these groups misguided?
In addition to the myths there is still an even greater impediment to maturity – outright hypocrisy. At the same time the fundamentalists claim to have higher standards and beliefs than the rest of us, they demonstrate exactly the opposite. They tell us that they have been saved by Christ, yet turn to the old testament for solace when the teachings of their Savior run contrary to their innermost desires and impulses. As I have said before, it’s much easier to follow the bigoted prophets of the Old Testament. Following Christ means walking a hard road. It means putting aside prejudice, hatred, personal revulsion, and vengeance.
So why do people allow themselves to be led and to continue to repeat what even they may think is questionable. I think it is simply the safety of having a community. How could any one person stand up in a church full of neighbors, friends and family and say, “I think we’re going the wrong way.” Those who do feel that way simply stop going to church and remain silent about their reasons out of fear of alienation. In strong fundamentalist communities religious alienation can be torturous.
Yes, this writing is harsh, but it is also necessarry. There are a lot of people who firmly believe that the fundamentalist’s teachings run counter to our nations growth toward maturity. Fundamentalist Christians tell themselves it is their duty to evangelize – they don’t have to be sensitive to the sensibilities of anyone who does not accept their position. If the rest of us remain silent, out of some misguided sense of politeness or propriety, our period of adolescence will be very long indeed.
Along the way though, there is nothing wrong with having a good time, so I wish that each and every one of you, –
Have a Merry Spending Time,
enjoy a Happy Receiving Day
and revel in a Joyous Commercial Binge Season.
Sources
(1) www.religioustolerance.org
(2) www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/opinion/04sun3.html
Addendum:
According to the Egyptians, in the beginning there was only water, which the Egyptians called Nu or Nun. It was out of Nu that everything began. Eventually there was flooding, and when the floods receded dry land emerged. On the first dry hilltop, on the first day came the first sunrise.
In Africa different stories were told. In one the world was created through a powerful being named Bumba, who regurgitated the sun, moon, stars, and the first nine living creatures. In a Kabyl tale of creation the world just is, and starts out with just one male and one female. They live underground, and eventually find each other and mate, having fifty sons and fifty daughters. The rest is history.
Aboriginal Stories tell us yet another tale. They explain how the world came into being during the Dreamtime when powerful beings woke up underground and emerged on the surface.
Shinto stories explain the birth of the earth. Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto stood talking on the floating bridge of Heaven. "Is there not a country beneath?" So they poked around with a shaft and found the ocean below. When they lifted the shaft, brine dripping from the point of the spear coagulated and became an island. Eventually, the Sun Goddess Was produced.
The Iroquois tell a long and involved story. It began in the Sky World. In the Sky World, there was no sickness or death, or greed or hatred. It’s a long story, but the gist is that an unfaithful wife and her lover were to be banished. A hole was dug next to a tree so deep that it went through Sky World, and below it was a globe of water. The couple was thrown in the hole. On the earth one day, Sky Woman simply appeared. Her lover, however, showed up as a spirit who could fly and throw fire. What follows, in a very long and detailed story, is the creation of the five races, and the interaction of men and spirits.
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