Tuesday, April 24, 2007

God and Politics


It's the end of the semester, so I'm being lazy and making this response to Brian's blog work double-duty as a blog entry, with minor adjustments.

It was Sunday and I'd just finished reading other blog posts about the politicizing of Christianity and thought it interesting (or perhaps not)to mention; as soon as I began reading the post Brian had on his blog, the Jehovah's Witnesses were knocking at my door, reading from Titus. It had something to do with education. The blog entry reminded me of what I found so tiresome about going to church when I was younger--the explication of texts was always the same. It actually became part of the reason why I wanted to write--to find new ways to describe things that surround us. The work has been done before and the comforting phrases that sound good just end up being meaningless as the weekly repetitions grow. Why couldn't people find new ways of saying things? Why the stereotypes? And most annoyingly, why all this arguing using circular logic to prove things that really are, at base, a matter of faith? The missionaries on my porch said the same phrases the same way, as anything else I'd heard. The visit was brief, but cordial. The Witnesses gone, their pamphlet in the kitchen wastebasket, I'd gone to look up Titus. 2:2 was the verse the little girl read with her Mother there to provide moral support: "teach what is consistent with sound doctrine." I read further past the stuff around verse 9 telling slaves to be submissive to their masters and not talk back, etc but what I found interesting in light of the events and readings of the morning, as well as what Sherman Alexie spoke of on Thursday, was further on in the book: "But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. After a first and second admonition, have nothing to do with anyone who causes diversions, since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned." For such people, perhaps less of a focus on legislation and condemnation and more of a focus on what their faith really is to them would be more of a draw. It certainly wouldn't hurt trying.

6 comments:

Kristen said...

Dang it, the least you could do is recycle that silly pamphlet! Think of Mother Earth!

Anonymous said...

Crap...I knew I was doing something wrong somewhere...

Anonymous said...

You must read "Cloister Walk" by Kathleen Norris. Written by a poet--you would relate to much of it, I think.

Hope you don't mind me commenting. Old lady like me, reading blogs. Go figure.

JeffTD said...

So, if Titus says to avoid stupid genealogies, that means I don't need to read "The DaVinci Code." It is awfully nice when you get something positive from a JW visit.

Casey said...

Dave! I'm so glad I found your blog. When are we going to talk about Russia? I just posted something totally crazy about Christianity at my new blog--enjoy at your own risk.

Good.

Anonymous said...

The password is tr-th of course...I just didn't want all my students reading my wacko, "far out" paper.