So, if it's understandable when society evolves to discard myths that no longer serve its perceived interests (or at least desires), why shouldn't religion be subject to the same laws of evolution? The modernist says they absolutely should; the traditionalist says they should not.
But here it gets complicated. Tradition has to be flexible enough to adapt to different circumstances without losing its core principles. And when the required/desired adaptation is too difficult to manage credibly, sometimes tradition will make a face-saving adjustment, and call it fidelity (e.g., the fact that modernizing Islamic nations have developed a Muslim banking system that somehow gets around Islamic prohibitions on interest). The question facing Christians now is whether or not the Christian faith should adapt itself to modern sexual mores. As anybody reading these comboxes can see, it's a question that generates far more heat than light.
One can more easily give up, say, reverence for the Alamo, or Robert E. Lee, etc., than reverence for the Bible and the saints, because the former is secular history, and the latter is sacred history. The fate of one's eternal soul does not depend on whether or not one reveres Stonewall Jackson (though the fate of one's culture probably does). Real religion, serious religion, instead of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, is a myth that's true. That was Tolkien's line to Lewis, explaining Christianity in a nutshell: a myth that's true. R.E. Lee, or the King of France, or Tsar Nicholas, might have been a hero or a villain, but in the end, the Kingdom of God doesn't stand or fall on who you say they are. In the Christian view, it does stand or fall on who you say Jesus is.
The claims of tradition
Thursday May 31, 2007
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About Crunchy Con
Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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I'm with ChuckDFW regarding future advances in some areas of science. I think that as we peer deeper into brain biology we're going to be in for quite a few shocking surprises about how we actually think and make decisions.
Perhaps, Mr Dreher, your reply is disstorted by its brevity. You do not believe in the concept of "Holy Russia"? In what way? That there was sanctity in Rus' is beyond question. Are you saying that Russian Orthodoxy is tainted by nationalism? Are you arguing that the Maronite and Russian situatons are completely analagous? There are many historical differences. Perhaps, you are making your decison based upon your experience in Orthodox parishes here in the US. If you were to go to Russia, you would see a Church that is concerned with spreading the truth of Christianity to all. To give an instance, a recent Interfax report quoted the prominent Islamocist Roman Silantyev. He states hat out of the 14.5 million people of traditional Muslim nationalities have converted to Orthodoxy (some 14% of the total). This appears to unseat your submission, sir. Besides, the lack of a national conversation in the US may only be apparent. I agree with Samuel Huntington that there is a distinctive American culture, and this culture is being put at crisis by the present imbrolgio over immigration. Like it or no, Spanish is not the language of the American conversation. Like it or no, there are many who have an voiceless (yet, very real) sense of their Americanness. There is a vast difference between the American national conversationn (which, I posit exists) and the tenets of American Suburbanite Materialism. I fear that you are confusing the latter with the former.
Do take care, may God bless, Vara Drezhlo
cs "While sexuality is important, it is a symptom of a deeper division within Christianity about revelation." that's good analysis... the base is so-called "revelation"... and... as is known that there have been many claims of revelations in many parts of the world over thousands of years... is it reasonable to think that the only "true" revelation is from a small tribe in the Middle East about 2 to 3 thousand years ago? as Rod quotes "... Tolkien's line... explaining Christianity in a nutshell: a myth that's true."... it seems that the majority worldview is that it is not literally true... and that seems to be a growing opinion based on the increasing knowledge and understanding of the world... and actually, going back to the base, there is no strong evidence that "revelation" is a real part of the world... it's an idea invented in ancient times... it lacks any reasonable explanation for why it is a true idea... meanwhile, there is good reason to think that ancient persons put their imaginations to use and claimed that the voices-in-their-heads were from God... "revelation" is a traditional idea... but tradition does not guarantee that it is a match with Reality... the general idea of "revelation" is a myth that is most likely not true... faith hope love joy peace to all...
"Going a step further...God has never been nor ever will be invented. He is neither a product of any sort of imagination nor does he obey trends." I'd say that this is a true statement. I believe it as well. However, although God may not have been invented, all religions were, invented by human beings to explain their universe. In that way, all religions are myths, all can be considered truth from the POVs of their adherents. I all comes down to faith, which does not depend on proof. Maybe the religion you are in is not the one you should be in, if it doesn't coincide with what you feel to be truth. Maybe, instead of changing what others find comforting, you should find another that fits you better.
I sure like that quote and your first three and a half sentences... then: "... all can be considered truth from the POVs of their adherents." but not from the POV of God... which is a way to define Reality... and though we can't know Reality with any certainty... ideas that appear to be mismatches with Reality should be rejected... and... since Religions appear to be mismatches with Reality... there should be changes so that all the supernatural mismatches are no longer considered to be real history... in this way, by acknowledging the mythology of the supernatural stories, Religion doesn't have to be rejected as out of touch with Reality... so the great spiritual value, mixed in with all the Myth, doesn't have to be missed by persons who would otherwise reject the whole thing because of the unreliable supernatural stories... faith hope love joy peace to all...
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