Hey guys, I’m fairly new to blogging, so if this sounds like a rant… then it probably is. I feel like I probably should have supplied some sources for you guys but I’m lazy like that… sorry! Just google some of the things I discuss and do some cross referencing and I think you’ll find I’ve got a few valid points here.
I’m writing this in order to address one of the oldest arguments I’ve heard believers and non-believers debate in regards to whether or not religious or secular governments are more destructive to humanity as a whole. The basic gist of this argument plays out like this… The atheist says, “Religion is responsible for various wars and genocidal campaigns all throughout human history such as the Crusades, the 30 years war, the Spanish Inquisition, the Armenian genocide, and is still going strong at killing people today in Sudan, Israel, and ultimately Iraq and Afghanistan… and that‘s a greatly abbreviated list.” The theist then retorts, “but secular governments have killed plenty of people as well.” It is at this point that the theist will undoubtedly cite two examples. It’s very nearly always the same two countries. Those countries being Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union. Two nations that practically set world records in the category of mass murder. So that looks pretty bad for us non-believers right?!?! No… its considerably more complicated than theists would have us believe in regards to the two aforementioned nations. First off, the whole point of having a secular government is to ensure that the subjects of that nation are able to rationally approach problems by way of critical thinking instead of falling back on unfounded superstitious beliefs to reach decisions about say for example, who would be the best candidate to vote for in an election *ahem BUSH VOTERS*. This was not the aim of secularism in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Those two nations sought to create a cult of personality around Stalin and Hitler. In the case of Nazi Germany, Christianity was amended to fit in line with all of their nonsense about Aryan racial superiority. Jesus and other biblical figures were given blonde hair and blue eyes in German propaganda. Hitler fancied himself a living god here on earth and sought tie Catholicism and Protestantism in with his own ideas about how to run the world in order to bring them under his web of influence. So even though Hitler probably was indeed an atheist more than less he still did not seek to exterminate religious belief, rather to cultivate it for the needs of the Nazi party… unless it was Jewish of course. Using religion for one’s own political gain is hardly secular. There have been plenty of other leaders who have used that formula to gain power over their subjects… you know… like every single one prior to 1789. Okay okay… in all fairness to theists the secular government has only been around for a little over 200 years now. Therefore they don’t have as much history to pour over and find nasty examples of secular governments like atheist do with the thousands of years of history with divine right based governments. Which I think needs to explained before I proceed any further. Before our constitution was ratified (the U.S. constitution) the order of the world in that day was that God himself anointed the kings and queens and emperors of all the world’s nations to rule over their subjects. “Why do I have to pay the king’s tax?” A peasant might ask, to which the tax collector would reply, “Because you’ll go to hell if you don’t! The king answers to God therefore you must answer to the king!” And such was the abysmal order of things in old Europe. Thankfully, the likes of John Locke, Rene Descartes, Thomas Paine, David Hume, and many others of that ilk spurred the birth of the enlightenment movement which sought to take the power away from autocratic charmers allegedly appointed by God himself, and put it in the hands of the common man. This movement only managed to slowly chip away at the old divine right monarchies of Europe. They all slowly fell by the wayside over the course of the 19th century. The final divine right monarchies in Europe were swept away by the trauma of the First World War. By the end of that war the last kings appointed by God had been removed from Europe such as the Hapsburg dynasty in Austria-Hungary, the Czars in Russia, Spain’s old monarchy was in it’s dying days, as was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile the rest of Europe had long since put some sort of secular representative government in place in their respective nations. I know it seems like I’ve digressed from talking about the Nazis and the communist into this other tangent. But this is where it all ties in together. Because it was this void left by the failure of divine right monarchies that led to the rise of communism and fascism in Europe. There were a lot of pissed off people in Europe after the First World War not to put too fine a point on it. People upset with corrupt democratic systems or dying divine right monarchies that had sent their boys off to fight in a rich man’s war and got in return… especially in the case of Germany… paper currency worth no more than toilet paper. Ripe grounds for a power hungry dictator to seize control of the country. However, the old ploy of telling the masses that you had God at your back simply didn’t spook the people the way it had in centuries past, and so the mantra of authoritarianism was re-written. Nationalism was the new religion that communism and fascism would use to inspire the masses. A cult of the state and it’s beloved leader. New media such as radio and motion pictures helped immensely in the development of these new strains of authoritarian government. A film such as “Triumph of the Will” is a perfect example of how this concept of a living god ruling over the state was perpetuated. To put it bluntly… Germans stopped praying to the cross and started praying to the swastika instead. I’d hardly call that secularism. If you aren’t convinced that Nazism is a religion all its own, I implore you to watch some footage of the Nuremburg rallies.
Now on to the theists “golden example” of the evils of an atheist government… the USSR. While it can be debated as to whether or not Hitler was a non-believer. There is no doubt that the likes of Lenin and Stalin were indeed as they say “godless commies.” Unlike the Nazis, the Soviet communist actively sought to destroy all traces of superstition in the USSR (burning churches, murdering clergy, ect). But again, the reason for this was not to remove religion and replace it with rationale among the common man or woman, but to remove the fear of God and replace it with the fear of Stalin. The Soviets did exactly what divine right monarchies did to their subjects, oppress those who don’t believe in the state’s mantra by means of execution or enslavement. It’s estimated that during the time of the Soviet Union (1917-1991) their government murdered somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million Christians for the simple reason of being Christian. That doesn’t sound like a secular government… it sounds like a government with a state religion… and it was… the religion just happened to be atheism. The Soviet government went well out of its way to educate children about the evils of religion… which is all good and fine but the problem lies in the way that they did it. Because the discussion ended there…. It’s evil, don’t ask questions about it, if you do you’ll get sent to a work camp in Siberia! Don’t worship the cross, worship uncle Joe (Stalin)!
Another point I‘d like to make is, how many secular democracies have waged war or committed genocide in the name of eradicating God? None that I can think of… and how many theocratic democracies (I use this term loosely but some nations claim to have it in place) have waged war or committed genocide in God’s name… well Iran comes to mind, as they are a theocratic republic, but all they’ve done is arm militant groups, they haven’t actually waged any wars directly. Not that they started anyway… it seems like there’s another democratic country who’s leader evokes the name of the almighty frequently before he sends the military into battle, this country even has the words “In God We Trust” printed on its currency, and who‘s voters essentially blacklist all non-Christian politicians… hmmmm what country is that again??!!??! Oh yeah! The United States of America!!! Spreading “freedom” the world over at the barrel of a gun, just as Jesus would have it right?
In conclusion, the point I’m trying to make is that having a healthy society isn’t about making all of its subjects believe in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, atheism, or the superiority of ones own nationality. It’s about forcing people to give up superstitious beliefs along with die hard attachments to symbols like the cross, the American flag, the hammer and sickle, or the swastika, and to base all of the decisions they make in their daily lives on what is concrete (provable) in the world around them. If you’re worried about the state of your marriage, gay marriage, your house, your car, your kids, the economy, the war, your classes, social classes ect. Don’t sit there and pray about it! Get up off your lousy knees and talk it out with the people around you who are undoubtedly sure to know better than some man at the pulpit wearing a funny hat who claims to know where you go when you die!
By the way would someone tell George W. Bush that divine right in the western world has been dead for nearly 100 years… he needs to go back to the 17th century where he belongs! That goes for you too Sarah Palin! You’re on notice!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Two or More Idiots Loose
I've come to the logical conclusion that there are two or more idiots loose in Rogers-Stout Hall. I don't have evidence, so don't get me wrong; there could be one person doing it, but it seems unlikely.
Almost all of the floors have fallen victim to flyers being ripped down: the first, third, and fourth floor. So far, the second floor has been untouched (as far as I know). I believe it's two or more because the patterns are different. I shall explain.
1) I noticed patterns concerning time. On the first floor, tearing down of flyers and the whole "Get Jesus in your life" incident only happened between 11:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. Of course, this makes me think it's only one person doing it because they probably have a class ending at around 11:30 a.m.
2) On the third and fourth floor, it's odd, but the person didn't throughly tear down every flyer. There was one or two hanging still but all the rest were torn down. This makes me think that perhaps it's just one or maybe people here and there tearing them down. The idiot on the first floor always makes sure to get every single flyer.
I have a theory on whom a potential suspect is for, at least, the third floor. This incident happened a couple of hours ago actually. Having free time on my hands, at around 1:30 p.m. I began taking down flyers to change the time on them for our social night. Some of them had been changed with mere pencil and you could barely see it so I thought I'd take them all down and use bold, black marker. I already had ones prior to entering the third floor that were already changed so I replaced all the ones on the third floor. However, I only had one left for the rest of the floors so I went to Philosophy and Humanities to retrieve more flyers. Within the few minutes it took me to change the times on those flyers, I came back out to find half of my flyers torn down. "The culprit is near!" I studied everyone in that hallway. There was a group of old men talking. They hadn't moved since the last I saw them. In fact, they were talking about the same shit. I figured if any of them had torn it down, they'd have all gotten quiet upon my presence re-entering the hallway.
There was one person gone. A quite tall (perhaps 6 foot), white guy that was perhaps in the age range of 22-26 with a trucker hat on had "kind of" followed me and was examining my flyers as I put them up on the third floor. I didn't see him tear them down though. I proceeded putting flyers up in the small hallways, and then sat down in one to alter more flyers. The same guy started walking down one of those small hallways but then turned around once he spotted me. I went straight to Philosophy and Humanities after that. I didn't pay any attention to whether flyres were still there because I'd assume they were. I do, very much, believe it was the guy mentioned.
No matter, I put flyers up AGAIN. At around 3 p.m. I had to leave Rogers-Stout, and I went to every floor before leaving. They were all still there. I'm at Rogers-Stout Hall every day except on the weekend. Those flyers will remain up.
Almost all of the floors have fallen victim to flyers being ripped down: the first, third, and fourth floor. So far, the second floor has been untouched (as far as I know). I believe it's two or more because the patterns are different. I shall explain.
1) I noticed patterns concerning time. On the first floor, tearing down of flyers and the whole "Get Jesus in your life" incident only happened between 11:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. Of course, this makes me think it's only one person doing it because they probably have a class ending at around 11:30 a.m.
2) On the third and fourth floor, it's odd, but the person didn't throughly tear down every flyer. There was one or two hanging still but all the rest were torn down. This makes me think that perhaps it's just one or maybe people here and there tearing them down. The idiot on the first floor always makes sure to get every single flyer.
I have a theory on whom a potential suspect is for, at least, the third floor. This incident happened a couple of hours ago actually. Having free time on my hands, at around 1:30 p.m. I began taking down flyers to change the time on them for our social night. Some of them had been changed with mere pencil and you could barely see it so I thought I'd take them all down and use bold, black marker. I already had ones prior to entering the third floor that were already changed so I replaced all the ones on the third floor. However, I only had one left for the rest of the floors so I went to Philosophy and Humanities to retrieve more flyers. Within the few minutes it took me to change the times on those flyers, I came back out to find half of my flyers torn down. "The culprit is near!" I studied everyone in that hallway. There was a group of old men talking. They hadn't moved since the last I saw them. In fact, they were talking about the same shit. I figured if any of them had torn it down, they'd have all gotten quiet upon my presence re-entering the hallway.
There was one person gone. A quite tall (perhaps 6 foot), white guy that was perhaps in the age range of 22-26 with a trucker hat on had "kind of" followed me and was examining my flyers as I put them up on the third floor. I didn't see him tear them down though. I proceeded putting flyers up in the small hallways, and then sat down in one to alter more flyers. The same guy started walking down one of those small hallways but then turned around once he spotted me. I went straight to Philosophy and Humanities after that. I didn't pay any attention to whether flyres were still there because I'd assume they were. I do, very much, believe it was the guy mentioned.
No matter, I put flyers up AGAIN. At around 3 p.m. I had to leave Rogers-Stout, and I went to every floor before leaving. They were all still there. I'm at Rogers-Stout Hall every day except on the weekend. Those flyers will remain up.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Amusing
As some of you may know, there's an idiot loose in Rogers-Stout Hall that likes to tear down the Atheist & Free Thought Club flyers. It was annoying when they did this, because then Nicole and / or Beth would have to put them up again and have to watch that floor constantly. It took them little effort to just lift the push-pin and throw the flyer away.
The good news is: they've stopped this (for now).
The bad, yet amusing new is: they've developed a new tactic. As I left Rogers-Stout Hall today, we noticed that on most of the flyers, a message had been taped to them. On a neatly cut piece of printer paper it read, "Get Jesus in your life!" My boyfriend and I went through the floor and peeled these pieces of paper off the flyers.
He and I joked "Hmm, 'Get Jesus in your life!' Why it all makes sense to me now! I see everything in an entire new light! I've been converted!"
The good news is: they've stopped this (for now).
The bad, yet amusing new is: they've developed a new tactic. As I left Rogers-Stout Hall today, we noticed that on most of the flyers, a message had been taped to them. On a neatly cut piece of printer paper it read, "Get Jesus in your life!" My boyfriend and I went through the floor and peeled these pieces of paper off the flyers.
He and I joked "Hmm, 'Get Jesus in your life!' Why it all makes sense to me now! I see everything in an entire new light! I've been converted!"
Monday, September 22, 2008
Atheist Quotes
Here is a website I recently found with some atheist quotes: http://atheistblogger.com/2008/02/15/101-atheist-quotes/.
This isn't necessarily for the purpose of finding a quote for the T-shirts, although it can be a useful resource for those who are interested. But here are just a few quotes I picked out that struck me as insightful (it should be noted that the sources and accuracy of these quotes and their speakers are not verified).
91. I have observed that the world has suffered far less from ignorance than from pretensions to knowledge. It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress. No agnostic ever burned anyone at the stake or tortured a pagan, a heretic, or an unbeliever. - Daniel Boorstin
88. If we expect God to subscribe to one religion at the exclusion of all the others, then we should expect damnation as a matter of chance. This should give Christians pause when expounding their religious beliefs, but it does not. - Sam Harris
81. I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
80. Man has always required an explanation for all of those things in the world he did not understand. If an explanation was not available, he created one. - Jim Crawford
77. When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion. - Robert Pirsig
73. Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o, and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have. - Penn Jillette
72. Faith does not give you the answers, it just stops you asking the questions. - Frater Ravus
66. Gods dont kill people. People with Gods kill people. - David Viaene
64. If all the Christians who have called other Christians “not really a Christian” were to vanish, there’d be no Christians left. - Anonymous
59. We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. - Richard Dawkins
49. He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that dares not reason is a slave. - William Drummond
43. I’m a polyatheist - there are many gods I don’t believe in. - Dan Fouts
42. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - Epicurus
39. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it. - Mark Twain
38. To say that atheism requires faith is as dim-witted as saying that disbelief in pixies or leprechauns takes faith. Even if Einstein himself told me there was an elf on my shoulder, I would still ask for proof and I wouldn’t be wrong to ask. - Geoff Mather
36. Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color. - Don Hirschberg
31. I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. - Stephen Roberts
19. Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all of which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, even if religion vanished; but religious superstition dismounts all these and erects an absolute monarchy in the minds of men. - Francis Bacon
16. I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. - Susan B. Anthony
7. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. - Seneca the Younger
1. The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality. - George Bernard Shaw
This isn't necessarily for the purpose of finding a quote for the T-shirts, although it can be a useful resource for those who are interested. But here are just a few quotes I picked out that struck me as insightful (it should be noted that the sources and accuracy of these quotes and their speakers are not verified).
91. I have observed that the world has suffered far less from ignorance than from pretensions to knowledge. It is not skeptics or explorers but fanatics and ideologues who menace decency and progress. No agnostic ever burned anyone at the stake or tortured a pagan, a heretic, or an unbeliever. - Daniel Boorstin
88. If we expect God to subscribe to one religion at the exclusion of all the others, then we should expect damnation as a matter of chance. This should give Christians pause when expounding their religious beliefs, but it does not. - Sam Harris
81. I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
80. Man has always required an explanation for all of those things in the world he did not understand. If an explanation was not available, he created one. - Jim Crawford
77. When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion. - Robert Pirsig
73. Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-o, and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have. - Penn Jillette
72. Faith does not give you the answers, it just stops you asking the questions. - Frater Ravus
66. Gods dont kill people. People with Gods kill people. - David Viaene
64. If all the Christians who have called other Christians “not really a Christian” were to vanish, there’d be no Christians left. - Anonymous
59. We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. - Richard Dawkins
49. He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that dares not reason is a slave. - William Drummond
43. I’m a polyatheist - there are many gods I don’t believe in. - Dan Fouts
42. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - Epicurus
39. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it. - Mark Twain
38. To say that atheism requires faith is as dim-witted as saying that disbelief in pixies or leprechauns takes faith. Even if Einstein himself told me there was an elf on my shoulder, I would still ask for proof and I wouldn’t be wrong to ask. - Geoff Mather
36. Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color. - Don Hirschberg
31. I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. - Stephen Roberts
19. Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all of which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, even if religion vanished; but religious superstition dismounts all these and erects an absolute monarchy in the minds of men. - Francis Bacon
16. I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires. - Susan B. Anthony
7. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. - Seneca the Younger
1. The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality. - George Bernard Shaw
Mythology and Christianity
This is an old essay I wrote for Dr.Holland's Mythology class. I got an A.
The Dionysian in Christianity
Biblical Parallels
Christianity is not traditionally considered a Dionysian religion. From its inception, it has been conflicted between a repressive, distant, Apollonian God, and the close, alive madness of the Dionysian. Parallels to Dionysus are seen in some of the biblical accounts of Jesus. In particular, the story of Jesus and the money changers of the temple is an example. It is a story where a God becomes so angry at a perceived affront that he physically beats and whips the offenders. It is a story that doesn’t seem to belong in the New Testament conception of Jesus, but it is similar (although toned down) to stories about mortals who offended Dionysus, and their sudden, subsequent, violent punishment. Immediately after this, he curses an olive tree because it did not bear fruit for him to eat. Apocryphal stories of Jesus’ childhood show him killing other young children for the silly, arbitrary reasons of a child, instead of a God. Otto says of Dionysus ‘the more impetuous his nature is, the more unconditional the demands are which he makes on the souls of mankind, the more stubborn the opposition and resistance must be… he mocks all human order, that he first had to overpower the hearts of men before they could do him homage.” (76)
Another New Testament story reflects the sudden, confrontational nature of the Dionysian This is the story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. It is many years after the crucifixion and ascension of Jesus, and Saul is a devout Jew bent on exterminating Christians, yet on a lonely road there is a blinding burst of light and a demand, not a request, from Jesus to follow him. Saul remains blinded until he is healed by a Christian named Ananias, and then he becomes the most famous evangelist of his time, changes his name to Paul, and basically invents most of Christianity. This story is very unusual and Dionysian also in that Jesus seems connected to the underworld. He not only rises from the grave once to defeat death, but again to call unsuspecting persecutors (or comes down from heaven, but there is no difference mythologically.) It is difficult to reconcile this life-changing experience with Paul’s later prohibitions to the early church. Paul was particularly concerned with the behavior of women in the church. Many commentaries suggest that Paul’s advocacy of Christian women’s headcovering and silence in the assembly are an attempt to differentiate them from mad maenads of the Greek religion.
Parallels between Dionysus and Jesus are also found in his association with women. Otto says over and over again that women were hugely important in Dionysian worship. In the New Testament, we find that Jesus is almost never without a woman or two by his side, especially Mary Magdalene. This is highly unusual for the mores of Judaism at the time, and was heavily criticized. Just as the women went to Jesus’ tomb on the third day, so the Greek women “threw sacrifices down to the ‘guardian of the underworld’ on the festival of Dionysus’ return from
below.”
Dionysus is the God of Wine in Greek myth, Jesus is no less associated with it. His very first public demonstration of his divinity was to turn water to wine at a wedding. He demands we drink wine as his blood. Many fundamentalists try to disassociate from this by saying that wine in that time was less alcoholic, or watered down in order to enforce a total ban on alcohol today, but these reasons seem hollow.
Contemporary Practices
The worship in a mainstream Christian denomination is very traditionally Apollonian, not Dionysian. There is no strong emotion, the music is of a soft beat and rhythm, the preaching is straightforward and intellectual, and the service is highly ordered. This includes most Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, most Catholics, and affiliated Baptists. However, there are some denominations and small sects whose worship practices include Dionysian madness in rather unusual and extreme forms, such as speaking in tongues and snake-handling. Also, the effects of youth culture of the sixties is really only now being felt as the young adults demand more emotionally relevant music and services that are far more Dionysian in character.
Speaking in tongues is a poorly understood feature of Christianity. Most Baptists and other denominations will reluctantly admit that it can be a real spiritual gift, but just try doing it during one of their services. The Church of God is a denomination that regularly supports its happening during services. It is sought after by they and other Christians as a true article of faith, but it is simultaneously frightening. I once saw a woman speaking in tongues in the Lee University library, as she was being held up by two other women. What kind of power is so compelling that you would make an idiot of yourself in a place that is supposed to be so quiet? Dionysus is the “God who Comes,” especially when it is not necessarily appropriate for him to. The loss of control and unearthly words seem more suited to a demonic power than a Christian one. In fact, many churches say that if a divine “interpretation” is not forthcoming from the preacher or another elder of the tongues, then it is a manifestation of the devil. People have been thrown out of their church for non-sanctioned speaking in tongues. Of course, it is true that some people ‘fake” speaking in tongues quite consciously, especially teenagers in denominations where it is required for salvation, but this is not an explanation for most of the phenomenon.
Snake-handling is an utterly fascinating manifestation of Christian worship. It is unimportant that it may have less than 2500 followers or that most Christians denounce it quite vehemently. Because of its controversy, all small, fundamentalist churches of the south are influenced by it, and the perception of them is tainted by it. It started in my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee due to a man named George Hensley. He died from a snake bite in 1955, ironically. Their reasons for this practice are a few verses in the New Testament; “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” – Mark 16:18. Obviously, this is literalism to the highest degree. The worship itself includes music and dancing with the handling of the snakes. It is so reminiscent of our conceptions of the pagan practices of Dionysus and other Gods that most other Christians do not hesitate to say so. Devotees say that the feeling is better than any drug, that they are intoxicated and in an ecstasy when they take up the serpents.
Although the preceding are extreme forms of Dionysian worship, it can also be argued that the concept of transubstantiation in Catholic mass (but not Protestant communion) is highly Dionysian in concept. What is more Dionysian than to suggest that a priest can call your God out from the underworld so that you may drink his blood and eat his flesh? There may not be wild dancing and singing, but devout Catholics have high emotion and religious ecstasy during this time. I even saw a church that had a “coming down” area with chairs and tissues outside the sanctuary. It seems that churches with a high Hispanic attendance have more of this fervor. It is likely a difference between a culture that values faith and expression versus a culture that values fact and propriety.
The Dionysian is most at work in most mainstream Christian denominations today. Bitter struggles are still going on in many churches over what are called “contemporary” worship services. Contemporary worship grew out of the counterculture of the sixties and seventies. It has been used in youth groups for many years, and now those youth want it in “grown-up” church. It uses the guitar and drum-driven “rock” beat with new choruses and songs instead of old organ hymns. Music is absolutely central, often to the detriment of preaching. Strong emotion is evidenced by the raising of hands, closing of eyes, crying, and the fact that services often run over the allotted time. These tactics are especially useful in an isolated “church camp” situation, where they lead to numerous conversions. Participants commonly talk about being “on fire for Jesus,” or “having a personal relationship with Jesus.” The older generation is inherently suspicious of such practices because they do not conform to a staid, Apollonian interpretation of Christianity. Churches are dying and splintering over this controversy, which is commonly talked about as if it were only about the music. Churches are struggling to find a balance between the two extremes and appease both generations. Some churches are large enough to have separate services, but the age groups then remain isolated. Others mix the music and style in the same service, and the most extreme of either group may leave the church. Some denominations reject ‘rock” music and its attendant worship style as evil, and they are mostly dying off. Other churches are made up of only young adults and others of a contemporary mindset, these churches may not have as much tradition and stability. The battle over “music” today threatens to change the whole face of contemporary Christianity. Every church must work out its own compromise, and every older Christian must decide if their own personal prejudice is more important than the future of the church. It is truly Dionysus versus Apollo all over again. It is fascinating how millennia-old concepts of one dead religion are now playing out in the evolution of a totally different religion.
The Dionysian in Christianity
Biblical Parallels
Christianity is not traditionally considered a Dionysian religion. From its inception, it has been conflicted between a repressive, distant, Apollonian God, and the close, alive madness of the Dionysian. Parallels to Dionysus are seen in some of the biblical accounts of Jesus. In particular, the story of Jesus and the money changers of the temple is an example. It is a story where a God becomes so angry at a perceived affront that he physically beats and whips the offenders. It is a story that doesn’t seem to belong in the New Testament conception of Jesus, but it is similar (although toned down) to stories about mortals who offended Dionysus, and their sudden, subsequent, violent punishment. Immediately after this, he curses an olive tree because it did not bear fruit for him to eat. Apocryphal stories of Jesus’ childhood show him killing other young children for the silly, arbitrary reasons of a child, instead of a God. Otto says of Dionysus ‘the more impetuous his nature is, the more unconditional the demands are which he makes on the souls of mankind, the more stubborn the opposition and resistance must be… he mocks all human order, that he first had to overpower the hearts of men before they could do him homage.” (76)
Another New Testament story reflects the sudden, confrontational nature of the Dionysian This is the story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. It is many years after the crucifixion and ascension of Jesus, and Saul is a devout Jew bent on exterminating Christians, yet on a lonely road there is a blinding burst of light and a demand, not a request, from Jesus to follow him. Saul remains blinded until he is healed by a Christian named Ananias, and then he becomes the most famous evangelist of his time, changes his name to Paul, and basically invents most of Christianity. This story is very unusual and Dionysian also in that Jesus seems connected to the underworld. He not only rises from the grave once to defeat death, but again to call unsuspecting persecutors (or comes down from heaven, but there is no difference mythologically.) It is difficult to reconcile this life-changing experience with Paul’s later prohibitions to the early church. Paul was particularly concerned with the behavior of women in the church. Many commentaries suggest that Paul’s advocacy of Christian women’s headcovering and silence in the assembly are an attempt to differentiate them from mad maenads of the Greek religion.
Parallels between Dionysus and Jesus are also found in his association with women. Otto says over and over again that women were hugely important in Dionysian worship. In the New Testament, we find that Jesus is almost never without a woman or two by his side, especially Mary Magdalene. This is highly unusual for the mores of Judaism at the time, and was heavily criticized. Just as the women went to Jesus’ tomb on the third day, so the Greek women “threw sacrifices down to the ‘guardian of the underworld’ on the festival of Dionysus’ return from
below.”
Dionysus is the God of Wine in Greek myth, Jesus is no less associated with it. His very first public demonstration of his divinity was to turn water to wine at a wedding. He demands we drink wine as his blood. Many fundamentalists try to disassociate from this by saying that wine in that time was less alcoholic, or watered down in order to enforce a total ban on alcohol today, but these reasons seem hollow.
Contemporary Practices
The worship in a mainstream Christian denomination is very traditionally Apollonian, not Dionysian. There is no strong emotion, the music is of a soft beat and rhythm, the preaching is straightforward and intellectual, and the service is highly ordered. This includes most Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, most Catholics, and affiliated Baptists. However, there are some denominations and small sects whose worship practices include Dionysian madness in rather unusual and extreme forms, such as speaking in tongues and snake-handling. Also, the effects of youth culture of the sixties is really only now being felt as the young adults demand more emotionally relevant music and services that are far more Dionysian in character.
Speaking in tongues is a poorly understood feature of Christianity. Most Baptists and other denominations will reluctantly admit that it can be a real spiritual gift, but just try doing it during one of their services. The Church of God is a denomination that regularly supports its happening during services. It is sought after by they and other Christians as a true article of faith, but it is simultaneously frightening. I once saw a woman speaking in tongues in the Lee University library, as she was being held up by two other women. What kind of power is so compelling that you would make an idiot of yourself in a place that is supposed to be so quiet? Dionysus is the “God who Comes,” especially when it is not necessarily appropriate for him to. The loss of control and unearthly words seem more suited to a demonic power than a Christian one. In fact, many churches say that if a divine “interpretation” is not forthcoming from the preacher or another elder of the tongues, then it is a manifestation of the devil. People have been thrown out of their church for non-sanctioned speaking in tongues. Of course, it is true that some people ‘fake” speaking in tongues quite consciously, especially teenagers in denominations where it is required for salvation, but this is not an explanation for most of the phenomenon.
Snake-handling is an utterly fascinating manifestation of Christian worship. It is unimportant that it may have less than 2500 followers or that most Christians denounce it quite vehemently. Because of its controversy, all small, fundamentalist churches of the south are influenced by it, and the perception of them is tainted by it. It started in my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee due to a man named George Hensley. He died from a snake bite in 1955, ironically. Their reasons for this practice are a few verses in the New Testament; “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” – Mark 16:18. Obviously, this is literalism to the highest degree. The worship itself includes music and dancing with the handling of the snakes. It is so reminiscent of our conceptions of the pagan practices of Dionysus and other Gods that most other Christians do not hesitate to say so. Devotees say that the feeling is better than any drug, that they are intoxicated and in an ecstasy when they take up the serpents.
Although the preceding are extreme forms of Dionysian worship, it can also be argued that the concept of transubstantiation in Catholic mass (but not Protestant communion) is highly Dionysian in concept. What is more Dionysian than to suggest that a priest can call your God out from the underworld so that you may drink his blood and eat his flesh? There may not be wild dancing and singing, but devout Catholics have high emotion and religious ecstasy during this time. I even saw a church that had a “coming down” area with chairs and tissues outside the sanctuary. It seems that churches with a high Hispanic attendance have more of this fervor. It is likely a difference between a culture that values faith and expression versus a culture that values fact and propriety.
The Dionysian is most at work in most mainstream Christian denominations today. Bitter struggles are still going on in many churches over what are called “contemporary” worship services. Contemporary worship grew out of the counterculture of the sixties and seventies. It has been used in youth groups for many years, and now those youth want it in “grown-up” church. It uses the guitar and drum-driven “rock” beat with new choruses and songs instead of old organ hymns. Music is absolutely central, often to the detriment of preaching. Strong emotion is evidenced by the raising of hands, closing of eyes, crying, and the fact that services often run over the allotted time. These tactics are especially useful in an isolated “church camp” situation, where they lead to numerous conversions. Participants commonly talk about being “on fire for Jesus,” or “having a personal relationship with Jesus.” The older generation is inherently suspicious of such practices because they do not conform to a staid, Apollonian interpretation of Christianity. Churches are dying and splintering over this controversy, which is commonly talked about as if it were only about the music. Churches are struggling to find a balance between the two extremes and appease both generations. Some churches are large enough to have separate services, but the age groups then remain isolated. Others mix the music and style in the same service, and the most extreme of either group may leave the church. Some denominations reject ‘rock” music and its attendant worship style as evil, and they are mostly dying off. Other churches are made up of only young adults and others of a contemporary mindset, these churches may not have as much tradition and stability. The battle over “music” today threatens to change the whole face of contemporary Christianity. Every church must work out its own compromise, and every older Christian must decide if their own personal prejudice is more important than the future of the church. It is truly Dionysus versus Apollo all over again. It is fascinating how millennia-old concepts of one dead religion are now playing out in the evolution of a totally different religion.
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