Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Mother Teresa
I suppose you've heard the news about Mother Teresa. You know, where a bunch of her private letters were published in a book and they reveal that her faith in God was pretty shaky. Time Magazine has a long piece on the topic, which I have not read in its entirety. Rather than believe that Mother Teresa didn't believe in God, Raymond L. Flynn, former Ambassador to the Vatican, thinks that her crisis of faith was really the work of the devil. Humph!
For what it's worth, here's my two-cents on the topic. The Catholic Church typically assigns nuns to their duties and posts. Mother Teresa worked in the slums of Calcutta, India, where she experienced the horrendous miseries of humanity. It is not clear whether the church assigned her to this position (although that is the most likely scenario), or she chose it herself. The point is that this sort of position should never be a life-long commitment. Mother Teresa was likely suffering from clinical depression from her work. We understand that soldiers need a break from the battlefield. Why would a nun not need relief from the rigors of tending to the tremendously poor? Burn-out and post traumatic stress disorder, along with depression, are the likely result. The Catholic Church should have stepped in and ordered Mother Teresa to take a break - assigned her elsewhere for a while - whether she wanted to leave Calcutta, or not. Somehow, the fact that she stuck with her work without becoming a complete wreck shows a mental fortitude that most of us can't touch. If for no other reason than this, she should be sainted.
For what it's worth, here's my two-cents on the topic. The Catholic Church typically assigns nuns to their duties and posts. Mother Teresa worked in the slums of Calcutta, India, where she experienced the horrendous miseries of humanity. It is not clear whether the church assigned her to this position (although that is the most likely scenario), or she chose it herself. The point is that this sort of position should never be a life-long commitment. Mother Teresa was likely suffering from clinical depression from her work. We understand that soldiers need a break from the battlefield. Why would a nun not need relief from the rigors of tending to the tremendously poor? Burn-out and post traumatic stress disorder, along with depression, are the likely result. The Catholic Church should have stepped in and ordered Mother Teresa to take a break - assigned her elsewhere for a while - whether she wanted to leave Calcutta, or not. Somehow, the fact that she stuck with her work without becoming a complete wreck shows a mental fortitude that most of us can't touch. If for no other reason than this, she should be sainted.
Labels: catholic church, faith, god, india, mother teresa, poverty, sainthood
Monday, March 05, 2007
Selective Belief and Magical Thinking
I've started reading Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys." Neil's writing is so clear, so wonderous and magical, that when he writes that a character is a god, well, I simply can't not believe him. Human beings are extraordinarily adept at suspending disbelief and engaging in magical thinking. I know I've written about this before, but it's an idea that won't let go of me. I think it's because magical thinking makes life interesting (among the many other things that make life interesting). What I've noticed lately about magical thinking is that people make personal judgements about which things they'll suspend belief about and which they'll say are a bunch of bogus gobble-de-gook. For example, the Discovery Channel has a new program called The Lost Tomb of Jesus in which archaeologists claim to have found the tomb of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, complete with bones. Many Christians are freaking out about this because they believe in the ascension, that Jesus, body and all, ascended into heaven. Well, if Jesus went body and all, then there very well couldn't be bones left, could there? Magical thinking. Now, if you were to ask these same Christians about sacred pagan rites, they'd fall over themselves blustering on about how full of crap pagans are. They wouldn't believe in the pagan rites, although they might attribute them to devil worship. No magical thinking when it comes to the rites themselves, magical thinking galore in attributing them to the devil. Selective belief.
How do you practice selective belief or magical thinking?
How do you practice selective belief or magical thinking?
Labels: devil, discovery channel, god, jesus, magical thinking, neil gaiman, pagan, selective belief
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Magical Thinking
Biologist Richard Dawkins is getting a lot of press lately, primarily for his views on atheism. I was listening to an interview with him on MPR not long ago and he indicated that he feels that any child brought up solely in one religion is undergoing child abuse. I agree with this sentiment to a certain extent. I realize that people who are raising their children in one faith, and one faith only, are primarily doing so for what they feel are the most noble of reasons, however, unless these children are cloistered, they are going to rub shoulders with people of different faiths. If for no other reason than to avoid social insensitivity, children should learn a little something about other religions. On a more fundamental level, what if a kid doesn't fit with the faith of his/her parents? I was raised Catholic, which never matched my mindset. When I found Unitarian Universalism, I felt that I had come home spiritually.
Now that I've found a point of agreement with Richard Dawkins, let me spin into a point of disagreement with him and other atheists. Those who believe there is no god cannot seem to tolerate people who engage in magical thinking. It's all hard-edged, cold, complex, beautiful reality for them. The vast majority of us slip into magical thinking now and again, believing our prayers work; believing in ghosts, fairies, Big Foot & the Loch Ness monster; attributing unexplained phenomena to some mystical, mysterious force; believing that that force is God.
I'm rereading Neil Gaiman's American Gods, a book so full of magical thinking that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a raven and flapped away into the night. The beauty of magical thinking, which is as gorgeous and complex as our physical reality, is its ability to let us imagine the unimaginable. If we did not think that gods could fly, could we have ever figured out how to make humans do so? As an evolutionist might argue, we kept the ability for magical thinking over time because it is evolutionarily advantageous for our species. Let's not reject it out of hand because we think we know better now that we've evolved past the point of needing gods.
Now that I've found a point of agreement with Richard Dawkins, let me spin into a point of disagreement with him and other atheists. Those who believe there is no god cannot seem to tolerate people who engage in magical thinking. It's all hard-edged, cold, complex, beautiful reality for them. The vast majority of us slip into magical thinking now and again, believing our prayers work; believing in ghosts, fairies, Big Foot & the Loch Ness monster; attributing unexplained phenomena to some mystical, mysterious force; believing that that force is God.
I'm rereading Neil Gaiman's American Gods, a book so full of magical thinking that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a raven and flapped away into the night. The beauty of magical thinking, which is as gorgeous and complex as our physical reality, is its ability to let us imagine the unimaginable. If we did not think that gods could fly, could we have ever figured out how to make humans do so? As an evolutionist might argue, we kept the ability for magical thinking over time because it is evolutionarily advantageous for our species. Let's not reject it out of hand because we think we know better now that we've evolved past the point of needing gods.
Labels: american gods, evolution, god, magical thinking, neil gaiman, raven, religion, richard dawkins
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Impression Management
My husband is currently taking a college class in communications. His current group assignment deals with impression management. This is a fancy term for trying to make a good impression by watching what you say, how you dress, your manners, & etc. In general, sucking up in order to get what you want.
That means no butt scratching, nose picking, foul language, speaking out of turn, chewing fingernails, breaking into sudden song or dance, or any other spontaneous, minor, socially unacceptable action. Just you watch it, buddy, or you won't be getting that date, or that job, or that promotion, or that . . . .
Have you ever noticed that you can engage in all of these slobby, spontaneous actions when you're all by yourself? If you believe in God (and I do - just not the Guy in the Sky version), and you believe that God is all-knowing, all-seeing, and good, then you've got to know that you're not really alone when you do these things. And guess what? God's letting you get away with it. No smoting here.
Judgment comes from other PEOPLE. God's cool with you.
You know you've found love when the people you surround yourself with are as cool with your silly behaviors as God is.
That means no butt scratching, nose picking, foul language, speaking out of turn, chewing fingernails, breaking into sudden song or dance, or any other spontaneous, minor, socially unacceptable action. Just you watch it, buddy, or you won't be getting that date, or that job, or that promotion, or that . . . .
Have you ever noticed that you can engage in all of these slobby, spontaneous actions when you're all by yourself? If you believe in God (and I do - just not the Guy in the Sky version), and you believe that God is all-knowing, all-seeing, and good, then you've got to know that you're not really alone when you do these things. And guess what? God's letting you get away with it. No smoting here.
Judgment comes from other PEOPLE. God's cool with you.
You know you've found love when the people you surround yourself with are as cool with your silly behaviors as God is.
Labels: clothing, god, husband, impression, spontaneous
Friday, September 29, 2006
Why blog?
My brilliant, insightful husband asked me a good question yesterday. He asked me why I started a blog. I would absolutely be lying if I said this wasn't an ego trip on some level. Any writer who writes and expects to have her writing read by anyone but God has to have some sort of ego, especially to survive the inevitable critiques that are sure to come her way. But, there's more to this than ego. As a writer, this is one format for my writing that allows me to put stuff out there that isn't necessarily all polished up. The blog also allows me to present snippets of writing (ideas, commentary, opinions) that would not be marketable in another format. I mean, really, where in heaven's name would I be able to explore Frankensteining the Talent Pool?
I also blog because I'm just plain ornery. Being published is every writer's dream, but finding a publisher can be a difficult thing. Here is an opportunity to be published and find an audience without having to depend on someone else to sanctify my work.
The blog gives me a web presence. I also like messing with technology, and learning the ins and outs of blogging is fun. That's paydirt in and of itself.
I take my blogging very seriously because I know that there is an audience out there. Whether that audience is 4 people, 40 people or 400,000 people, every one of you reading this deserves my respect and gratitude. The blog gives me a voice and you are the listeners.
I also blog because I'm just plain ornery. Being published is every writer's dream, but finding a publisher can be a difficult thing. Here is an opportunity to be published and find an audience without having to depend on someone else to sanctify my work.
The blog gives me a web presence. I also like messing with technology, and learning the ins and outs of blogging is fun. That's paydirt in and of itself.
I take my blogging very seriously because I know that there is an audience out there. Whether that audience is 4 people, 40 people or 400,000 people, every one of you reading this deserves my respect and gratitude. The blog gives me a voice and you are the listeners.
Labels: blog, frankensteining the talent pool, FtTP, god, husband, technology, writing
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Invoking Evil
On Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) last night he replayed his Special Comment on Ground Zero, a scathing, right-on-the-money smackdown of President Bush's use of the 9/11 tragedy for his own political ambitions.
Powerful stuff.
Two thoughts:
(1) The President and his Administration have STOLEN this country. Who's going to take it back?
(2) When the President named his Axis of Evil, he actually invoked evil and brought it snarling and slobbering to America's (nay, the World's) doorstep.
According to Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God series, we draw to us that which we most fear. We have a vocal sect of ultra-fundamentalist Christians running our government. They are obsessed with the idea of the Apocalypse. Guess what they fear most. Guess what they are trying to create. How are they doing?
Powerful stuff.
Two thoughts:
(1) The President and his Administration have STOLEN this country. Who's going to take it back?
(2) When the President named his Axis of Evil, he actually invoked evil and brought it snarling and slobbering to America's (nay, the World's) doorstep.
According to Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God series, we draw to us that which we most fear. We have a vocal sect of ultra-fundamentalist Christians running our government. They are obsessed with the idea of the Apocalypse. Guess what they fear most. Guess what they are trying to create. How are they doing?
Labels: evil, fear, george w. bush, god, keith olbermann, politics
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Life of the Mind, Life of the Body
Most of us have heard of the phrase "life of the mind," usually used as a positive reference to someone who leads a life with lots of mental work. I love mental work and do a ton of it. However, if I do too much in one sitting, my head starts feeling doppy. When I look up from my mental work or step away from it, I feel as though I'm living in a half-dimension. My vision is blurry. I've been away and it's hard to come back to the real world.
But, oh! That real world is so critical to the mental world. I've found that it's just as important to live a life of the body as well as a life of the mind. Now, some might think the phrase "life of the body" seems akin to living a life of the flesh, as though I'm promoting prostitution or something. Regardless of your thoughts on THAT topic, we don't tend to give a lot of credence to our physical selves until they fall into a disease state. Then we realize how critical our physical selves are to our mental selves. In fact, too much mental work, which I've been indulging in lately, tends to make my physical self ill. It's as though my body is screaming for attention. And it is. Rest, outright snoozing and engaging in physical labor all make me feel better and recharge my creative energies.
When I behaving sanely, I always intersperse my writing time (major mental work) with something physical. It feels a little crazy to admit this, but I like to take dance breaks. Sometimes I even warm up for writing by dancing first. It gets the wiggles out and settles my mind.
Songs I use to warm up:
Queen: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy & A Kind of Magic
Michael Buble: Fever
Ultravox: Vienna
ABBA: Take your pick of songs
Belly: All of these are from the album Star -Feed the Tree & Slow Dog & Gepetto (This last one will really get your blood moving)
Once in a while I'll throw in some Gwen Stefani or Madonna.
Now, if people could see my dancing, they'd probably laugh at me. Tough cookies. As long as I do it alone, what's the problem? It's just me and God and God doesn't care how I look.
But, oh! That real world is so critical to the mental world. I've found that it's just as important to live a life of the body as well as a life of the mind. Now, some might think the phrase "life of the body" seems akin to living a life of the flesh, as though I'm promoting prostitution or something. Regardless of your thoughts on THAT topic, we don't tend to give a lot of credence to our physical selves until they fall into a disease state. Then we realize how critical our physical selves are to our mental selves. In fact, too much mental work, which I've been indulging in lately, tends to make my physical self ill. It's as though my body is screaming for attention. And it is. Rest, outright snoozing and engaging in physical labor all make me feel better and recharge my creative energies.
When I behaving sanely, I always intersperse my writing time (major mental work) with something physical. It feels a little crazy to admit this, but I like to take dance breaks. Sometimes I even warm up for writing by dancing first. It gets the wiggles out and settles my mind.
Songs I use to warm up:
Queen: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy & A Kind of Magic
Michael Buble: Fever
Ultravox: Vienna
ABBA: Take your pick of songs
Belly: All of these are from the album Star -Feed the Tree & Slow Dog & Gepetto (This last one will really get your blood moving)
Once in a while I'll throw in some Gwen Stefani or Madonna.
Now, if people could see my dancing, they'd probably laugh at me. Tough cookies. As long as I do it alone, what's the problem? It's just me and God and God doesn't care how I look.
Labels: body, dancing, god, gwen stefani, madonna, michael buble, mind, music, physical, ultravox, writing
