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December 4, 2007 at 12:07:25

Promoted to column top on 12/4/07:
How Misguided Spirituality is Informing the Religious Right + Fascist Politics

by Kathryn Smith Page 2 of 4 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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And then she made an interesting non-verbal statement about sin. Drawing a diagram for me of spokes on a wheel, she said “sin is relational”. All the spokes lead to the center, she pointed out. All it takes is one broken spoke on the wheel, and the connection with the center has been disrupted. It’s all about connecting with people and with God (For those of us who believe in that), is what she was pointing out. (And, in the case of our current political climate, it’s all about connecting with other nations).

And look at how the religious right refuses to connect with others. Because obviously, others are condemned to hell if they don’t follow their “moral” and “only” path. Further, they themselves are condemned if they associate with such hell-bound people. Snobbery and isolation in the name of God? Is this love? Is this what God wanted, if God exists? Isn’t this the basis on which many wars have been waged?

So here is more about the original meaning of the word “hell”. In the Greek original, she told me, hell meant the dump. Where you throw out the garbage, then incinerate it. After being burned to ashes, the remains are recycled back into earth. So they are purified, even transformed into something good. That was the original meaning of “hell” and the “Fires of hell“. It is not a spiritual place to punish sinners, nor is it a banner to wave manipulatively over peoples’ heads, as mistakenly done by the religious right. Once again, that is where denial of the fundamentalists’ own shadow, and denial of the reality that nobody is capable of being without some darkness, itself ends up breaking the spokes on the wheel.

It only makes sense that while acknowledging and learning from one’s shadow, compassionate understanding is the yield. Apparently, we actually need some of our darkness, as a teacher! And too much light can result in us striking out, and tip us back the other way. Too much light can actually cause evil, not enhance the good! So we need that shadow, in order to maintain balance and spiritual wellness.

What does this have to do with the current state of our politics? Everything. The misguided right believes it has the mission to instruct us all to be perfect. And guide us all to that perfection. As if they knew better than we ourselves, what our lives should look like and how they need to be lived by us. (A psychologist/friend once pointed out to me that Hitler himself was religious: His “work,” she said, was to purge the human race).

And that attitude is one of the ingredients in the greater recipe of what is driving the soul of America into censorship and control. The other parts of the recipe of course are greed, corruption by it and economic control. Add to this a good measure of protecting agendas (which are almost invariably based on economic self-gain). The combination of religious fundamentalism (denial of the shadow), economics and agendas are what influence the legislation which we now have. Fundamentally, and as the underpinnings thereof.

After all, the Patriot Act is wrapped up in such secrecy that even Congress and the ACLU don’t know the extent of the civil liberties abuses. By gagging recipients of National Security Letters (FBI subpoenas for private medical and Internet/phone records) and serving up a good five years in jail for telling even one’s Significant Other about it, nobody can possibly know what is really going on. Bypassing the Judiciary in the process of an individual FBI agent serving up these NSL summons, not even Congress hears about the individual cases. Strategically, another part of the Patriot Act is to loosely define “terrorism” to include dissenters, religious and peace groups in its sweep.

What is the purpose of such secrecy, as in the National Security Letters? And what is the purpose of dubbing activists, religious and peace groups as terrorists? Secrecy. And more secrecy. To protect economic agendas, such as fighting wars without end based on lies. And to protect the religious right, to assure its power and control over the nation. Without such religious programming, the ability to brainwash an entire nation of people is lost. And brainwashing is just what fascism is about, and brainwashing is just what this Administration is about. And that is why they control the media. That brainwashing, too, is why the media---and increasingly, common American life----is censored. And once again, the brainwashing itself is one centrally important strategy: To gather public support for economic and power-based agendas. Religious programming is one handy tool to effect such public brainwashing. As is, of course, religious programming designed to generate hate of a particular religion. And that, of course, is based on….economics and agendas. Just as we are seeing with the war on terror.

And that is why our Founding Fathers created a separation of church from state, and a system of checks and balances. Both are fundamental to preserving human freedom. Anytime the Government starts to control religious practice and belief, it is a step toward authoritarian government:

Just as in ancient Greece people were jailed and killed for expressing their beliefs, so there is a parallel in which Greek citizens were jailed during the 70s for singing songs exposing the Government malpractice. Just as in the Renaissance era the average citizen had to pay the Church a stipend, plus dish up a penalty equivalent to a full week’s salary for each week of church missed….just as Renaissance masses played tiddlywinks from Catholic to Protestant to whatever the current King/Queen’s accepted religion was….and while the People were caught in the dictatorial crossfire between obeying the religious orders of the Nobility vs. that of the Church, which often contradicted each other…Imagine the Renaissance composer William Byrd paying a full year’s salary because he missed one year of Church and had the nerve to practice his own religion of choice….so the current control coming from the Religious Right is undermining American freedom.

And contrary to popular belief, which would assert that “in America, it is not even nearly that bad”, the ACLU’s website is a-crawl with endless statistics of activists, peace and religious groups being dubbed and treated as terrorists:

A declassified FBI document on the ACLU’s website shows the FBI’s investigation of the Thomas Merton Peace Center “because of advocating, among other political positions, pacifism”. www.aclu.org/safefree/spyfiles/28000res20060314.html

Religious profiling of Middle Eastern and other religious groups are the norm. The purpose: Probably to protect the government agenda of “looking strong” in the war on terror, (more accurately known as the war OF terror). Even bird watchers are being repeatedly grilled by the agenda-crazed FBI: http://www.rightsmatter.org/multimedia/

"Since when did feeding the homeless become a terrorist activity?" asked ACLU Associate Legal Director Ann Beeson. "When the FBI and local law enforcement target groups like Food Not Bombs under the guise of fighting terrorism, many Americans who oppose government policies will be discouraged from speaking out and exercising their rights." http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spying/17548prs20050518.html

The agenda to protect politicians first and people last, as exact and fundamental opposite to the underpinnings of the Constitution, may be noted in the following link: News of the classified bulletin (about FBI crack-downs on dissent) also comes on the heels of an ACLU lawsuit against the Secret Service for the continuing practice of allowing pro-Bush protesters to remain visible to cameras during presidential appearances, and corralling anti-Bush protesters into pens or designated areas far from the media. http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/16960prs20031123.html

Extra! Extra! Read all about it: http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/31878prs20070920.html

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4 comments

Just a person that knows he matters and placing more on acceptance than expectation... And while this explanation is viewed apparently by some as limited, here's some more personal information that those same some believe I "need" to testify that I can post here at OpEdNews.com:
I have an undergraduate degree (BA even - not a foppish BS) in biology/environmental science with an emphasis on environmental/ecological systems (they are, like, um, so complex), a master's degree in public he...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Tom MurphyJust a person that knows he matters and placing more on acceptance than expectation... And while this explanation is viewed apparently by some as limited, here's some more personal information that those same some believe I "need" to testify that I can post here at OpEdNews.com:
I have an undergraduate degree (BA even - not a foppish BS) in biology/environmental science with an emphasis on environmental/ecological systems (they are, like, um, so complex), a master's degree in public he...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Grant me the serenity!

This is a lengthy article that appears to "gloss over" the friend's far more important transformation. While I know how the friend described it as "making peace with your dark side", this implies that there is a light side to offer as an alternative. If all we had to manage was the dark, then the world would be nothing but shades of black – which in essence is black.

Clearly then, there is a logical necessity for "God, the light, purity, la-la".

What the friend, though, is describing is a typical 12-step program that teaches one how to deal with life's experience on life's terms. A big part of any 12-step program is admitting that you're powerless over a particular "thing" and then turning your will over to a Higher Power, as you understand it to be. Therefore, a 12-step program is very much about the spiritual, as the friend credited the reason for her own transformation – spiritual guidance.

Where the article digresses is that it lays claim to another person's moral inventory when it should be focused on it own. And another person's inventory is a region that we have no basis to claim – let alone control.

As part of a 12-step program, there's usually two guiding principles. One – always check your motives for why you are acting and/or responding in a particular manner (i.e., have I addressed legitimately "my side of the street" on the issue?), and two – emphasize your acceptance of an issue over your expectation(s) associated with the issue. You can only control that which you have control over, which is limited (fortunately for some and I think unfortunately for the great majority) to yourself.

Once you practice these two principles, the rest is cream cheese. The Serenity Prayer summarizes this approach nicely:

"God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

Now, if you take this approach and apply it to the article and its assertions – many that they are (i.e., one page spiritual, four pages condemnation), the article appears to be just as guilty as the religious people it castigates.

Who then, if any, is the better? I think it's the friend; she seems to "get" it.

by Tom Murphy (3 articles, 3 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 1459 comments) on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 3:35:42 PM

Voluntaryily retired local California county elected official.
Shirley BianchiVoluntaryily retired local California county elected official.

Spirituality

The spirituality that Ms. Smith is referring to derives from the Enneagram, which posits that there are 9 ways in which human beings learn to comprehend the world around them when they are children. As the people mature, these nine points become firmer, and contain both light and dark. There are many excellent books explaining the Enneagram, so it would be pointless to attempt to do so in a limited space. But for every dark side in a persons psche, there is also a light side. Let me use for example a person who appears as a Five. This person can disassociate from the turmoil that is going on around them and make objective, rather than purely emotional, judgements. That is the 'light' side. The dark side is that a Five doesn't want to become a 'part of the main', preferring to remain in the background, and not 'become involved' in others lives or activities. This is, of course, an extreme oversimplification. Further, one cannot tell another what that person's position is on the Enneagam. Every person must discern this for him or herself.

Fundamentalism of any religion or political position, if carried to the extreme, is giving into the of the Dark Side. 'It was interesting that Dick Cheney used the term when he explained how we need to fight terrorism - by going to the dark side. Rather frightening, to say the least.

by Shirley Bianchi (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 85 comments) on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 4:16:19 PM

This quote summarizes the nature of my concerns and the content of personal experiences which stir my activism:

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement on human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves". --Paul Revere, House of Commons
Kathryn SmithThis quote summarizes the nature of my concerns and the content of personal experiences which stir my activism:

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement on human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves". --Paul Revere, House of Commons

Crediting or discrediting the progressive movement:

Hello friends

Having written about how compassion can probably soften the vicious retaliation from our power-greedy politicians to our truth-telling , and that heart-level connections will always trump written laws, I must say that because I hate fakeness and two-facedness more than anything in this world, i don't pretend to have it mastered, myself. I confess that I am indeed so angry and so stirred by what is going on politically, that I know for a fact that I am not emotionally capable of being cool in my verbal approach where post911 politics and legislation are concerned. And that is a fact which I work with ,not through, at this point: That's why I write instead of speak. So to all others who are similarly emotionally affected, I don't blame them one bit.

That said, and based on experience, I think it is vitally important to the credibility of the progressive movement that we learn how to be compassionate and soft in our approach, even when the things we are talking about are heinous. Teddy Roosevelt said it very well: "Speak softly but carry a big stick".

So perhaps buying a copy of Thom Hartman's "Cracking the Code" would be the most strategically important thing any of us on this forum can do, for the sake of the causes at stake. America as the Land of the Free has all but gone down the tubes, and the rescue operation must be very skilfully done if there is any hope of it being successful.

I am concerned that many of our rude postings and emotional rants will only discredit our movement, thereby undermining the cause. And with all that is at stake, we simply can't afford to let that happen.

In this Season of Giving I hope that readers on this forum will help OpEdNews, a treasured resource in fighting the war for America as the Land of the Free, by purchasing a copy of Cracking the Code. Let's kill two birds with one stone: Help OpEdNews to continue its vitally important work while also furthering the pivotally important advancement of our own cause.

THank you all for all you do and for your caring and concern!

by Kathryn Smith (85 articles, 2 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 313 comments) on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 3:41:04 PM

An oversight which I wish to qualify:

Hello friends

YOu are right to point out to me something which I missed in this article: The reality of the light in each person.

That was an oversight but not an intended aim of this article. Sorry for any implied under-estimating of our human race:

In fact, I believe not just with my head, but truly with my gut, that every one of us is light in our cores. We all are motivated by truth and love. It is the harsh realities of life, and the tweaked expressions of that love and that truth, which end up being dark, ie going haywire.

I believe every one of us is born beautiful from within, and that light is available from within at all times. Things we do and beliefs we form may mask that light from ourselves, the world, or both. But since it is who we are, at our core, it also is always there, even if covered or dormant in some people.

And I agree that light is an important matter to emphasize, especially when transmuting the dark. It is only when that light goes out of balance, ie we deny our shadow and/or judge it, that at that point it becomes "la-la" and can result in the "morality" we see running roughshod over our country, at this point.

THank you for pointing out this oversight, and for your comments. And please know that I agree with you. Best wishes, Kathryn

by Kathryn Smith (85 articles, 2 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 313 comments) on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 12:57:07 AM

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