For God and Country: The Cult Worship of Empire
by Diane V. McLoughlin; 02/03/08
Preamble
It is important to take on extremist philosophies, particularly those given
wide coverage in one's own community.
Easy for me to say. I live in a relatively calm political environment here in
Canada. But while it is peaceful here, we participate in the making of war
- far from the peoples' view. The news is sanitized of much of the truth.
That is why I am in the process of developing this alternative news site,
The McLoughlin Post.
I have read columns written by The Ottawa Citizen's David Warren for
years, and am therefore at least somewhat familiar with his prejudices -
positive toward Catholicism - negative toward 'radical' Islam,
progressives, science, activists and populist democracy.
Here, I relish the luxury of providing myself the space to tear apart brick
by brick a recent essay of Mr. Warren's entitled,
'Cult Worship'; (Ottawa Citizen, Wednesday, February 27, 2008.)
Brick by Brick
Mr. Warren and I share one thing in common. Like so many, perhaps
most, we strive to understand - when the best one can hope for is but a
glimpse of the entirety of truth.
Where we part ways is in the hubris; one gets the strong impression that
he believes his system of faith is the only path to enlightenment and God,
contrary to Christ's assertion that there are many rooms in God the
Father's house.
This public and prominent flag-bearing for Christ risks inciting resentment
that does nothing to further the will of God - if there is a God.
What I believe
My system of belief is one imbued with notions of truth and justice - do
right because it is right to do right.
If there is a God I hope not to be judged too harshly or condemned for
my shortcomings. This is a distinct possibility. I hope that God is my
witness in my trials. When life hands me a lemon I think, look! Do you
see this? Is it fair? Just? Hoping something of the eternally divine does
see it, nodding in majestic all-seeing sympathy and understanding from
some glorious celestial throne.
I hope that God or one of his assistants might note my small, pitifully
small, successes, too, on the ledger of life.
I believe that, while not always succeeding at it, humility is a vital virtue.
Without humility we devise the worst evils we can conceive of to inflict
upon our fellow man.
One would be interested to observe Mr. Warren attempting to square the
circle when we find the United States to be the most Christianized in a
generation.
Of particular concern is what some might characterize as a radical
Christianization of the American military forces, particularly
high up in the chain of command. Why would this be of concern? If it
were to assist in the praying for forgiveness of one’s sins, certainly this is
one sinner who could see the perceived need for that. But one senses it
is not for forgiveness but rather for blessings, anointment, reinforcement
- a pastiche, a balm - diametrically opposite the true Christian
imperative.
In what ways may we define the American military forces as Christian,
when it is the largest and most lethal killing machine in the history of the
human race?
One is quite saddened, and disheartened, actually, that as fine a mind as
Mr. Warren possesses, we believe he would not take up the standard for
Christ to fight against such an obscenity. He appears to agree with it.
Matthew 7:14: For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to
life, and there are few who find it.
Me: Wide is the road to empire, greed and the arrogant belief in the
superiority of one's own culture, race, entitlements or religion.
Being Roman Catholic, Mr. Warren wastes few opportunities to exalt its
virtues, while casting aspersions at 'radical Islam'. It is perverse to
contemplate that the Roman Catholic view of Christianity was spread in
times and in places by the sword.
Being of Irish ancestry I take particular note of a Roman Catholic Pope's
edict entitled the Laudabiliter (1155) giving the church's blessing for
English King Henry the Second to invade, conquer and occupy Christian
but not Roman Catholic Ireland; the ambitions of two empires working
parallel goals.
Science versus Faith
Mr. Warren and I share common ground on the issue of science versus
morality. Science tells us this is what is, and also this is what is possible.
Morality informs us whether or not we ought to do it. Morality, ethics ask
the question, will doing this cause harm?
Mr. Warren seems to prefer creationism over Darwinism. Paradoxically,
he tries to have it both ways, claiming Christianity inspired the rise of
empirical science, praising the benefits to mankind from the rise
thereof.
It seems to me that other talented peoples in other places were
developing scientific fields early on - Muslim, Chinese, and others. I
cringe at the chauvinistic insult.
On Creationism
I find the rejection of evolution as an adequate explanation for the origins
of life by some Christians to be puzzling. Why must there be a
contradiction between natural selection and the will and plan of God? To
me, it is wondrous to behold the firmament and ground, air, water, bird,
beast and blade of grass.
That it took millions of years to come about in its present form would
seem to me to be a good plan in such a complex web of life, in order to
have stability and balance. That it would take such a long time, in the
selection, and ways of life, to achieve success in such a grand scheme
makes perfect sense to me.
Thus, I humbly posit that there need be no contradiction in accepting that
if there is a God, then as science informs us this is how life came to be,
then this must be the Divine Plan. Because, as Mr. Warren perhaps
inadvertently gives away:
‘God does not contradict himself.’
Progressives, activists and environmentalists - pests?
The entirety of Mr. Warren’s argument is contradictory. It is also full of
unsubstantiated assumptions, prejudices and slurs against people Mr.
Warren for some reason does not like.
I think it is important to take a hard and close look at the
contradictory nature of such beliefs and assumptions because they are
held by more than just Mr. Warren. It is a mindset that is a threat to
freedom and democracy and liberty where ever and when ever it appears.
Mr. Warren on the one hand says that yes, the vast majority of
Canadians, Americans and the West are still Christian. Yet, he opines
that many are ‘weak of will and mind’.
Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the Earth. But for Mr. Warren, if a
weak will is undesirable, then it must be a powerful will he admires and
respects. To what ends?
Mr. Warren protests that Christians do not stand and fight to retain the
Christian character of their communities, societies and countries.
It seems to be a belief system of nullification. On the one hand he
demands they rise and fight for the cause of good - which to him is the
upholding of the Christian way. On the other he really has no
faith that they are intelligent enough to, on the one hand agree with him,
and on the other, to do anything about it even if they did. So what does
Mr. Warren believe in deep down?
If one is not to be progressive - that is to find ways in which we can and
should do better for our fellow man - if one is not to be an activist - that
is, to get out there and try to do something to improve
the condition of man - what exactly is it that would meet with Mr. Warren’s
approval?
Progressives, activists (and something he refers to as environmental
‘hysterias’) and the ‘retreat before radical Islam, all depend on this
peculiar ambition to replace something with nothing.’
This is lunatic fringe stuff. That is where Mr. Warren’s arguments reside -
out there. Progressives and activists would surely say, ‘Huh? What are
you talking about, Man? We don’t want to replace something with
nothing. That’s bogus. We want to replace something with something
better. It’s called progress, Man. Progressive. Get it?’
It is progress that finds Canada in the enviable position today of being
one of the most tolerant, peaceful, multi-cultural countries in the world.
Canadians affirm equal rights for all, regardless of sex, race or religion. I
cherish this. I believe in it. I would fight to preserve it. But I am not
inclined to give exclusive credit to Christians for the evolution of
Canada's respectfully tolerant society. (One ought to acknowledge here
that Canada does have its problems, notably the French-English divide.)
So again, getting back to the question, what do people like Mr. Warren
really want? I fear there is only one thing that would meet with their
approval. Time and again it is proved to be the worst possible thing any
society can do. They want you and me to submit to authority,
unquestioningly. Do what they say is right to do, and say, and believe.
History instructs us that sometimes, the message is followed by an
ominous: Or else.
It is this type of fundamentalism that leads me to avoid joining any
religious or political institution, while acknowledging both usually play
worthwhile roles. I will think and read and study and contemplate, by
myself.
Pray in a closet.
Mr. Warren could assist me in relocating where I found that in the New
Testament, that is, if it still exists in newer editions and not been
expunged as the threat it is to organizations devised by fallible man who
put on pious outward shows masking alternate agendas of power. It is a
profound injunction requiring more space and time than I should take up
here. (One site discusses it here - found in a quick search, though this is
not an endorsement of the site.)
'Radical' Islam?
So people like Mr. Warren lament what he calls, ‘the retreat before
radical Islam’. One could as much rejoin that it is the advance of radical
greed and entitlement attacking an Islamic world - not because they are
Islamic - but because they have been cursed with possessing something
we want - oil. What we have done and continue to do to get the oil fuels
a potentially explosive so-called Islamic response, only in that they
happen to be Islamic whom we wrong.
My argument would not be complete without discussing the events of
9/11 - September 11th, 2001. Western leaders and a complicit corporate
media did a very good job of avoiding the question, 'Why?' Why did they
do it? To attack 'our way of life'? Please. All they had to do to avoid our
way of life was stay where they were. No, that wasn't it. The answer was
injustice - interference in sovereign nation states' governance (Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran); American support for the
ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians; the ten-year blockade,
bombardment and biological warfare used against Iraq - responsible for
the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children. Would you expect an American to
sit idly by should a similar calamity befall a country in the West?
People like Mr. Warren appear blind to the bitter irony that those in the
East who generalize against an Infidel West only do so to the same
degree that he generalizes about a 'radical' Islam. We all ought to live
and let live.
Putting the shoe on the other foot, how would it feel to have our countries
invaded by righteous Muslim soldiers, sent by smug Eastern leaders who
assure us they are doing us a favor by spreading freedom and Islamic
democracy, while demanding favorable trade deals for their business
interests in return? As they hunt down warrens of Christian Neo-
conservative radical training cells, our benign occupiers tell us it is for our
own good that they eliminate such neo-con training grounds because
they foment hatred and plot actions designed to create instability in the
world.
I can tell you how that sounds to me:
Ridiculous.
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