Well put Sam. I almost vomited when I saw Hegseth's video, that's the first time I had seen it. It's repugnant.
Loved this summary of the left: "...one of the main stories of the late 20th century is that liberals found themselves less and less able to find larger philosophical or religious resources that could motivate that vision of care in a sustainable way. And so they resorted to repeating the parts they liked ever more loudly, never quite noticing how much the whole vision was dying in their hands."
I appreciate your explanation (and reasoning) for leaving your faith out of this. I've criticized you for that in the past, and it seems that perhaps now more than every we need your voice of reason, and your reason for hope.
Hesgeth and his master, the other Wilson... will not have the last word.
This resonates so deeply--thank you for taking the time to articulate this moment in our history so clearly. We need to hear more of this kind of thinking!
Nice essay. I'm agnostic but generally pretty dismissive of faith. Like, why should I think an arbitrary member of the Mesopotamian pantheon (Yahweh) is any less obviously invented myth than every other member of the ancient pantheons across the world? But I couldn't agree more with your point here. Since Reagan the left has had only the dumb left (Marxist-Leninist tankies) or soulless, scared nothing. If I thought it would work politically, I'd much rather vote for a rousing liberal Christian -- despite what I said above! -- firing up the American people to care about each other and be a force for good in the world than what we've gotten for 45 years!
Christianity became a tool of empire with the ascendency of Constantine to the autocracy of the late unified Roman Empire. But all the associated hierarchies, dominations, and violence cannot totally define Christianity. Christianity IS a tool of empire, violence, domination, and hierarchy, but that is not all it is. This truth is pointed to by the differentiation between the gospel (bitter truth) of POWER and the gospel (good news) of GRACE. And grace (whether it originates somehow within space and time, in the mind and bodies of sentient beings, or has some or all of its roots outside space and time) is a channel for creativity, empathy, nurturance, and overcoming. And Christianity has done quite a bit to develop a concept of grace that may also have secular applications.
Some Christians (a small minority who can sometimes exert a great deal of cultural influence because what they teach resounds with a powerful subset of human needs and values) have always emphasized the “gospel of grace “which prioritizes identification with VICTIMS and the OPPRESSED. The gospel of grace ALSO encourages the establishment and maintenance of intentional (alternative) communities where the violence of empire and oppression are rejected. Of course, the gospel (bitter truth) of power in the form of hierarchy is never completely excluded and CAN grow (and even horribly metastasize) rapidly in small intentional communities.
Another irony (bitter truth) about humanity is that ANYBODY can claim the mantel of victimhood — and even the most violent and destructive oppressors have a basis for fearing judgements and chastisements (which they always frame as violent retribution) from their rivals and from their victims. Social entrepreneurs (or political shamans or necromancers) use this fear of victimhood, scapegoating, and retribution to target alternative scapegoats and build enthusiastic support for their tyrannies.
Well put Sam. I almost vomited when I saw Hegseth's video, that's the first time I had seen it. It's repugnant.
Loved this summary of the left: "...one of the main stories of the late 20th century is that liberals found themselves less and less able to find larger philosophical or religious resources that could motivate that vision of care in a sustainable way. And so they resorted to repeating the parts they liked ever more loudly, never quite noticing how much the whole vision was dying in their hands."
I appreciate your explanation (and reasoning) for leaving your faith out of this. I've criticized you for that in the past, and it seems that perhaps now more than every we need your voice of reason, and your reason for hope.
Hesgeth and his master, the other Wilson... will not have the last word.
This resonates so deeply--thank you for taking the time to articulate this moment in our history so clearly. We need to hear more of this kind of thinking!
Great piece, cutting through the noise. Uplifting in its disappointment. Thanks Samuel!
Nice essay. I'm agnostic but generally pretty dismissive of faith. Like, why should I think an arbitrary member of the Mesopotamian pantheon (Yahweh) is any less obviously invented myth than every other member of the ancient pantheons across the world? But I couldn't agree more with your point here. Since Reagan the left has had only the dumb left (Marxist-Leninist tankies) or soulless, scared nothing. If I thought it would work politically, I'd much rather vote for a rousing liberal Christian -- despite what I said above! -- firing up the American people to care about each other and be a force for good in the world than what we've gotten for 45 years!
Superb
Christianity became a tool of empire with the ascendency of Constantine to the autocracy of the late unified Roman Empire. But all the associated hierarchies, dominations, and violence cannot totally define Christianity. Christianity IS a tool of empire, violence, domination, and hierarchy, but that is not all it is. This truth is pointed to by the differentiation between the gospel (bitter truth) of POWER and the gospel (good news) of GRACE. And grace (whether it originates somehow within space and time, in the mind and bodies of sentient beings, or has some or all of its roots outside space and time) is a channel for creativity, empathy, nurturance, and overcoming. And Christianity has done quite a bit to develop a concept of grace that may also have secular applications.
Some Christians (a small minority who can sometimes exert a great deal of cultural influence because what they teach resounds with a powerful subset of human needs and values) have always emphasized the “gospel of grace “which prioritizes identification with VICTIMS and the OPPRESSED. The gospel of grace ALSO encourages the establishment and maintenance of intentional (alternative) communities where the violence of empire and oppression are rejected. Of course, the gospel (bitter truth) of power in the form of hierarchy is never completely excluded and CAN grow (and even horribly metastasize) rapidly in small intentional communities.
Another irony (bitter truth) about humanity is that ANYBODY can claim the mantel of victimhood — and even the most violent and destructive oppressors have a basis for fearing judgements and chastisements (which they always frame as violent retribution) from their rivals and from their victims. Social entrepreneurs (or political shamans or necromancers) use this fear of victimhood, scapegoating, and retribution to target alternative scapegoats and build enthusiastic support for their tyrannies.