Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective
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Having bashed formal religion it seems Richard Dawkin now has his sights set on folk religion. In an upcoming TV show in Britain he’ll be turning on complementary medicine and alternative therapies such as aura photographers, angel therapists, astrologers … and that’s only stuff starting with the letter ‘a’.
And you thought he only had it in for monotheists (chuckles).
For more see:
Arrogance, dogma and why science – not faith – is the new enemy of reason
Why do people use this word bash or bashed?
Noone is being bashed! At least not yet.
It is a word that so called “conservatives” like the atrociously awful Philips, and her fellow travellers, use a lot. It, along with the word haters, (as in Howard)is a word that is frequently used here in Oz too. The “opinion” and letter writers in the Australian use these words and others quite frequently.
The politics of polarization and division. And eventually, sooner of later, the dreadful applied politics of scapegoating.
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Why have I used the word “bashed”, oh, let me see now. Why don’t we look at his language?
“To describe religions as mind viruses is sometimes interpreted as contemptuous or even hostile. It is both. I am often asked why I am so hostile to organized religion.”
He wears his hostility to all religions, including yours, on his sleeve. He has no interest in reconciliation or moderation and he doesn’t hide it. And you think I am the one sowing polarization. Sheesh! Why are you so reactionary – does everything I say have to be interpreted thru this Christianity is all the same, its all evil lens? No credit where it is due?
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Matt, I was not criticising you or Christianity in my criticism of the use of the word bash or bashing.
I was making a critical comment and observation on the way in which those on the “right” in particular use polarising language.
Dawkins has every right, and good reason to be hostile to organised religion and to openly publicise his views. Much of what he says is true and the historical record (and even parts of the Old Testament with its injunctions to violence) backs him up.
My Spritual Master is scathingly critical of the multiple horrors done by and in the name of the “church”. Some of his published essays comment on this—the how and the why.
As far as I know he never uses the word bash for instance.
Using negative language is not bashing.
In my opinion the use of such language (bashing) sets up a cultural engrams (binary exclusions) which if said enough times and over and over again, legitimises the use of real bashing, either individual or collective, somewhere down the line (the European Jewish pogroms for instance). That is why I referred to the politics of scapegoating—if and when things get really bad the masses will have been primed to know who is responsible for under-mining our our culture and its Christian heritage.
If you check out the right wing blogs and literature altogether it is full of such scapegoating language.
If we can only get rid of the atheists, the lberals and the secular humanists etc etc, then everything will be hunky-dory again. The collective body-politic will be purged of its “impurities” and thus restored to health. Remember that those on the RIGHT hold all the REAL levers of power and the guns too—especially in the USA.
By the way the essay by Philips was a shocker. Really an exercise in sustained irrationality—a thorough-going self description in fact.
It is interesting to note that Philips plus many/most/all of those on the “right” that she associates with are strongly opposed to so called “alternative healing” practices too—and their associated epistemological world views too.
In doing so they are being just as reductionist as Dawkins and hence denying the very possibility of any and everything to do with subtle and/or spiritual energies—the entire subtle and psychic realms. Where do they think the healing miracles of Jesus came from? Did he (Jesus) refer to the latest Mims catalog or the Royal College of Surgeons?
And yet out of the other side of their mouth(s) she/they prattle on about God and religion—which at the very least involves being sensitive to the subtle and psychic realms which are an inherent part our of existence-being. And even the well-springs of our sanity.
By the way my Spiritual Master points out that true healing can only occur when the subtle energies of the body are brought into balance—and not before—never ever in fact.
Never mind that these subtle and psychic world views are shared by countless millions of people on the planet—especially those who have not been totally enfolded into the dominant western materialist/reductionist paradigm. And were an integral part of western culture before the rise of scientism and its anti-magical “rationality”. That is why they still flourish in the West and hopefully always will.
Altogether throughout history most people have lived in a world full of “magical” possibility.
One of my favourite singers is Buffy Saint-Marie. My very favourite song (by her) is titled “God Is Alive–Magic Is Afoot”.
Not much of that in Melanies one dimensional “rational” world-view.
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I found it interesting that Dawkins has chosen to focus on homeopathy as the healing modality to debunk. What a shame….200 years of safe practice and over 500 million adherents reduced to simply instances of “anecdotal” evidence. And the incredibly low cost of these remedies is such a benefit (threat?).
I suppose he would prefer that the pharmacutical companies continue to exploit (extort?) the population with their poisons that addict but do not cure…since more and more drugs must be taken daily for life to “control” symptoms–while causing many more symptoms and sometimes resulting in death?
I say that modern medicine has brought wonderful things to emergency interventions and body mechanics when it comes to fixing things that have been broken by trauma…and there are times when drugs aid their process…but its record in curing acute and chronic disease is dismal–“practice” indeed…so much doctoring is admittedly a guessing game. And the loss of the complementarity of homeopathy with these trauma cases is especially sad–patients enduring so much mure suffering than is called for.
I am sorry that there is not room for each healing modality to have its space for what it does well. I will get off my soap box–and hope that no one has felt “bashed” by my comments 😉
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Dawkins is one of the most prolific scapegoaters in the media today. He blames religion in general and Christianity in particular for nearly every problem in world history he can link it to, never mind that the largest genocides in history were perpetuated by atheist regimes. He may be a well respect biologist but his historical and a theological rankings are just amaturish and would hardly be worthy of consideration if he wasn’t famous for other things elsewhere. John you are misconstruing the dynamics is you think it is only Christians and right wing extremists at that who question him. Do you realize he would be probably be even more scathing of your master?
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Oh yes I know that Dawkins would be scathing re my Spiritual Master. And so would Philips and all of her right wing fellow travelers.
To blame the horrors and genocides of the last century on “atheist” governments alone is an exercise in materialist reductionism which doesnt even begin to take into account the deep psychic forces that generate historical events. You sometimes mention Jung. It was obvious to him that this is the case.
My Spiritual Master points out that all of the dramatic events of his-story have multiple causative factors, both “individual” and collective. And that they are ALWAYS the playing out, on to the world stage, of both “individual” and collective karmas that stretch back, decades, centuries and even millenia.
Back to Philips. She oft times talks about religion, including in the article in question. Unfortunately there is no trace whatsoever of a religiously informed consciousness in her writings—none, zero,zilch. So too with most/all of those on the “right”. Yes there is much “righteous” tall about the god of “reason”, our Judeo-Christain heritage and ethic, the Bible and Jesus etc, but NO religiously informed consciousness.
She basically shares the same dismally reductionist “world”-view as Dawkins and his fellow atheists. A world quite literally scrubbed clean of magic and magical possibilities. Or put in another way, in which the Divine Radiance and even the possibility of Divine Life is totally absent. A “world” saturated in fear.
See for instance:
1. http://www.dabase.org/noface.htm
2. http://www.dabase.org/coop+tol.htm
After Sept 11 the whole world has succumbed to a “911” death-mentality of global emergency and end-time conllict. This profoundly toxic meme has been championed by those on the right—whether Christian, Islamic or atheistic.
In my opinion those on the “right” were/are predisposed to be effected by this dreadful virus. It was/is an inherent and latent part of their psychic make-up (and to one degree or another every single last one of us). Altogether all of those on the right have opted for the “culture” of death—which WILL have unspeakably dreadful consequences for all of Earthkind.
My Spiritual Master recently wrote this statement—even in a circular form to show how they are a seemless unity.
“Reality (Itself) IS Truth (Itself) IS The Beautiful (Itself).
These Three—Reality Itself, Truth Itself, and The Beautiful itself–ARE the Absolutes, and the Perfect Obligations, of all meaning.
These Three Absolutes ARE The Mutual and Indivisible Measure of One Another.”
You wont find any of these three (Reality, Truth, and The Beautiful) in anything that either Dawkins of Philips has to say—or most of their fellow travelers.
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Being the pest again there is another twist to this story.
Many Christians are also implacably and irrationally opposed to most “alternative” or “new age” therapies too—and with a truly amazing irrationality. Try googling the Bible and New Age Therapies for instance.
In my travels I recently came across a book titled “Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook”. It is written by a medical doctor and a guy with a Phd in science. It is also endorsed by the Christian Medical Association—whatever that is.
It is an interesting read. Take homeopathy for instance. It states that homeopathy may have limited use but should be avoided because it is contrary to what the Bible says.
This isnt science speaking. It is ignorant pre-judgement. Superstition even!
Science properly done is open ended free enquiry into whatever the topic in question happens to be. Did these guys do a comprehensive study of the impressive literature? Did they check it out thoroughly by actually doing it or by observing others do it—especially a master homeopath? NO. So much for their “science”!
The fact of the matter is that homeopathy is a highly effective system of healing with a very rigorous epistemology and a very impressive empirical record. It even works on babies and animals.
A classic book is “The Science of Homeopathy” by George Vithoulkas — http://www.vithoulkas.com . Also if you want to read a truly amazing book on applied homeopathy I would advise “Rediscovering Real Medicine” by Dr. Jean Elmiger a Swiss MD and master homeopath. His extremely rigorous theory (based on his own intutition and empirical testing) and case studies are truly amazing—extraordinary in fact. Probably available at Adyar Book Store or similar.
There “examination” of other “alternative” methods is also completely unscientific because they plain old simply have not done their homework or REAL scientific research.
They essentially dismiss most of these therapies because they do not fit in with their interpretation of the Bible or because of some association with Eastern “mysticism”.
They are in effect just as irrational as Dawkins. And they are mild compared to some Christian critics of “alternative” therapies.
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John: Do you mind saying who your Spiritual Master is? In the thread above I couldn’t pick it up.
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Nic, For one reason or another I chose not to use my Spiritual Master’s name—because of a very real targeting process that gets directed at the religious group formed in response to His Presence in the world and His Wisdom Teaching altogether.
You can find out Who He is by checking out the two references in my second to last posting.
Another thought re natural or alternative therapies. All of these therapies use various energies in nature—so to speak. The energies in herbs—the various energies of different degrees of subtlety that circulate within and around our body minds—the energies of the world at large to or in which the human body-mind is inseparetly related in a universal pattern.
In other words all of these energies are an inherent immutable part of God’s natural given “creation” so so speak.
My contrast allopathic drugs are NOT part of this complex Divinely created pattern of energies. They are certainly not mentioned or even suggested in the Bible. Perhaps then conventional allopathic drug “medicine” is really quite “ungodly”.
By the way conventional allopathic drugs seldom if ever heal anybody at any fundamental level. They definitely help to remove and alleviate disturbing and/or painful symptons but dont heal the underlying causes or pyscho-physical imbalances which produced the dis-ease and symptons to manifest.
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Interesting, John. I certainly resonate with what you say, having read many of the books trying to help Christians understand Alternative medicine–including the one you reference.
I have read widely in homeopathic theory and practice and have used it almost exclusively for our family for almost nine years now.
And it is the removal of symptoms with drugs that so confuses the ability of the body to articulate what’s wrong that is so sad…many who turn to homeopathy as a last resort are unable to be cured because their history with drugs obscures the true picture of their original symptoms. What a crime (too strong a word, but you get what I mean…)
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