Emerging Africa

I recently came across an article by a psychologist, Doug Soderstrom, titled: A Fundamental Evil: Why Christian Fundamentalists are the Most Evil People in the World.

I quote: "…to support my assertion that those of the religious right are such a nasty crew, it is necessary that I clarify what I believe it means to be evil. The minimal test of evil is, of course, one of awareness, an intent, an abject willingness to be malicious, a willingness to go out of one's way to harm others, a lack of concern for the welfare of another person, an unwillingness to place one's self into that of another's shoes, a grudging reluctance to acknowledge the pain one may have caused another. Such is bad, but not as bad as having slipped to the point of having become psychically blind, effectively unable to face up to what one has done. Such is more depraved since it represents a loss of integrity, an existential unwillingness to take responsibility for one's behavior. And, of course, worst of all are those who go to the extreme of regarding themselves to be shining examples, paragons of how to live a good and decent life, while having chosen to disregard the fact that they have lived life in such a despicable manner. And as we will see, the Christian fundamentalists seem to exemplify such folks at the apogee of evil, the nadir of civilized life, in that they preach to the world while yet living the life of a barbarian! All of the great religions of the world indicate that we should strive to treat others as we would like for them to treat us, in essence suggesting that we follow the Golden Rule. However, considering this the gold standard for how we ought to live our lives, it is quite clear that Christian fundamentalists have missed the mark! Regardless of all the wonderful things they have claimed to have done for the world, it is apparent that the fundamentalists have been unable to live up to the most minimal standards for that of a decent life, almost as if they have gone out of their way to "cast a speck out of their neighbor's eye, while refusing to recognize the enormity of the plank in that of their own." With no apology, nor even a hint of remorse, they continue on their way running roughshod over others, with little or no concern for how their victims might feel. Rather than caring for others, disregard and disrespect has become that which defines them as a people."

And then he goes into a Michael Moore-like rant about the Bush administration and the evils of America, accusing the religious right of everything that is unholy including global warming and apartheid. He phrases his hypothesis so beautifully:
"So, as a psychologist, I am compelled to ask: what is it that seems to have motivated such people to have become so depraved, to have chosen a style of life so opposed to everything that Jesus taught? What is it that has led fundamentalists to become such a mean-spirited gathering of folks? What is it that such people have in common, that which might serve to explain why they have led such horrid lives?"

I have been on both sides of the spectrum, of course – so I do have sympathy for the eternally-obedient, right-minded, overly righteous fundamentalist "crew". Of course, I am particularly mean to the Watchtower-toting Jehovah's Witnesses, and frequently chase them away by starting to pray for them when they ring my bell. (It is taboo for heathens to pray over the brethren). (NOTE: At least I'm not as nasty as my husband, who tells them, "No thanks, I already belong to a cult.") Having paraded the streets with a box of pamphlets of my own, I know where they are coming from. (And if I interrupted your dinner between 2002 and 2008, I apologize.)

Soderstrom believes that the reason fundamentalists "who look upon themselves as being so very good while having behaved so terribly bad" are due to a "axiomatic inability to face who they have become". He writes: "In having followed the dictum to be "in" the world, but certainly not "of" the world, they began to set themselves apart, to disengage from the rest of the world, effectively creating an inner sanctum, a world of their own, an imprisoned partition separating them from the rest of humanity. And, of course, all of such in order to protect themselves from being contaminated by an outer world of sin. Thus in having symbolically reached for the heavens, while yet remaining so deeply mired in a rather cognitively truncated, black and white, world of their own making, they have become unable to even touch the sky."

He goes even further stating that they have allowed themselves to worship a deity who has "turned out to be nothing more than a figment of their own imagination, an extension of of their own rather neurotic needs, a red, white, and blue god willingly ready to allay their fears".

What does the God of the Fundamentalist look like? Or the God of the Emergents? Brian McLaren writes pointedly about the different Jesuses he has met in different churches.

My Gods have been numerous. The Atheist God is the belief that sentimentality is dead. It does not embrace spirits in the every day. My days as an atheist were numb and dull, but also crystal clear. It reminds me of the movie, Children of Men, where mankind was unable to have children. When hope of an continuance beyond this life – in the form of children or Heaven – is taken away, the reaction is surprising. I had convinced myself that I was living every moment as if it were my last, but I wasn't. It's a hopeless world, full of despair.

The Eastern God is the God of self. I enjoyed sitting, humming "Hum-sha" and enjoying the knowledge that I am, indeed, "here and alive". I embraced the deity I found in myself – however, the downfall of that God is that you eventually find that You make a lousy god. Your moods change, your doctrine, your self-kindness dissipates.

My Reformed God was apathetic. He sat merrily in Heaven, twiddling his thumbs and stroking his immense beard, only looking down at me with a frown when I disobeyed. His commands were easy. Just don't murder, rape or abort a fetus and surely you will be received.

My Evangelical God loved me, and hated all the heathens around me. And he had the best bands.

The Fundamentalist God is the opposite of the Eastern God. You don't really figure into the relationship – only to become more like Jesus. You are capable of nothing on your own and don't think that you are – that's prideful. That's a sin. He knows what he wants from you and you do it, or you will go down, down, down. This somewhat harsh God never wavers and is also never satisfied. You must know the Almighty Bible so as to not step on his Almighty Toes. You live in fear of Hell – that you will prove inadequate, or that the people you love will prove inadequate. After all – they smoke. They swear. They watch age-restricted movies. And they don't know the Word. "Be perfect, as I am perfect", God set the standard. And it's not just enough to try and rescue your own soul and that of your family. Didn't the Bible tell us to "make disciples"? Isn't that a command? Aren't you selfish for knowing the secret to ever-lasting life? What will God say if you reach the gates of judgment and you haven't brought a single soul to him? He will shake his head in disappointment and disgust. You have done nothing, like the wicked and lazy servant of the parable of the talents (and remember what happened to that guy).

And there were others gods in my life: hobbies, money, people, fears, doubts, knowledge.

I don’t believe that anyone is evil for believing in these man-made images of God or trying to meet his standards. But idoltary gives birth to evil. When I gave up trying to worship these gods…I found the Ultimate Reality. A God that is a mystery. I don't have him figured out. I try to wrap my mind around him and he eludes me. I take one step towards him and He runs towards me. He likes being with me. I like being with him. And for now that is enough.

To my fundamentalist brothers and sisters who are "suffering" for Christ, giving up families, jobs and freedoms because he demands it… Does God really look that?