Will Durant on Religion and Human Longing

Earlier this year, I had a private e-mail correspondence with Mary Jean Irion, a now eighty-something poet and author of the 1968 book, From the Ashes of Christianity (a little-known text that I just so happened to come across while I was in seminary gathering sources for a research paper). During our e-mail exchanges about faith and reason, Ms. Irion referred me to Will and Ariel Durant's mutli-volume work, The Story of Civilization- more specifically the volume entitled The Age of Voltaire.

The Durants were gifted writers and popularizers of history and philosophy who set out to construct an unprecedented overview of recorded history that would be published for the benefit of the common reader instead of purely academic audiences. I found the Durants' assessment of history to contain the sobriety of age-tested wisdom and have found their work on the strengths and weaknesses of both religion and secular philosophy to be very helpful. Their work keeps my mind sharp and my heart soft as I ponder the cyclical and interconnected nature of life, the successes and failures of various social movements and the limits of human comprehension.

But I was intrigued by learning that Will Durant, a very reverent man, was also, by his own definition, an agnostic when it came to the question of "God." In his Dual Autobiography, written a few years before his death, Durant offered the following credo expressing his personal views:

"I am still an agnostic, with pantheistic overtones. The sight of plants and children growing inclines me to define divinity as creative power, and to reverence this in all its manifestations, even when they injure me. I cannot reconcile the existence of consciousness with a deterministic and mechanistic philososphy. I am skeptical not only of theology but also of philosophy, science, history, and myself. I recognize supersensory possibilities but not supernatural powers."

But while Will Durant himself remained agnostic throughout his life, he also nurtured a sincere respect for the role that constructive religion served in the lives of human beings. I couldn't help but to hear the sympathy in the following passage where Durant comments on the timeless appeal of religious belief:

"These church steeples, everywhere pointing upward, ignoring despair and lifting hope, these lofty city spires, or simple chapels in the hills -- they rise at every step from the earth toward the sky; in every village of every nation they challenge doubt and invite weary hearts to consolation. Is it all a vain delusion? Is there nothing beyond life but death, and nothing beyond death but decay? We cannot know. But as long as man suffers, these steeples will remain."

Think about that. "As long as man suffers, these steeples will remain." That sentence just blew my mind.

Suppression breeds reformation (and sometimes revolution)

I believe that, as a species, human beings have evolved with natural impulses that require sufficient avenues for expression. I also believe that, when it comes to human affairs, we often frustrate ourselves with vain attempts to suppress or eradicate our intrinsic impulses and primal instincts.

However, it seems to me that if these hard-wired impulses are left unchecked without a system of accountability or the expectation of responsibility, then anarchic and chaotic impulses are likely to emerge with the potential to tear our civilization apart. But on the other hand, if these impulses are ineradicable and are then aggressively suppressed without sufficient avenues for creative and healthy expression, it is likely that these same impulses will eventually assume more destructive and detrimental forms of expression.

Both tactics (anarchy and suppression) would seem to lead to similar and undesirable ends.

This is why I think that the antitheists will ultimately fail in their attempts to rid society of its need for religion. I am of the opinion that, despite their more harmful and extremist manifestations, humankind’s various religious traditions have offered much to meet the intrinsic human need for solace, hope, purpose and meaning. It seems to me that those who seek to bring about change in this realm must take into serious consideration creative and constructive ways to address or satisfy this innate human need, or else they will continue to be met with the fiercest resistance.

Likewise, I expect that those puritanical attempts to eradicate the influence of Enlightenment values (individual freedom, democracy, higher criticism, scientific investigation, etc.) will also prove unsuccessful. I am of the opinion that humankind’s ever-developing tradition of critical inquiry and investigation has yielded many benefits and has led to unprecedented progress in a variety of scientific fields. This tradition seems to reflect the intense power of curiosity, the defining impulse of humanity whose strength is attested to by countless examples of ancient folklore and religious myth. Those who seek to bring about change in this realm must take into serious consideration the notion that human curiosity about the nature of reality is not going anywhere and has already witnessed too much to retreat back into a state of blissful unawareness and uncritical obedience to an indisputable authority- be it religious or political.

But sadly, humanity as a whole has yet to learn from history's failed attempts at suppression, as many who find themselves in positions of power and influence continue to pursue ways to deny human beings the means to think, live and express themselves in healthy, creative and responsible ways.

In conclusion, I think human history would testify to the idea that those attempts to actively suppress intrinsic human impulses only serve to speed along radical responses to such suppression. Because of this, I maintain confidence that wherever one finds suppression, one will find the seeds of a new reformation- if not a revolution.

Courage to be contrary

"If you care about the points of agreement and civility, then, you had better be well-equipped with points of argument and combativity, because if you are not then the 'center' will be occupied and defined without your having helped to define it, or determine what and where it is... Conflict may be painful, but the painless solution does not exist in any case and the pursuit of it leads to the painful outcome of mindlessness and pointlessness; the apotheosis of the ostrich."

Just yesterday, a good friend of mine forwarded me the above excerpt from author Christopher Hitchens' 2001 book, Letters to a Young Contrarian. I find Hitchens' well-phrased words to be helpful because I often find myself surrendering my true views and silently yielding my intellectual and moral stances for fear of causing conflict with other people. Such a habitual reflex has begun to erode my credibility, my integrity and my sanity.

Perhaps it is indeed naive to believe that any significant or worthwhile progress can be made without taking unpopular stances, making painful decisions or paying costly prices. And perhaps I am getting too old to expect growth to come about by another other way.

I suspect that much of my hesitancy to engage in conflict or debate is caused by intense feelings of inadequacy. But, in light of Hitchens' advice, this insecurity can be largely remedied by taking advantage of those times when I am not actively engaged in a debate or discussion about controversial matters and committing myself to sufficient preparation and articulation of my ideas.

If anything, even if I am unable to provide a conclusive answer to a dilemma, I can at least master my ability to understand other perspectives and articulate my own series of challenging questions that seek to dismantle falsehoods and provoke a thoughtful reappraisal and reexamination of facts, personal prejudices, philosophical underpinnings and ethical implications. But even this feels less than sufficient as I also need to take steps to honestly affirm that which I hold to be true and that which I understand to be of value- even when I feel the bounds of my own limited vision and partial knowledge.

I feel less need to provide conclusive answers to stifle any disagreement with my ideas, but I can at least articulate the view from where I stand- knowing that we all have so much more to learn.

This is the challenge. This is my goal.

Turning 30

I was born 30 years ago today. Initially, I felt somewhat disappointed. While in my twenties, I always considered turning 30 to be a major milestone that separated the Age of Excitement/Enlightenment (the teens and twenties) from the Age of Responsibility (30 and beyond).

I always thought that, by the time I turned 30, I would have already earned a graduate degree, attained a Grammy, completed my first nationwide music tour or released a biography. Amusing, I know. I woke up this morning with conflicted thoughts of both gratitude and regret. Part of me feels like I haven’t really taken advantage of the opportunities made available to me.

But yet I retain a hope that, in the coming years, I will continue to grow in my understanding of myself and others; that I will be able to take advantage of opportunities with a fearless tenacity; that I will be able to engage more fully in the lives of those I come in contact with; that I will grow in the wisdom and confidence to overcome the snares of fear, self-centeredness and insecurity that I have allowed myself to be entangled by in years past; that I will grow in my dedication to those things I believe in, expressing my ideas creatively and sharing them publicly.

However, in the midst of all this, I try to keep in mind that I have seen and done many things that are worthwhile and important to me and that my life is a unique experience in its own right. Perhaps the most rewarding thing I could’ve witnessed as I marked the third decade of my life was the sight and sound of my 3-year old daughter running into my bedroom to wish me "Happy Birthday"(of course, forgetting her lines on the way and having to have my wife shout a reminder to her from the other room).

Blacks and Homosexuality (part 1)

The fact that 70% of Black voters in California voted to pass Proposition 8 struck me as odd considering the fact that this same population turned out in droves to vote in the first Black president of the United States. How ironic that the same night that brought forth a history-making civil rights victory for one minority group also brought forth a crushing defeat for another. The fact that millions of dollars were raised by religious groups to both encourage and scare voters to support this legislation raises a variety of concerns in my mind. One wonders if such efforts were rooted in attempts to educate and understand, or if such efforts were driven mainly by fear-based ideology.

For context: I am a straight, married, African-American male and I struggle with how best to approach the issue of homosexuality and how best to treat those people who self-identify as either gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. And to be honest, I'd have to identify myself as a person in the process of recovering from heterosexism.

I know that I am not alone as many of my people have long struggled with this topic. Homosexuality is an issue that evokes a visceral, gut-level reaction from many of us Black folks, especially in discussions of whether it should be legal for gay people to marry or adopt. Discussing such matters brings forth strong opinions and deep feelings, largely because many of us have close friends, co-workers and relatives who would classify themselves as such. In addition to our familiarity with those who classify as gay, feelings run high also because many Blacks in America have been under the influence of churches and pastors that condemn homosexual lifestyles- basing their views on more conservative interpretations of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.

Add to those factors, the notion that we, as Black people, have been dehumanized and degraded for centuries in this country due to biological factors that are beyond our control. As Black people, we have long been discriminated against by well-meaning individuals who also quoted their scriptures to condemn our existence. Therein lies most of the tension for Blacks regarding the issue of homosexuality.

My views about homosexuality we largely influenced by the fact that I grew up with a parent who was very accepting of gay people. My younger brother and I both have vivid childhood memories of our mother's closest friends being gay men (R.I.P. Anthony "Ding Deets" and Frederick). For us, it was weird (especially considering that I was in my early teens at the time), but our mother provided us with an early example of how to establish long-lasting and intimate friendships with those who have different sexual orientations. For me, having these early experiences and close relationships with gay people played a large part in humanizing the issue of homosexuality and serving as a necessary counter to the blatantly heterosexist attitudes that I would embrace in my early twenties (believing that I had to take a firm stand against all things homosexual in order to be faithful to my understanding of the Christian faith).

In addition to these early experiences, my wife and I have some close friends and relatives that self-identify as gay. Their examples arouse a wide range of mixed feelings for us and illustrate how issues take on a whole new meaning when they are connected to people we are familiar with.

One of them my wife has known since he was in grade school. Like all of us, he has his personal faults and foibles, but he has been a good friend to us and, over time, I'd like to think that we consider him as being "our friend" instead of referring to him derogatively as being "our gay friend." However, I have mixed feelings because I know that sexuality is an issue that our friend struggles with since he also identifies as a Christian and has regularly attended congregations that condemn and seek to "correct" homosexuality.

In addition to this friend, we have a mutual friend that we have known since he was a little boy and who recently "came out" to the surprise and disgust of his family. I am torn as I wonder who is in more need of correction: the boy, his family or both?

To bring it even closer to home, just last night, my wife informed me that her younger and only sister just “came out” to her during a phone conversation (This only a week after my wife and I engaged in a minor debate as to whether being gay is morally wrong and whether gay people should be allowed to adopt children). Surprisingly, my wife had little to say when I asked her how she felt about her own sister's announcement. I'm speculating, but I reckon my wife's lack of commentary reflects the notion that while it is easy to judge a distant stranger it is far more difficult to issue that same judgment towards ourselves and/or those we know and love.

In recent years, I have worked hard to examine and uproot my own prejudices, but regrettably, I feel that I have been too much of a closet supporter of gay rights and have not been vocal enough in publicly advocating for the fair treatment of people who self-identify as being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

I am aware of my moral inconsistency on gay rights and admit that heterosexist thoughts still crop up in my mind on occasion. I have noticed my hypocrisy in the many occasions where my mouth expresses my support for their equal treatment, but my actions reflect my discomfort and half-hearted support. I have noticed my silent cowardice in the company of religious friends who boldly contrast their moral rightness in condemning homosexuality with the so-called "distorted" and "ungodly" perceptions of those who defend it.

I know that I'm not completely comfortable with the issue of homosexuality, but I am willing to wrestle with my prejudices, primarily because I have had positive personal experiences with people who identify as homosexual.

But how do we feel about all of this? In thinking about the issue of sexuality, several common questions instantly rush to the forefront of our thoughts. Are people born that way or do people choose a homosexual lifestyle? What do religious authorities and texts say about homosexuals and/or homosexual behavior? What does the most credible science say? Should gay people marry? Should they adopt? Should they be denied the rights that heterosexuals demand for themselves? Will churches who preach against homosexuality be forced by law to permit gay marriage? Will pastors be jailed for preaching against gay lifestyles? Is across-the-board acceptance of gay rights just a matter of time and persistence?

Many of us have asked ourselves these questions, but how far have we gone in pursuing their answers?

(To be continued...)

An attempt at affirmation

I am aware that I have long struggled with insecurity, a lack of confidence and "toxic" thinking. I realize that those qualities can only hinder one who aspires to be their best and work gradually to make things better for others. Here is my attempt at affirming those things about myself that my insecurities often seek to deny. Maybe I will repeat this to myself on a regular basis.

I am a creative person.
I am a gifted communicator and artist.
I am an excellent writer.
I am a good listener.
I am a great storyteller.
I have a voice.
I have something valuable to offer.
I am a critical thinker.
I am a compassionate presence.
I am an attentive father.
I am a faithful husband.
I am a dependable friend.
I am a grateful child.
I am a thoughtful scholar.
I am helpful to others.
I am fair.
I am a constant and strategic agitator against injustice and dehumanization.
I am careful.
I am courageous.

Death's Gift to the Living

I work at a Midwestern hospital and I am often pained by the tragedies that I witness in my line of work. Seven years of frequent exposure to the suffering of others has impacted me deeply- whether I am listening to a story of a family recovering from a sudden and dreadful interruption into their lives or whether I am checking on the conditions of patients in our critical care areas. Sometimes I have to report to the local media that someone’s friend or family has died. I share the news with reporters with no idea of how that news sounds to the ears of those who pace the hospital waiting rooms praying and hoping for miracles- even if they don’t believe in them.

In addition to this, I am impacted by the media's countless news reports of kidnapped children, senseless murders, stray bullets and civilian casualties. Though not paralyzed by fear, I am often frightened by the seemingly uncontrollable and unpredictable nature of those events that either take or disfigure the lives of living beings. But with practice, I have learned to let go of the naïve assumption that such events could not also happen to myself or to those whom I love and cherish. I see myself in the husbands, fathers, uncles, sons, nephews and brothers who hover above the hospital beds and graves of their loved ones. I cringe at the thought of my family (especially my wife and daughter) losing me in such a tragic turn of events. My goal is to always make it home to them. Yet, I am aware of our mortality. 

But this awareness, instead of driving me to anxious despair, compels me to appreciate the time I spend with people, to invest myself fully in the moment and to force myself to observe the miniscule details of my experiences with them and flood my memories with the peculiarities that make each individual who they uniquely are. Suffering provides this perspective. This is Death’s indirect gift to the living.

Former right-wing evangelical imagines Obama will become one of the best and most loved American Presidents

A co-worker of mine recently forwarded me a powerful essay predicting the state of America and the world both during and after the presidency of Barack Obama. This (hopefully) prophetic piece was written over a month before the 2008 election by author Frank Schaeffer, a “white, former life-long Republican,” “proud father of a Marine” and son of the late evangelist and Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer.

The following is an excerpt of Schaeffer’s October 8 essay “Obama Will Be One of the Best (And Most Loved) American Presidents”:

"Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis to shine.

Obama is one of the most intelligent presidential aspirants to ever step forward in American history. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also
solid gold. Take heart, America: we have the leader for our times.

I say this as a white, former life-long Republican. I say this as the proud father of a Marine. I say this as just another American watching his pension evaporate along with the stock market! I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first. I say this as someone happy to be called a fool for going out on a limb and declaring that, 1) Obama will win, and 2) he is going to be amongst the greatest of American presidents..."

Read the full essay here. Click here for the Huffington Post's archive of Frank Schaeffer’s insightful columns.

Barack Obama: Elected President of the United States

It was a few minutes shy of 11 p.m. on Election Night when CNN announced that Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama had been projected to win the state of Virginia. Moments later, my wife and I watched our television screen in speechless amazement as the election results from California poured in leading CNN host Wolf Blitzer to announce that Barack Obama had received well over the 270 electoral votes needed for him to become the 1st African-American president elect of the United States of America.

Phone calls and text messages from friends and family members started flooding our phones shortly thereafter as we all shared our unbelief that we were actually witnessing this event. History had been made. And it would be made many times over as states that had traditionally gone to Republican candidates processed results showing that they were now going to a Democratic majority. One of such states was our home state of Indiana.

Our jaws dropped as we watched live footage of the respectful concession speech of Senator John McCain and the awe-inspiring acceptance speech of President-elect Barack Obama. Our three-year-old daughter played on the floor in front of us as we pushed the record button on our DVR so that we could share this moment with her when she grows older.

We then called our parents and our grandparents who were born during the Depression and who had experienced racism all throughout their lives. We knew that these moments were especially significant for them. My grandmother told me how my grandfather laughed and then later cried at the thought of a Black man finally being elected President in the United States.

My paternal grandfather always believed that such a day would come and had hoped that I would have such opportunities available to me as a young, educated Black man. It was my grandfather who forced me to watch the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993 when I was fourteen years old. When I said I didn’t want to watch it, he responded by saying “You should watch this. Who knows? One day you might be the President.” No sooner did I reply, “I don’t want to be President,” when he sternly countered, “Don’t ever say that. You don’t know what all you can become! You can be whatever you want to be!” Powerful words spoken by one who shined shoes as a boy growing up in a racist society during the Great Depression; Impactful words spoken to a privileged and talented teenager struggling with insecurity and his own ability to realize his dreams.

I realize that Barack Obama is a fallible human being; he is no savior and he is no saint. But his presidential victory was meaningful for me mainly because of its symbolism. It was proof that an overwhelming majority of the American people were willing to look past negative campaign tactics, personal prejudices and to vote for a candidate of an ethnic minority. It was also encouraging to see someone of an ethnic minority step into such a prominent leadership role. It was moving to see tearful, on-screen images of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Oprah Winfrey and countless others.

I watched the coverage of this election night and imagined the clouds of inferiority evaporating from the minds of both minority and underprivileged children all across the globe. I envisioned seeds of hope being planted by the on-screen images of those of different cultures and classes coming together with tears and joy.

Last night expanded the boundaries of what was possible. A long time coming. Truly a sight to behold.

Fearless truth-telling

"The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life flow no longer in our souls."

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton (November 12, 1815 – October 26, 1902) in her speech to the National American Woman Suffrage Association, 1890.

Election Eve

Here we are, on the eve of a general election that will be the culminating moment of nearly two years worth of campaigns that have already made United States’ history. Luckily, I voted early in my home state and will be able to avoid the long lines, relax and watch as the election results pour in. But while I will take joy in the fact that Election Day will bring a much-needed end to all the campaign and attack ads (which often seem to either deify or dehumanize the candidates), I do not believe that our voting excuses us from all of the other work that needs to be done for our society to progress.

To be clear, I do not believe that any particular candidate or political party has a panacea to resolve all of our economic inequalities, social complexities or moral dilemmas. However, I am convinced that, regardless of which representatives are elected into public office, we, as responsible citizens who participate in the democratic process, must bring our best to bear in holding our leaders accountable and making them aware of those issues we consider worthwhile. The principles of democracy and our common humanity both demand that citizens get involved in their societies and make informed decisions about matters that affect both themselves and their fellow inhabitants of this ecosystem we call Earth.

It may mean that we send thoughtful and timely letters to both our legislators and the editors of our favorite publications expressing our concern about an issue. It may mean that we represent our causes by volunteering to sit in on the committee meetings and voting sessions that take place at our local statehouse. It may mean that we organize and/or attend the rallies, protests and vigils that take place in our communities. It may also require that we volunteer at a nearby shelter and/or make connections with others who feel strongly about the issues that matter to us. Nevertheless, we as citizens should, in some significant capacity, involve ourselves in the issues affecting our lives and our world. While it remains every individual’s decision as to their level of involvement, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities and leave them solely in the hands of our elected officials. To do so would inevitably bring ruin to both them and ourselves.

My personal studies and the variety of discussions I have shared with co-workers, family and friends during this exciting election year have served to reinforce my conviction that human society progresses, develops and evolves through the constant tension of contradictory impulses and opposing forces that agitate each other until improvements are made. This is a long process that requires a commitment to valuing tradition and learning from past mistakes and a willingness to experiment with new ideas. But I am reminded that our country was founded on such a process.

Because lasting change is often a long-term process, I have no expectation that all wrongs can be righted in the solitary term of any particular administration. Change may occur in one executive decision or one legislative session, but it may also take generations for the words and actions of committed and courageous individuals to eventually bear fruit.

I consider it an act of faith to believe that change can come. I also consider it an act of faith to work to bring about such change, especially when faced with obstacles. Though I am often tempted to dismiss opinions that run contrary to my own, I try to remind myself that the tension of healthy and respectful conversations between concerned individuals who may differ in opinion on the issues that matter to them can often yield new insights into complex problems that affect us all.

I choose to place my faith in that process instead of any lone individual, administration or political party.

Activism

“I always tell people: use your passion. Does your mom have Alzheimer's? Can your brother not afford school? Has an uncle come back from the war hurt? Are you afraid that you don't have health care? Is the neighborhood around you in shambles? Those are the things to invest yourself in politically because then you have something that's personally feeding you. If you have something that makes you filled up, that you're already caring about, that you're already talking about, then you'll actually see progress. You're just feeding off that energy. If we all listened to that little voice and we all worked to help that little thing that we know, then the whole world would be a different place, and we all would be doing our part.”

~ Rosario Dawson