Yesterday, we were informed that
the NFL flag-and-anthem-kneeling stunt came as what Jesus would do.[1]
The NFL seems in jeopardy due to "religious" beliefs of a few players!
Is there an entity, “erroneous
religious belief,” or is religious belief an erroneous public pursuit? Can a human
being add to his or her person by belief? Is belief more important than
fidelity to the-objective-truth?[2]
Can virtue supplant humility? Is belief the gullibility to one’s own
wisdom? The NFL anthem-kneel poses such questions. I do not know
the-objective-truth, but history seems to inform that fidelity to discovery
is preferred to belief in ideas.
Fundamental cultural evolutions
Perhaps human
ancestors grunted for expression starting 2 to 3 million years ago. Culture-developing
“language must have
emerged sometime after 200,000 years ago and prior to this cultural ‘big bang’,
some 50,000 years ago.”[3]
Grammar might be 10,000 years old.[4]
Discovery is a slow process, so we
still don’t know the oldest tool. A 2015 report claims 3.3 million years old.[5]
We may guess that humans were continually discovering how to survive long
before they made the first tools. And before that, they discovered that sun
overexposure could kill and, therefore, considered it a higher power long
before it was called “the sun”.
Some tribes imagined the sun’s power
could be harnessed for favor in civic living so developed theories for
benefits. Timing agriculture on the seasons---planting after winter and
harvesting before winter proved out. Naming the sun a god was thought to help
tribes in war. Human sacrifice to appease a god never seemed promising and
eventually was deemed immoral. Eventually, humankind discovered that the Sun is
a natural nuclear reactor. Sun gods became obsolete. Discovery accelerated, and
in 2016, Einstein’s general theory of relativity was affirmed.[6]
However, most cultures continue to develop particular god constructs.
Monotheism
Perhaps 4,000 years ago, some
cultures asserted monotheism. Their god was God, and they were chosen people.
This practice continues, and today, believers have personal God with character
that only partially conforms to the God of an institution: each person has his
or her particulars. Thus, while there are perhaps 10,000 theistic institutions,
God is characterized by the individual believer.
Also, there are many people who, on
considering humankind’s discoveries, question the existence of God. They are
motivated and inspired by the-discovered-objective-truth and collaborate for
more discovery. They consider their work equally applicable in the physical and
in the ethical.[7] They have no problem with
belief in God as long as believers don’t try to oppose or reverse discovery, as
Michael Polyani may have attempted.[8]
A person’s hopes for the hereafter may enhance fidelity to civic peace. In
other words, we can appreciate believers if they behave with civic morality.
In summary, starting with no ideas
about God, humankind has evolved into various cultures having three
characteristic beliefs: God, no God, or
it is acceptable to wait for discovery. There may be a more erroneous belief,
depending on whether or not the belief is held in civic peace.
Freedom of religion
Of course this cultural evolution affects the world, but it is
especially evident in the United States of America, where there’s great pride
in freedom
of religion rather than celebration of opportunity to exercise powerful
human psychology. That is, celebrate the opportunity to responsibly pursue
personal dreams rather than conform to someone else’s plan for you. From a
British colony, the USA evolved into a celebrated refuge for oppressed, civic
individuals. By “civic” I mean persons who collaborate for mutual,
comprehensive safety and security, in other words domestic, civic peace. People
who are dissident to civic peace, or justice, are constrained by the rule of
statutory law. The tension between civic citizens and dissidents to justice is
expressed by the agreement offered by the preamble to the constitution for the
USA, which is neutral to religion.
More erroneous religious belief
The civic/dissidence tension is
illustrated explicitly by humankind’s struggle over slavery. It was taken for
granted 3800 years ago in the Code of Hammurabi.[9]
The Church took slavery for granted when it canonized the Holy Bible 1620 years
ago.[10]
Popes authorized slavery[11],
African slave trade[12],
and colonization[13]. Colonization of North
America in the 16th and 17th centuries involved the
Atlantic slave trade. “The major Atlantic slave trading nations, ordered
by trade volume, were: the Portuguese,
the British, the French, the Spanish,
and the Dutch Empires.”[14]
In this country, colonization met
its end when British-American subjects in the thirteen eastern seaboard
colonies decided England would not respond to pleas for relief from oppression
and changed their style from colonists to statesmen.[15] Revolutionary
war soon broke out and in 1781, France helped the Americans defeat the British.
Thirteen free and independent states ratified their treaty with England on
January 14, 1784.[16]
Many statesmen, such as Benjamin Franklin,[17]
intended to free the slaves.[18]
The confederation of free and
independent states was not viable, especially when 8 of 13 or 60% were slave
states. Consequently, 12 states sent delegates to the 1787 constitutional
convention. A nation predicated on supervision by the people in their states
rather than by the state governments was proposed. Establishment required
approval by the Continental Congress, then individual state conventions, and
ratification, by the people in 9 of 13 states; the first Congress would add a
bill of rights. On June 21, 1788, nine states establishing a nation of people,
the USA. Four states remained free and independent. Three states remained
dissident after the USA began operation with 10 states on March 4, 1789. They
had joined by the time the Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.
Future emancipation from slavery’s consequences
Both the preamble and the articles
of the 1787 draft constitution established the words for seamless transition to
a nation without slavery and English common law (classism). The 2/3 of states
representatives who signed the draft constitution envisioned a nation that
would be inviting for all inhabitants and would establish civic peace. The
draft constitution completed General George Washington’s 1783 four pillars for
survival as a nation,[19]
and likewise did not impose religion.
However, the first Congress, by May
1789, established legislative prayer, or American theism, bringing the Holy
Bible’s affirmation of slavery back into civil debate. Legislative prayer
imposed the erroneous Christian impression that government is of God[20]
and legislators have divinity. The first Congress made dominant the erroneous
re-institution of American theism by the religion clauses of the First
Amendment to the constitution.[21]
Frederick Douglass, in 1852,
sixty-four years after the people ratified the preamble and established the
USA, railed against American theism, stating, “America is false to the past,
false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be false to the future. There is not
a man beneath the canopy of heaven who does not know that slavery is wrong for
him.”[22]
After extensive argument, Douglass asked:
What, then, remains to be argued?
Is it that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our
doctors of divinity are mistaken? There is blasphemy in the thought. That which
is inhuman cannot be divine. Who can reason on such a proposition? They that
can, may - I cannot.
Only four year later, Robert E. Lee, lamenting the
abolitionists, without sympathy for African slaves, spoke the erroneous
proposition. Refuting Douglass’s no “man beneath the canopy of heaven,” Lee
looked past civic morality to eternal, Christian work under Jesus:
There are few, I believe, in this
enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a
moral and political evil. It is idle to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think
it is a greater evil to the white than to the colored race. While my feelings
are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more deeply
engaged for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in
Africa, morally, physically, and socially.
The painful discipline they are undergoing
is necessary for their further instruction as a race, and will prepare them, I
hope, for better things. How long their servitude may be necessary is known and
ordered by a merciful Providence. Their emancipation will sooner result from
the mild and melting influences of Christianity than from the storm and tempest
of fiery controversy.
This influence, though slow, is
sure. The doctrines and miracles of our Saviour have required nearly two
thousand years to convert but a small portion of the human race, and even among
Christian nations what gross errors still exist! While we see the course of the
final abolition of human slavery is still onward, and give it the aid of our
prayers, let us leave the progress as well as the results in the hands of Him
who, chooses to work by slow influences, and with whom a thousand years are but
as a single day.
Although the abolitionist must know
this, must know that he has neither the right not the power of operating,
except by moral means; that to benefit the slave he must not excite angry
feelings in the master; that, although he may not approve the mode by which
Providence accomplishes its purpose, the results will be the same.
Without erroneous Christian beliefs, Lee might have sold all
his property and moved to a non-slave state or territory before his liberty to
do so was eliminated when the CSA fired on Fort Sumter. Lee’s concern was
abolitionists interfering with what Jesus was doing rather than inhumane
slavery!
There is
false belief rather than irony in the Confederate States of America, four years
later, making a long list of issues that might have been settled by
collaboration for civic peace and concluding that diplomacy was impossible
because Abraham Lincoln was elected president:
The guaranties of the Constitution will
then no longer exist; the equal rights of the States will be lost. The
slaveholding States will no longer have the power of self-government, or
self-protection, and the Federal Government will have become their enemy.
Sectional interest and animosity
will deepen the irritation, and all hope of remedy is rendered vain, by the
fact that public opinion at the North has invested a great political error with
the sanction of more erroneous religious belief.[23]
(Emphasis mine.)
Before the first shot was fired, President Lincoln cited a
civic people as the hope for justice:
Why should there not be a patient
confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal
hope in the world? In our present differences, is either party without faith of
being in the right? If the Almighty Ruler of Nations, with His eternal truth
and justice, be on your side of the North, or on yours of the South, that truth
and that justice will surely prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal of
the American people.
The history of slavery shows that its effect on American
history is an indication that religious hopes, for example, favorable personal
afterdeath, must be secondary to civic peace. To be an island of justice in a
conflicted world, civic citizens must protect collaboration for mutual, comprehensive
safety and security---must not yield to religion. Religious beliefs must not be
imposed on civic morality.
Erroneous Jesus beliefs
I have no
idea what Jesus was like or said, but have personal views that can easily touch
my deepest emotions. However, “the doctrines and miracles of our Saviour”
Robert E. Lee spoke of where in his mind, not the mind of Jesus. Lee embraced
the sermons of Virginia ministers and the distortions of his own integrity[24]
to beg personal woe. Jesus is not to blame for Lee’s folly, because every
person has the psychological power to sense gullibility to personal wisdom,
hubris, and pride, and ward them off using humility.
Yet
powerful people keep making the mistake of attributing personal error to God
and on that gullibility inviting woe. Roy Moore, of Ten Commandments monument
fame,[25]
has dedicated his life to imposing Christian values onto American life so
severely that he seems clearly opposed to civic morality. He seems to have
never considered collaboration for civic peace so that every person may pursue
the happiness they prefer instead of the values Moore wants for them. If he
cannot be elected or serve in the US Senate, he may perceive he begged and
received woe; I do not know, but he does know. But he inspired current
Christian controversy invoking claims against virgin birth, a founding
Christian miracle.[26]
You might call such hypocrisy the abuse of Jesus.
I have long
objected to Fellowship of Christian Athletes[27]
and Bible based prison ministries,[28]
because the ministers prey on captive people. The former is especially
egregious, because the subjects are young. We know that the human body does not
complete the wisdom building parts of the brain until 25 years old,[29] a
quarter century, and it takes a few more years for experience and observation
of misery and loss before the need for wisdom to become vital to a person. If
fidelity to belief is too deeply inculcated, the chances to develop fidelity to
the-objective-truth are lessened if not prevented. Of course good coaching, as
a person successively discovers personal autonomy, collaborative association,
and intent to live a full human life can instill the intention to fidelity
rather than beliefs.
We learned
today (Footnote 1) that Christianity is egregiously involved in the NFL
disruption of civic morality over flag-and-anthem-kneeling. Colin Kaepernick
had his reasons to sit. Then Eric Reid and Nate Boyer erroneously stepped in to
assert what Jesus would do is kneel.[30]
They said, “We all have a love for
people.” Love? How about appreciation? Their love-idea does not appeal to me at
all. As a civic person, I want them to behave so as to warrant
appreciation---collaborate for civic peace. These three relatively young
persons have distinguished themselves as erroneous Jesus persons---people who use
“Jesus” to impose their opinion on civic citizens. Like Robert E. Lee, they are
victims of personal gullibility, and the remedy is humility. Hubris begs woe:
humility inspires fidelity.
Proposed remedy
For readers
to whom the above review of erroneous beliefs ind history and current events,
there remains the question of what a person may do about it. I think a person
may separate fidelity for living from hopes for the hereafter. For living,
civic citizens, whether American or not, may trust and commit to the preamble
to the constitution for the USA to order public connections. Civic citizens
collaborate for mutual, comprehensive safety and security, in other words,
civic peace, using the-objective-truth, which can only be discovered. With
civic peace, each person may pursue the happiness they perceive, rather than
the dream someone else has for them. A civic people motivate dissidents to
reform so as not to risk woe they may invite.
Copyright©2017 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved.
Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this
paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.
[1]
Rob Maaddi, “Christian players
frustrated by criticism for anthem protest,” AP, Nov 13, 2017, abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/christian-players-frustrated-criticism-anthem-protest-51107965
[2]
The-objective-truth is the expression I use for reality that can only be
discovered be evidence that can be repeated. In other words, it is not truth
someone expressed but no one can experience or observe.
[3]
Vyv Evans, “How Old is Language?”
psychologytoday.com/blog/language-in-the-mind/201502/how-old-is-language.
[4]
reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/52ovzj/how_old_is_grammar/.
[5]
Lowmekwi, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomekwi.
[6]
Confirmation of general theory of relativity 100 years later, ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211
[7]
Albert Einstein, “The Laws of Science and The Laws of Ethics,” 1941,
samharris.org/blog/item/my-friend-einstein. Note: “science” is a study and its
object is discovery. Einstein spoke a conference on science and religion.
[8]
Michael Polyani, Personal Knowledge,
The University of Chicago Press, 1958.
[9]
Code of Hammurabi, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi.
[10]
Bible canon
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_the_Christian_biblical_canon#Development_of_the_New_Testament_canon
and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Councils_of_Carthage.
[14]
Atlantic slave trade, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade
[15]
First Continental Congress, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Continental_Congress
[16]
Ratification of the Treaty of Paris,
msa.maryland.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/treaty/treaty.html
[17]
Philadelphia abolition society,
history.com/this-day-in-history/first-american-abolition-society-founded-in-philadelphia.
[18]
Petition to congress for abolition of slavery,
loc.gov/rr/program/bib/franklin/loc.html
[19]
Circular farewell, June 8, 1783, loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/peace/circular.html
libertylawsite.org/2017/11/17/one-and-a-half-cheers-for-more-civics-education
[21]
The First Amendment religion clauses may be reformed to protect responsible
thought or fidelity to the-objective-truth or better.
[22]
Frederick Douglass, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery,” July 4, 1852,
historyplace.com/speeches/douglass.htm
[23]
Declaration of Secession, avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_scarsec.asp
[24]
The physics of slavery---chains, whips, brutality and rape to slaves with
physical and psychological burdens to overseers and guilt to owners---make the
evil of slavery self-evident.
[25]
Roy Moore, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore
[26] Christopher A. Frilingos, “Did early
Christians believe that Mary was a teenager? It’s complicated,” RNS, theconversation.com/did-early-christians-believe-that-mary-was-a-teenager-its-complicated-87422
[27]
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, fca.org
[28]
Prison Fellowship, prisonfellowship.org/about/chuckcolson/.
[29]
David Dobbs, “Teenage Brains,” 2011, ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text
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