Watching Colonial House on PBS. Third episode. Most of the "colonists" have discovered they don't like going to Sabbath services. This is because of their 21st century opinions, and not because they are playing 17th century folk authentically. Apparently they don't mind a physical reenactment of colonial life, but the mental aspect is just too much for them.
You might be surprised to hear that I am disappointed in these revolting atheists. I think it's stupid and petty of them to refuse to play along with Puritan religion. They are, after all, participating in a "living history" experiment, and part of living history is thinking history, too. Religion, particularly Christianity, has been an integral part of American history. It's not just intellectually dishonest to deny that, but it can be instructive to think within it, just as it can be instructive to take away modern technology and see what physical life was like in 1628.
I may believe the content of religion is bunk, but the practice of religion is very real, and ought not be ignored. Ditto for the practitioners of religion, some of whom, here in the 21st century, are very, very dear to me. Wherever there is religion, there will be differences, and wherever there are differences, there will be pain, and wherever there is pain, compassion is required.
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2 comments:
Very interesting. I had heard of this show and now am (a little) sorry I can't watch it.
The sad thing is that you might get the same reaction out of Baptists being made to go to an Episcopal Church, or a Catholic being made to go to a Pentecostal Church. One thing we as Christians lack (sorry for the broad sweeping generalization, Christians), is the ability (or rather, the DESIRE) to push past our differences and stop avoiding the pain that comes because of them.
Well, I can understand the reticence of Christians to push beyond their boundaries. Going outside your worldview destroys the illusion that yours is the only one out there. It makes you realize that other people live comfortably in other worldviews. Christians who never have that experience can too easily convince themselves that other folks are stupid, confused, and/or ignorant. (For instance, go read the tripe at Evangelical Outpost, where Joe Carter does his best to make atheists sound like idiots who can't think straight, who, if they just knew and understood what he did, would clearly be evangelical Christians, the only viable option in his book.)
So if Christians step out much, their sense of exceptionalism can fall apart pretty easily. "What? You mean atheists are fulfilled, normal people who live normal lives?" It's hard to convert people who are just fine the way they are.
Anyway... if this comment sounds incoherent, it's because I'm typing while watching the Democratic National Convention on TV at the same time. So I'll stop now. :-)
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