Another month has gone, and we are half a year away from 2012, people! Half a year away from making new year's resolutions and posting lists of books we read in 2011 and putting away the Christmas decorations after yet another busy holiday season. Time sure does move quickly.
So in my May post I told y'all I read a book about a road (from Damascus) and this month I read about another road (Eastern Orthodoxy). Last month I read a book by an Indian (from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh) who said very positive things about Christianity and the Bible. This month I read a book by an Indian (Native American) who didn't much care for most of the Christians he'd encountered. (I think he was OK with Jesus.) I finished my journey through America with Akbar Ahmed and his team. That book was rather long (500ish pages) and detailed, but kept my attention throughout. I read a book about two "promised lands" - Israel and the United States. The latter dealt with Moses' impact in inspiring the settlers here.
Have you read any good books lately?
Journey Into America by Akbar Ahmed -- fantastic book about American identity and culture and the ways minority groups have been treated here; see posts from late May and early June for many more details
"Through discussion and dialogue with my Jewish friends, I have learned about Jewish history and culture and how these shape Jewish identity -- the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the trauma of the Diaspora, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, which remains a dark and troubling cloud over the history of all humankind. I also learned of the deep attachment that Jews feel toward the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel, which is more than just a country to the Jewish people. It is an expression of their religious and cultural identity. Becoming friends with Jews allowed me to view the Israeli narrative from their perspective. In this way, while they saw and hopefully understood my Muslim narrative, I tried to understand theirs." (pg. 395)
The chapter on Mormons and Muslims showed me how similar the two faiths are. In fact the Mormon university has a geography class where one professor gives handouts showing 21 similarities between the two faiths. Granted, they also have huge differences, but the team said Mormons they met seemed to be the most accepting of Muslims in America. When breaking down stats, Mormons over any other group put religion as number one in their lives (96%; Muslims were at 85%), When asked about the biggest threats to America, Mormons were more likely to say the "breakdown of the family," "ourselves," "immorality," and "the economy." One student "named pornography as the greatest threat to America, calling it 'the root of a lot of evil.'" "More Mormons saw America as a Christian country than did either Protestants or Catholics." (pg. 420-1)
When discussing the rise of Mormonism during what he calls "the Great White American Century" the author noted "Mormonism provided an optimistic theology in an era of hope and promise. Unlike the austere and puritanical preachings of Calvinism, Mormonism offered what scholar Fawn Brodie called an 'ingenious blend of supernaturalism and materialism, which promised in heaven a continuation of all earthly pleasures - work, wealth, sex and power.'" (pg. 405)
The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy by Alexander Schmemann -- I shared much more about this book here.
"In the record of Orthodoxy, as in the story of Christianity in general, there is no lack of defects and human sins. ... The true Orthodox way of thought has always been historical, has always included the past, but has never been enslaved by it. Christ is 'yesterday and today and forever the same,' and the strength of the Church is not in the past, present, or future, but in Christ." (pg. 341)
Speaking of Jesus by Carl Medearis -- after having read a book filled with Christian Church stuff, this book was almost simplistic by contrast. The author basically tells us to just talk about Jesus. He reminded us that the complicated doctrines, explanations, egg illustration of God and often horrid Christian history are not what people need. They just need Jesus. And he shares what a joy it is for him to talk about one he loves so dearly. I like too that he stressed discipleship - a commitment of relationship - rather than evangelism which is often a one-moment deal (e.g., one altar call, one revival meeting, one door-to-door soul winning evening). ; also see previous post
"We can't simply pull in our church boundaries, tell the rest of the world to drop dead, and then bomb the sand out of the Middle East. At least not if we are trying to follow Jesus. The conservative movement here in the West often tries to embrace the moral code of Christianity without the self-sacrificial teachings of Jesus." (pg. 148)
Here is an article of Carl's published at Huffington Post just yesterday.
Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto by Vine Deloria, Jr. -- Andrew asked why I got this book and I think it was in the footnotes of a book I read earlier this year. I decided I wanted to read a book about Indians from an American Indian rather than a white author so I found this one on Amazon and received it for my birthday. Read more about my thoughts on this book here.
And see my pictures from the Cherokee Indian Reservation here if you'd like. We were there last Saturday.
The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace by Aaron David Miller -- My brother found this book somewhere and gave it to me for my birthday. He said he saw the word "Arab" and knew how much I like them so he got this. About halfway through this nearly 400 page book I was ready to toss it aside because I was exasperated with how much time and money and energy has been used in trying to bring peace to this region! (Not to mention all the trees killed to write all those drafts and official treaties!) To read more go here.
America's Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America by Bruce Feiler -- I saw this on Amazon.com and decided to buy it. It was inexpensive and I like Bruce Feiler. I've read at least three of his other books. See the previous post for some of the American Moseses (or Mosii per Amber's suggestion) discussed in this book. Also I'll probably add a bit more from this book in an upcoming post. I finished it just in time to add to June books!
If you want to see most of these books because you are a visual person and maybe like to see that people actually are nerdy enough to take photos of their stacks of books, go here. From my stack of 18 books pictured there, I have only one left to read! I actually went to the library once, had 3 books in my arms to check out and ...
(try not to faint when you read this)
PUT THEM BACK ON THE SHELVES!!!
I yielded not to temptation because I remembered I still had books at home that needed to be read. Just a few more to go now and then Helloooooo, Library! :)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The American Moseses
"The persistence of Mosaic imagery at nearly every major turning point in the country's formative century shows how clearly the themes of chosenness, liberation from slavery, freedom from authority, and collective moral responsibility had become the tent poles of American public life." (pg. 173)
In America's Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America author Bruce Feiler, well, gives a lot of coverage to how the biblical story of Moses has played out in American history. I've still got about one hundred twenty five pages to go, but I've been keeping track of who all is compared to Moses. Here's the list I've collected thus far.
"'Kind Heaven...pitying the servile condition of our American Israel, gave us a second Moses, who should (under God) be our future deliverer from the bondage and tyranny of haughty Britain.'" (pg. 102)
"The Founding Fathers chose the Exodus as their theme in an attempt to make their lives better. The slaves needed it to make their lives worth living." (pg. 107)
"On the page he may have been a Christian symbol of martyrdom, but once he entered the culture as the face of American slavery, Uncle Tom became a Mosaic call to action." (pg. 152)
For his part in freeing America of that "peculiar institution" of slavery.
Lead people further into the country so they could settle "the Promised Land" (pg. 148)
"'The Moses story is about the tension between freedom and law,' ... 'between the exhilaration of the Exodus moment followed by the constriction of the Sinai moment. And it seems to me that you can see this tension in the Statue of Liberty, from the broken chain at her feet to the tablet in her right arm to the light around her head. She perfectly embodies the American story - and the Mosaic story.'" (pg. 187)
A nonreligious aristocratic New York City Jew, she became interested in her faith when Jews from Eastern Europe fled persecution for the United States. She penned The New Colossus as an expression of what the Statue of Liberty, what America should mean to oppressed people from other lands.
"A society must gauge its worth not by power, the statue insists, but by how it treats its strangers." (pg. 191)
You may find this next addition out-of-place on the list since he's not typically thought of as a religious figure.
Jews "began converting Moses into a pillar of American identity" perhaps because their "'greatest fear was that America would become a Christian nation. ... By emphasizing Moses, they showed that Jews belonged here as well. Jews were fortunate that so many American Protestants were Old Testament-focused.'"
Some left-wing Jews even suggested Judaism change its name to Mosaism, "in part because Moses was perceived to be a more appealing figure to Christians. Many Jews had a sense that the words Jew and Judaism had negative connotations.'"
"Exactly when the United States was becoming more religiously diverse, Jews subtly redefined what it meant to be American. Instead of a Christian country, they insisted, America was a biblical country. Moses played a key role because he resonated with Protestants and Jews. Jews belonged to the United States, they said, because America and Judaism had the same source: Moses." (pg. 200)
Any surprises? Which is your favorite? Do you agree with these choices? Which is most interesting to you? Who would you take off the list? Add to it? Any other thoughts or observations?
In America's Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America author Bruce Feiler, well, gives a lot of coverage to how the biblical story of Moses has played out in American history. I've still got about one hundred twenty five pages to go, but I've been keeping track of who all is compared to Moses. Here's the list I've collected thus far.
 |
| President George Washington |
"'Kind Heaven...pitying the servile condition of our American Israel, gave us a second Moses, who should (under God) be our future deliverer from the bondage and tyranny of haughty Britain.'" (pg. 102)
 |
| Harriet Tubman "the Moses of Her People" |
"The Founding Fathers chose the Exodus as their theme in an attempt to make their lives better. The slaves needed it to make their lives worth living." (pg. 107)
 |
| Uncle Tom, the character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's book |
"On the page he may have been a Christian symbol of martyrdom, but once he entered the culture as the face of American slavery, Uncle Tom became a Mosaic call to action." (pg. 152)
 |
| President Abraham Lincoln |
For his part in freeing America of that "peculiar institution" of slavery.
 |
| Daniel Boone, the "Moses of the West" |
Lead people further into the country so they could settle "the Promised Land" (pg. 148)
 |
| Lady Liberty |
"'The Moses story is about the tension between freedom and law,' ... 'between the exhilaration of the Exodus moment followed by the constriction of the Sinai moment. And it seems to me that you can see this tension in the Statue of Liberty, from the broken chain at her feet to the tablet in her right arm to the light around her head. She perfectly embodies the American story - and the Mosaic story.'" (pg. 187)
 |
| Emma Lazarus |
A nonreligious aristocratic New York City Jew, she became interested in her faith when Jews from Eastern Europe fled persecution for the United States. She penned The New Colossus as an expression of what the Statue of Liberty, what America should mean to oppressed people from other lands.
"A society must gauge its worth not by power, the statue insists, but by how it treats its strangers." (pg. 191)
You may find this next addition out-of-place on the list since he's not typically thought of as a religious figure.
 |
| Recognize the 'Moses' in this picture? |
Jews "began converting Moses into a pillar of American identity" perhaps because their "'greatest fear was that America would become a Christian nation. ... By emphasizing Moses, they showed that Jews belonged here as well. Jews were fortunate that so many American Protestants were Old Testament-focused.'"
Some left-wing Jews even suggested Judaism change its name to Mosaism, "in part because Moses was perceived to be a more appealing figure to Christians. Many Jews had a sense that the words Jew and Judaism had negative connotations.'"
 |
| Yep, it's Uncle Sam! |
"Exactly when the United States was becoming more religiously diverse, Jews subtly redefined what it meant to be American. Instead of a Christian country, they insisted, America was a biblical country. Moses played a key role because he resonated with Protestants and Jews. Jews belonged to the United States, they said, because America and Judaism had the same source: Moses." (pg. 200)
Any surprises? Which is your favorite? Do you agree with these choices? Which is most interesting to you? Who would you take off the list? Add to it? Any other thoughts or observations?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
"Bibles and bullets had long gone together..."
It's interesting how wars and religious beliefs shape countries. Even national obsessions and reenactments.
Bibles and bullets had long gone together, and the Civil War was no exception. ... [The] American Bible Society published three million Bibles during the war, and three hundred thousand were smuggled from the North to the South. IN GOD WE TRUST was first placed on Union coins during this period; Thanksgiving became a recurring national holiday. And with 622,000 dead, heaven became a national obsession. Before the war, most people died at home, surrounded by family members, and heaven was a vague place where the deceased went to be with God. On average, the number of books about heaven published each year was not quite one. But with so many people dying far from home, and many bodies never returned, families became concerned about their loved ones. In the decade after the war, ninety-four books about heaven appeared. (pg. 159)
Beginning with the Puritans, the world was often referred to as God's "manifestation" and history as God's "destiny." Manifest destiny was another way of saying that God had chosen Anglo-Americans to convert the land for him - no matter who got misplaced. In the same way that colonizing America was viewed by many participants as a reenactment of the Exodus, many settlers heading west saw themselves as reliving the Israelites' flight into the wilderness to create a new American Israel. (pg. 148)
Thoughts?
America's Prophet: How the Story of Moses Shaped America by Bruce Feiler
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A few thoughts on Arabs, Israelis and America: 'small tribes' talk and all that
The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace by Aaron David Miller
My brother found this book somewhere and gave it to me for my birthday. He said he saw the word "Arab" and knew how much I like them so he got this. About halfway through this nearly 400 page book I was ready to toss it aside because I was exasperated with how much time and money and energy has been used in trying to bring peace to this region! (Not to mention all the trees killed to write all those drafts and official treaties!)
The author is a former State Department historian, negotiator and analyst who worked for several administrations on creating treaties between the Arabs - mainly Palestinians but also Syrians were mentioned a number of times - and Israelis. He is an American Jew (and I was shocked with just how many other people in this process were Jewish), but not religious. The first section explores why Americans favor Israel. He speaks of the Jewish community and how Israel is like an insurance policy for them. He devotes much time to AIPAC and its influence on Congress and how it is highly influential in making US policy favorable to Israel and appropriating funds for the Jewish State. He also speaks of the conservative evangelicals who strongly support Israel. In one chapter he visits Jerry Falwell and later attends a night for Israel held at John Hagee's church in Texas. Pastor Hagee presented millions of dollars to Jewish organizations and had a program the author stated didn't mention Jesus Christ one time. This was about Jews and Israel after all. Jesus isn't so popular with that crowd.
The second section included rather long chapters on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter and James Baker - three men the author thought worked the most on Arab-Israeli peace. I felt I knew much more about these guys after reading those chapters. The last section dealt with presidential years - how the presidents like Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 dealt with the situation. He went into discussions of the various Israeli leaders and how the US presidents got along with them (or not). Another main player was Yasser Arafat and also mentioned several times was Hafez al-Assad from Syria. He was a tough guy with little room for negotiating. The author stated how weird it was that a man who lost ground in a war would come with such confidence that he wanted everything back. Perhaps the author believes what is lost in war is negotiable because, hey, you lost. I didn't take extensive notes, but did mark a few pages especially in the earlier section about small tribes and great nations.
In the later chapters the only thing I noted was during the 6 months between Rabin's murder and the next election in May 1996. The author admitted they did "all [they] could to ensure that Shimon Peres...won the election." Of course Benjamin Netanyahu did instead. This quote stuck out to me: "The idea that America doesn't sometimes interfere in Israel's politics is about as absurd as the notion that Israel doesn't meddle in ours." (pg. 267)
In the section on smaller tribes ... "Great powers...meddle in the affairs of small tribes at their own risk....Small powers can't always best you, but they can always outwit and outwait you." He uses the example of Vietnam, "a nation that has defeated the Chinese, French, and Americans. It's a fact of life: small guys who have a single-minded purpose and resolve can wear out and wear down big guys who may be focused for a time but are far from home with many other things to do." (pg. 45) He also gives the example of Iraq. (This book was published in 2008.)
"Smaller nations will do just about anything to survive and are not inclined to listen to or even trust advice offered by a distant power whose political and physical survival is not at stake. The ghosts of the past, made real by history's fears and traumas, speak louder than the untested promise of a brighter future offered by American diplomats." (pg. 37)
"Americans who recognize the galactic gap between a secure and confident America and the traumatized and insecure world of Israelis and Arabs fare best of all." (pg. 38)
"This region hates big ideas, certainly those offered up from outside and usually those from inside as well. ... Small tribes don't convert or transform easily. In fact, if there's any conversion, it's usually the other way around. The last three truly big ideas floating around out there - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - came from them, and they converted us." (pg. 38)
Thoughts?
 |
| When the Jewish State was created, many people's homes were stolen. |
My brother found this book somewhere and gave it to me for my birthday. He said he saw the word "Arab" and knew how much I like them so he got this. About halfway through this nearly 400 page book I was ready to toss it aside because I was exasperated with how much time and money and energy has been used in trying to bring peace to this region! (Not to mention all the trees killed to write all those drafts and official treaties!)
The author is a former State Department historian, negotiator and analyst who worked for several administrations on creating treaties between the Arabs - mainly Palestinians but also Syrians were mentioned a number of times - and Israelis. He is an American Jew (and I was shocked with just how many other people in this process were Jewish), but not religious. The first section explores why Americans favor Israel. He speaks of the Jewish community and how Israel is like an insurance policy for them. He devotes much time to AIPAC and its influence on Congress and how it is highly influential in making US policy favorable to Israel and appropriating funds for the Jewish State. He also speaks of the conservative evangelicals who strongly support Israel. In one chapter he visits Jerry Falwell and later attends a night for Israel held at John Hagee's church in Texas. Pastor Hagee presented millions of dollars to Jewish organizations and had a program the author stated didn't mention Jesus Christ one time. This was about Jews and Israel after all. Jesus isn't so popular with that crowd.
 |
| The organization that assures US support of Israel by controlling Congress. |
The second section included rather long chapters on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter and James Baker - three men the author thought worked the most on Arab-Israeli peace. I felt I knew much more about these guys after reading those chapters. The last section dealt with presidential years - how the presidents like Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43 dealt with the situation. He went into discussions of the various Israeli leaders and how the US presidents got along with them (or not). Another main player was Yasser Arafat and also mentioned several times was Hafez al-Assad from Syria. He was a tough guy with little room for negotiating. The author stated how weird it was that a man who lost ground in a war would come with such confidence that he wanted everything back. Perhaps the author believes what is lost in war is negotiable because, hey, you lost. I didn't take extensive notes, but did mark a few pages especially in the earlier section about small tribes and great nations.
In the later chapters the only thing I noted was during the 6 months between Rabin's murder and the next election in May 1996. The author admitted they did "all [they] could to ensure that Shimon Peres...won the election." Of course Benjamin Netanyahu did instead. This quote stuck out to me: "The idea that America doesn't sometimes interfere in Israel's politics is about as absurd as the notion that Israel doesn't meddle in ours." (pg. 267)
In the section on smaller tribes ... "Great powers...meddle in the affairs of small tribes at their own risk....Small powers can't always best you, but they can always outwit and outwait you." He uses the example of Vietnam, "a nation that has defeated the Chinese, French, and Americans. It's a fact of life: small guys who have a single-minded purpose and resolve can wear out and wear down big guys who may be focused for a time but are far from home with many other things to do." (pg. 45) He also gives the example of Iraq. (This book was published in 2008.)
 |
| These ghosts of the past make Israel a security blanket of sorts for the Jews. |
"Smaller nations will do just about anything to survive and are not inclined to listen to or even trust advice offered by a distant power whose political and physical survival is not at stake. The ghosts of the past, made real by history's fears and traumas, speak louder than the untested promise of a brighter future offered by American diplomats." (pg. 37)
"Americans who recognize the galactic gap between a secure and confident America and the traumatized and insecure world of Israelis and Arabs fare best of all." (pg. 38)
"This region hates big ideas, certainly those offered up from outside and usually those from inside as well. ... Small tribes don't convert or transform easily. In fact, if there's any conversion, it's usually the other way around. The last three truly big ideas floating around out there - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - came from them, and they converted us." (pg. 38)
Thoughts?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Where's Susanne?
My cousin posted this photo on Facebook awhile back. Oh the memories! It's cute seeing the family back when we gathered to celebrate my great-grandmother's birthday each October. Any guesses about which one is me?
Monday, June 20, 2011
River Pic, Father's Day, Mike to Camp, Book Talk
Samer shared this on Facebook a few days ago when he was walking by the Main River in Frankfurt.
How was your weekend? Father's Day was yesterday and I got together with my parents, siblings and their families. Of course we all had to love on Zach and Michael. Speaking of Michael, he is going to camp this week. He went last year for the first time and absolutely loved it! A whole week of spending time with his friends and having fun and learning about Jesus and buying Sour Punch candy at the canteen! What's not to love about that?
He is incredibly excited and has been looking forward to it for weeks! Have you read any good books lately? Any bad ones? Done any traveling? Watched any thrilling movies? I am making progress on my Christmas/Valentines/birthday books ever since I quit going to the library. Of the 18 books, I've only got 2 left to read! Yes, two! I did buy 3 more books earlier this month when I was ordering something on Amazon for a friend. I've read one of those. As I read one book, I often get suggestions for more from either the author's text or footnotes. (Thus Custer Died for Your Sins from my last post.) It's a never-ending cycle!
Maybe I can refrain from buying more books and after finishing these, I'll revisit the local library as there are several books I've made note of to get. Can you believe only a few years ago, I would read 98% fiction? Now it seems the opposite. Why have I changed thus?
OK, enough Monday morning ramblings. Have a great week!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
An American Indian's Thoughts on White People, Tribalism, US Culture, Churches
Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto by Vine Deloria, Jr. -- note: the author uses Indian to refer to himself and his people throughout the book when not speaking of specific tribes (e.g. Cherokee, Sioux, Seminole) so I will use Indian instead of Native American in this post, but do realize we are speaking of the inhabitants of present day United States and not the Asian country! I have questions for you at the bottom. Be thinking how you would reply to the author if you could and what lessons we can learn from his thoughts.
Andrew asked why I got this book and I think it was mentioned in the footnotes of a book I read earlier this year. I decided I wanted to read a book about Indians from an American Indian rather than a white author so I found this one on Amazon and received it for my birthday. I expected this book to be more about the wars between Indians and the white people who came to the United States. I expected Custer to play some role in the book (the title kind of conveys this) yet he only came up a couple of times. This "Custer died for your sins" thing was actually a bumper sticker "originally meant as a dig at the National Council of Churches" and which "referred to the Sioux Treaty of 1868 signed at Fort Laramie in which the United States pledged to give free and undisturbed use of the lands claimed by Red Cloud in return for peace. Under the covenants of the Old Testament, breaking a covenant called for a blood sacrifice for atonement. Custer was the blood sacrifice for the United States breaking the Sioux treaty." (pg. 148)
I knew the title was a rather clever play on words since most Christians say Jesus died for our sins. It's a bit weird and good reading this book just after Carl Medearis' Speaking of Jesus which stressed, well, our speaking more of Jesus and essentially not bringing western cultural baggage into the mix. Jesus wasn't a westerner and although many bad things have been done in the name of Christianity, Jesus never started this religion nor did he ever instruct us to go and make Christians out of people or compel them to join the Christian cause.
As I was reading this book I was heartbroken at times especially when I realized how different things could have been and could be if we acted like Jesus instead of going into situations as Christians bent on solving the Indian problem essentially turning these "savages" into respectable white people. As if that's what Jesus meant when he told us to go and share the good news with every creature! The disciples struggled with this. Do the Gentiles have to become Jews? Must they be circumcised? Essentially, must they be one of us, adopt our customs, follow our law in order to follow Jesus?
NO.
This book gave me a different perspective on tribes. Of course the Bible - the Old Testament - is full of tribe talk. There are the 12 tribes of Israel as main players after all. And, of course, I was familiar with Indian tribes. I've always loved the names and found them fascinating to say. Yet when I hear of tribes today, I think of conflicts in the Arab world and places like Afghanistan and Pakistan. I think of divisiveness (sectarianism) and narrow mindedness and keeping women down and exalting the almighty man. Saudi Arabia's tribal culture - rather than its religion - is often blamed for the things I don't like about that country. Sure there are a number of good things, but those tend to be overlooked when compared to honor killings and the importance of virginity in women and the control of parents over their daughters. Honestly it makes me feel smothered reading about such things.
Yet, this book helped me see tribes in a better light. How if there is a good hunting season, everyone eats. And if there is a bad hunting season, everyone suffers. There is not this hoarding of wealth and this great divide between the haves and the have nots. The author notes "each man must be judged according to his real self, not according to his wealth or educational prowess. Hence a holder of great wealth is merely selfish unless he has other redeeming qualities besides his material goods. Having a number of degrees and an impressive educational background is prerequisite to prestige in the white world. It is detrimental in the Indian world unless the person has the necessary wisdom to say meaningful things also." (pg. 233)
This book was published in 1969 during the era of hippies and black power movements. Hippies, the author notes, had shrugged off some of the prestige qualifiers of white culture yet he found fault with them for not adopting the things that make for good Indian prestige. Hippies were basically passing fads and out for publicity. The Indians often rejected the black power movements because equality meant the blacks would be equal to the whites. To Indians, equal meant sameness and they did not want to adopt 'white culture.' They were Indian and they had their own customs thus they refused to be 'white' no matter the effort government agencies and churches undertook to make them 'white.'
Speaking of 'white culture', Deloria says it's like a cancer. It destroys other cultures and the whites essentially have no culture except the violent culture they brought from Europe to the New World. He says when we cannot solve problems, we use violence - overkill - to stamp out our enemies. He says this country "has never made a successful peace because peace requires exchanging ideas, concepts, thoughts, and recognizing the fact that two distinct systems of life can exist together without conflict. Consider how quickly America seems to be facing its allies of one war as new enemies." "Violence is America's sweetheart," and America "alienates everyone who does not automatically love it." (pg. 256)
You can imagine how much love I felt reading this book, right? Yes, it's often painful to see ourselves through others' eyes yet we often need attention drawn to our blind spots and things we'd rather not consider. This book has definitely made me reflect on several issues - some serious ones like how Jesus, the wonderful person that he is, got so separated from people who claim to follow him (these "Christians"). Other issues perhaps not so serious, but still thought-provoking: do we 'white' folks really have no culture? Is violence really our "sweetheart" and why do we alienate people who don't love us? Why do we "overkill"?
Has this ever truly been a Christian nation? Or shall we once and for all separate the word "Christian" from "follower of Jesus" since there seems to be a huge divide between most Christian action and the actions of the Christ.
Thoughts? What do you think of tribalism? Do you tend to view it negatively, neutrally or positively? Why? What do you think of the author's view of white culture? Do you think white people have no culture? Do you agree with Deloria's thoughts on black power (equality = sameness)? This actually reminded me of Akbar Ahmed's thoughts that I expressed in this post about Barack Obama acting like the white presidents. Do you agree that we love violence? Why is this? Do you think we should separate Christianity in the US from Jesus? What took your attention from this post? How would you reply to this author if given the chance? Any lessons we can learn from Vine Deloria's thoughts?
I've already alluded to Deloria's disdain for the Christianity as shown by most churches. You should also hear his loathing for anthropologists and his views of Democrats and Republicans. I would share more, but this post is too long already.
Andrew asked why I got this book and I think it was mentioned in the footnotes of a book I read earlier this year. I decided I wanted to read a book about Indians from an American Indian rather than a white author so I found this one on Amazon and received it for my birthday. I expected this book to be more about the wars between Indians and the white people who came to the United States. I expected Custer to play some role in the book (the title kind of conveys this) yet he only came up a couple of times. This "Custer died for your sins" thing was actually a bumper sticker "originally meant as a dig at the National Council of Churches" and which "referred to the Sioux Treaty of 1868 signed at Fort Laramie in which the United States pledged to give free and undisturbed use of the lands claimed by Red Cloud in return for peace. Under the covenants of the Old Testament, breaking a covenant called for a blood sacrifice for atonement. Custer was the blood sacrifice for the United States breaking the Sioux treaty." (pg. 148)
I knew the title was a rather clever play on words since most Christians say Jesus died for our sins. It's a bit weird and good reading this book just after Carl Medearis' Speaking of Jesus which stressed, well, our speaking more of Jesus and essentially not bringing western cultural baggage into the mix. Jesus wasn't a westerner and although many bad things have been done in the name of Christianity, Jesus never started this religion nor did he ever instruct us to go and make Christians out of people or compel them to join the Christian cause.
As I was reading this book I was heartbroken at times especially when I realized how different things could have been and could be if we acted like Jesus instead of going into situations as Christians bent on solving the Indian problem essentially turning these "savages" into respectable white people. As if that's what Jesus meant when he told us to go and share the good news with every creature! The disciples struggled with this. Do the Gentiles have to become Jews? Must they be circumcised? Essentially, must they be one of us, adopt our customs, follow our law in order to follow Jesus?
NO.
This book gave me a different perspective on tribes. Of course the Bible - the Old Testament - is full of tribe talk. There are the 12 tribes of Israel as main players after all. And, of course, I was familiar with Indian tribes. I've always loved the names and found them fascinating to say. Yet when I hear of tribes today, I think of conflicts in the Arab world and places like Afghanistan and Pakistan. I think of divisiveness (sectarianism) and narrow mindedness and keeping women down and exalting the almighty man. Saudi Arabia's tribal culture - rather than its religion - is often blamed for the things I don't like about that country. Sure there are a number of good things, but those tend to be overlooked when compared to honor killings and the importance of virginity in women and the control of parents over their daughters. Honestly it makes me feel smothered reading about such things.
Yet, this book helped me see tribes in a better light. How if there is a good hunting season, everyone eats. And if there is a bad hunting season, everyone suffers. There is not this hoarding of wealth and this great divide between the haves and the have nots. The author notes "each man must be judged according to his real self, not according to his wealth or educational prowess. Hence a holder of great wealth is merely selfish unless he has other redeeming qualities besides his material goods. Having a number of degrees and an impressive educational background is prerequisite to prestige in the white world. It is detrimental in the Indian world unless the person has the necessary wisdom to say meaningful things also." (pg. 233)
This book was published in 1969 during the era of hippies and black power movements. Hippies, the author notes, had shrugged off some of the prestige qualifiers of white culture yet he found fault with them for not adopting the things that make for good Indian prestige. Hippies were basically passing fads and out for publicity. The Indians often rejected the black power movements because equality meant the blacks would be equal to the whites. To Indians, equal meant sameness and they did not want to adopt 'white culture.' They were Indian and they had their own customs thus they refused to be 'white' no matter the effort government agencies and churches undertook to make them 'white.'
Speaking of 'white culture', Deloria says it's like a cancer. It destroys other cultures and the whites essentially have no culture except the violent culture they brought from Europe to the New World. He says when we cannot solve problems, we use violence - overkill - to stamp out our enemies. He says this country "has never made a successful peace because peace requires exchanging ideas, concepts, thoughts, and recognizing the fact that two distinct systems of life can exist together without conflict. Consider how quickly America seems to be facing its allies of one war as new enemies." "Violence is America's sweetheart," and America "alienates everyone who does not automatically love it." (pg. 256)
You can imagine how much love I felt reading this book, right? Yes, it's often painful to see ourselves through others' eyes yet we often need attention drawn to our blind spots and things we'd rather not consider. This book has definitely made me reflect on several issues - some serious ones like how Jesus, the wonderful person that he is, got so separated from people who claim to follow him (these "Christians"). Other issues perhaps not so serious, but still thought-provoking: do we 'white' folks really have no culture? Is violence really our "sweetheart" and why do we alienate people who don't love us? Why do we "overkill"?
Has this ever truly been a Christian nation? Or shall we once and for all separate the word "Christian" from "follower of Jesus" since there seems to be a huge divide between most Christian action and the actions of the Christ.
Thoughts? What do you think of tribalism? Do you tend to view it negatively, neutrally or positively? Why? What do you think of the author's view of white culture? Do you think white people have no culture? Do you agree with Deloria's thoughts on black power (equality = sameness)? This actually reminded me of Akbar Ahmed's thoughts that I expressed in this post about Barack Obama acting like the white presidents. Do you agree that we love violence? Why is this? Do you think we should separate Christianity in the US from Jesus? What took your attention from this post? How would you reply to this author if given the chance? Any lessons we can learn from Vine Deloria's thoughts?
I've already alluded to Deloria's disdain for the Christianity as shown by most churches. You should also hear his loathing for anthropologists and his views of Democrats and Republicans. I would share more, but this post is too long already.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)