Home » Archives » April 2006 » We should not be fooled by new age mantras into believing that humanity is somehow inherently good, says Theo Hobson
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04/08/2006:
"We should not be fooled by new age mantras into believing that humanity is somehow inherently good, says Theo Hobson"
You ought to be ashamed of yourself. This is the message of Lent, and it is a basic part of Christian belief. There is an absolute difference between God, who is absolutely good, and us, who are defined by our endless fallibility.This is where Christianity differs from the myriad "spiritualities" on offer today. Every form of new age therapy will tell you the same flattering half-truth: you are special, you are deep, you can attain fuller inner peace and strength, and you can discover the divine by deepened self-awareness. There is an obvious overlap between holistic spirituality and a consumerist culture: buy this because you're worth it. Express yourself, with the help of this new product. Discover new depths to your personality by taking a holiday in Turkey.
All this celebration of the self is rooted in the Enlightenment belief in the natural goodness of humanity. It also draws on Romanticism, for it suggests that one's natural goodness is not "standard issue" but totally distinctive: it must be discovered through a unique inner journey. "Discover your unique inner goodness" is perhaps the central message of the age. And there is an increasing appetite to receive this message in spiritual form, in the language of belief. The growth of such spirituality has put the concept of secularisation in doubt: it still makes sense in terms of church decline but fails to account for the rise of the alternative religious market.
The cult of self-development is not entirely to be rubbished. There are worse myths to live by. It generally emphasises mental and physical health, quiet reflection, respect for others of all types and the freedom of the individual to find his or her own path in life. There is plenty of good here. There is much to be said for the rejection of authoritarian structures, moral rules, the dead hand of traditional dogma.
Yet the cult of self-celebration is based in a lie. And Lent is the nailing of that lie. The lie is that we can, with the right formulas and techniques, nurture our inner goodness. But in reality we are not naturally good. There is something wrong with us, deep down. There is a bias towards evil. This perhaps sounds melodramatic, but that is the fault of our unfamiliarity with our religious tradition. It used to be taken for granted in Christian cultures that we are constitutionally flawed. Our natural desire is not holy but dangerous.
...The lie that our natural desires are healthy has become the orthodoxy. To question it is to seem medieval, odd, reactionary, guilt-ridden. But we must question it if we are to have a substantial idea of goodness, or God. The whole point of the Christian God is that he is better than us, that we are lost without him. He does for humanity what it cannot do for itself. Christianity is capable of being utterly realistic about our natural depravity, without pessimism. It allows us, at Easter especially, to proclaim our frailty and shame as good news.
guardian.co.uk
This is one of the places Christianity goes off the track. It is amazing how a mistaken idea can unleash such evil consequences all down the history. The struggle to characterize 'human nature' is at the heart of all the struggles we face. For people with a 'bias towards evil' and 'natural depravity' need strong-arm leaders to control them, and 'supernatural' forces to 'save' them. Remember the sign outside Springfield Methodist Church on "The Simpsons"? 'Sunday Sermon...The Miracle of Shame.'
Ancient pyramid found under crucifixion site
Archaeologists claim to have discovered a massive sixth century pyramid beneath a crucifixion re-enactment site.
Built by the Teotihuacans, the pyramid was abandoned almost 1,000 years before Catholics began re-enacting the crucifixion at Iztapalapa in 1833 to give thanks for protection during a cholera epidemic.
During the Good Friday ritual, which now draws up to a million spectators, a wooden cross is raised and a man chosen to portray Christ is tied to the cross.
