If someone told you God spoke to him and told him to plant his tomatoes on a certain day, what would you think of him? Be honest. Would you think, "Wow, what a truly righteous man?" Or would you think, "Wow, what a kook?"
Obviously, it does not matter why he he chose to plant his tomatoes on one day or another. Whether he heard the voice of God or simply had a dream about planting his garden inspired by eating pizza really late at night, who really cares?
But what if he claims God told him to offer his unwed daughter to a group of men looking for an orgy? Or if he claims that God told him to kill his son? Would you simply assume that God would never tell anyone to do such heinous things to his children? If you assume that, you'd be making an assumption directly in contravention of the Old Testament, BTW.
Or would you assume he was mentally ill? If so, why? Why is it believable that God told Lot to offer up his daughter for an orgy and told Abraham to kill his son, but not believable that God told Brian David Mitchell to take Elizabeth Smart as his wife?
Apprently, there is some concern that people might believe Mitchell is a prophet because Elizabeth Smart has been questioned in such a way to establish that Mitchell was "not religious" and would receive revelations rather "conveniently" to permit him to take actions he wanted to take. (Huh. Not sure what that testimony proves.)
[Before I go further, let me make it clear that I think Mitchell's abduction, rape, and brainwashing of Elizabeth Smart was a cruel and sadistic crime. I have no sympathy for him, mentally ill or not. He needs to be separated from normal society forever as he is, IMO, a threat to young girls. Whether he belongs in a mental institution or a prison, I leave to the jurors and judge.]
My point is this: because of centuries old teachings and religious beliefs, we continue to believe that God spoke to his people and told them to do cruel things: kill entire villages (genocides), sacrifice their children, commit genital mutilation, stone and beat people for minor offenses like weaving the wrong materials together, etc. Take a good read of the Old Testament if you have forgotten. Do you believe that God commanded these things or not? If so, why is it so easy to just discard the word of seemingly devout believers today who claim to hear directly from God just because they don't lead a large international church?
Why do we accept that the leaders of mainstream churches - Catholic, LDS, Baptist, various Pentecostal denominations, etc. - "hear" God's voice and are speaking with His authority while calling people like David Koresh and Brian Mitchell "crazy?"
If I advocate something completely false and harmful, while claiming I am speaking on behalf of God, I would be labelled crazy or mentally ill or delusional or some such thing (even if I am a licensed minister). But when the Catholic church perpetuates the lie in Africa that condom use actually causes the spread of AIDS, no one does anything to interfere because it is "religion."
Religion can bring comfort and peace to a worried mind, it can bring solidarity to a group in need of community and support, and it can be the blue pill we swallow that perpetuates the most absurd and harmful delusions.
The Bible refers to people frequently as "sheep." Are you a sheep? Do you bleat when the wolf gets too close and makes you uncomfortable? Do you look to the bellwether to follow his lead? Or are you a thinking, rational human being who recognizes that YOU SHOULD NOT JUST STEP IN LINE BECAUSE SOMEONE CLAIMS HE (OR SHE) HEARD GOD'S VOICE? Work it out for yourself. Don't be a sheep. At best, sheep get sheared. At worst, sheep get butchered.
Whoa. I had to read this a few times, as usual, because Heather - you are too damn smart for your own good!!! :) A fascinating way of looking at this Brian David Mitchell situation, for sure. Since the beginning of time, heinous crimes against man and society have been committed in the name of God and religion.
ReplyDeleteI love the sheep analogy. I will be 30 years old next week, and the older I get, the LESS and LESS I would consider myself in the sheep category. I feel like not only should I question, try to find reason and understand things for myself - but it is my DUTY to do so, as a human, as Juliann, as a mother, etc. The problem is this: I am part of a culture and society (my church) that doesn't tend to question, research, investigate or want to know for myself. I just had a conversation last night about a "hot topic" in the church and in society in general, and because I have not chosen to go with the general consensus of everyone else, I am seen as "extreme" or "liberal" or "worldly". In actuality, it's none of the above. I just believe in putting conscious thought, reason, logic and effort into everything possible in life, including the things that seem rather clear-cut to some. I feel like the black sheep, actually. I don't intend to always call things into question, but as I said, the older I get, the more I want to know for MYSELF. I don't want to be a follower, I wanted to be an educated, informed and responsible follower at times, and at other times, an educated, informed and responsible leader.
Thanks, Heather, for always making me think. I love it.
Juliann,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Don't be offended by being called "worldly" or "liberal." I think those are compliments.
Thinking and figuring things out for yourself will, IMO, only make your church (as well as yourself) stronger.
Fewer sheep, more rational thought!
This reminds me of a newspaper cartoon I saw once and wish I still had. It was of an entire herd of sheep up on a cliff just 'following the leader' right OFF the cliff. Close enough to the edge, but far enough to be safe was one sheep going the opposite direction. The thought bubble above his head read, "Um, excuse me, excuse me, please." lol
ReplyDeleteI don't even think it pertains only to religion. Society and social norms a lot of times, unfortunately lead us right off a cliff and people tend to follow what is seemingly acceptable to the masses.
Yep, we need to THINK. Most people are just programmed by their communities, parents, religious leaders and teachings to believe a certain way. And as some of us get older and actually step to the side and use our brains... we might discover that a lot of the things we were taught simply don't actually make sense.
Why run off the cliff with the rest of the followers when I have my very own brain to use?
People shouldn't make excuses for their poor behavior. Brian David Mitchell very well may be making the best excuse he possibly can in order to LIVE. Maybe it's in an institution for crazy people, but maybe he's smart enough to realize that will probably be better than prison.
Either way, I agree he needs to be put away, where he can't harm anyone ever again.