Santa, The Easter Bunny, Gods – Critical Thinking and Mythological Ritual

April 15th, 2012   by   Andrew

Part of the series God: From Magic to Motivation

This is an unfinished post. It contains one of the most important videos I may have ever posted (part of a Joseph Campbell interview). I think I’m trying to say Santa and the Easter Bunny may be understood as attempts to correct some of the inconsistencies surrounding our use of ‘beliefs’ (whatever assistance ‘beliefs’ may have given to our rapid flourishing and this 10 000-year-old thought-experiment).

Dale McGowan of The Meming of Life  has a great story about how his youngest child figured out “the truth” about Santa. His youngest daughter loved Santa. But this winter, she got bit by the bug – she just had to know. She kept asking questions, kept testing and probing to see how certain inconsistent things weren’t adding up. Dale McGowan refers to it as reaching a tipping point between the desire to believe and the desire to know.

His response to his daughter’s momentary disappointment with reality was to praise her process of thinking and reinforce the feeling of pride for figuring things out for herself.

The tradition of Christmas may be a little different next year, but it looks like even his youngest daughter wants to still participate in the holiday fun. In McGowan’s words, “all the fun, all the family stuff, the presents, the yummy food, the lights and music and doing nice things for other people — we still get to have ALL of that. But now you know where it all really comes from.”

By allowing our children to participate in the Santa myth and find their own way out of it through skeptical inquiry, we give them a priceless opportunity to see a mass cultural illusion first from the inside, then from the outside.

Joseph Campbell explains a similar but more confrontational ritual that came about partly from our long years of mythological consciousness:

The young person becomes a responsible member of the community by facing up to the greatest fear and the possibility of loss, and then adopting the constructed masks themselves.

My niece has figured out “the truth” about the Easter Bunny. She is reluctant to say anything out loud, but this year she was insistent about asking her mom if she could “help with the eggs.” Her desire is not to run to her younger brother and tell him. He is still quite young and would not likely understand. Instead, she wants to take part in the ritual, but with the added responsibility and duties of the adults.

Something often shared amongst ministers is the serious joke: “No one should get through seminary believing in God.” It’s a comment about how the simple, or in Campbell’s words, infantile understanding of the world can’t survive direct and bare exposure to the frightening reality and complexity of “the truth.” And in fighting with that Mask of God in that academic environment, they are supposedly becoming worthy of the masks themselves, responsible enough to wear a constructed mask and bring their congregations to that wrestling match with God.

Here’s my question – kids come to understand “the truth” about Santa and the Easter Bunny realtively early. Often enough the reaction is to adopt or participate in the adult’s side of the ritual. And often enough, the family tradition adapts to fit the new situation, the now-shared information. Entrance to seminary or college usually takes place in the late teens or in full adulthood. But isn’t it really the same ritual, just dressed up in a different aesthetic?

And if that’s the case, then what does this mean for “belief”?

The most important thing in all these traditions seems to be the moment the mask comes off. Could this ritual not be adopted once again? Or is it?

What do you think?

Final word from Dale McGowan this time:

“I wouldn’t have mythed it for the world.”

 

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Posted in art, Behaviour, Belief, Beyond Belief, dragons, god, myth, psychology, Religion, story | 4 Comments »


“How do you mean?”

December 7th, 2010   by   Andrew

“How do you do?”
“Fine thanks. And yourself?”
“Good, thank you. So…”

I have never been comfortable with the usual rituals of greeting. It’s my own anti-social quirk. Somewhere in the history of my ancestors a grunt sufficed to let another person know they were recognized and welcomed. I wonder sometimes if that’s about as far as my social adaptation has come. Other people might go through the script without concern or care, but it has never reached the automatic parts of my brain. I tend to stop somewhere around “Fine.” Maybe “Fine thanks.”

It isn’t meant to be an insult if I don’t ask “And yourself?” However, people do put on a disappointed expression. Yer supposed to ask me back so I can say “Fine” too! Come on. Some people are surprised at having to come out of their automatic brain and into an aware and unsettled brain.

But in all honesty, I don’t want to hear that you are fine. I already know that without asking you. If I want to know something about you, I’ll ask, and I’ll be looking for something with meaning.

To compensate I’ve tried creativity. “Fine” is as good as any word, but there is more sound to it than meaning. I do believe “fine” has become an almost empty container. So I rotate through a few lines, some fresh and new and in search of meaning. And sometimes I just look for a good place to start a conversation.

“How are you?”

“Just tickity-boo.”
“Well, I’m still breathing…”
“Better than the average bore.”

Reactions mix from eye-rolls to apathy to head-tilts to snorts. Occasionally there might be a tug on the line.  “What do you mean?” Ok, let’s see where this goes…

Change isn’t everyone’s game. But sometimes, just sometimes, you find someone that wants to play along and escape the emptiness of automatic rituals. Words are stretchy, like our minds.

Shane, A blogger friend of mine, has taken on the project of developing a compatibility layer in Christianity for Atheists. He calls it the Church of Jesus Christ Atheist (he is in my blogroll—>). He seems to think that the term Christian could apply to pretty much anyone that has taken to heart some moral lesson from Jesus –  regardless of belief, religious orientation or textual commitment. The word Christian already has many meanings attached to it, after all.

I’m doing a similar thing. I think the word god can be redefined without any appeal to supernatural forces or sacred texts.

In the future, I believe everyone will tire of the automatic greetings. “Fine” might be fine for now, but people want more meaning in their lives than that. If we keep putting layer upon layer of meanings into our words, at some point we will need to become very very careful with words. Even in our everyday conversations.

The greetings of tomorrow will not be “fine.” It can’t mean enough. In order to communicate with each other we will need to first figure out what layer we are on, what parts of the brain we are using.

We can’t go back to the gruntings of our forebears, even if I sometimes wish we could.

“Are you conscious?” sounds a little cruel and might sway into sarcasm.

“What level are you on?” sounds too much like a video game or something. It needs more context.

I propose, “How do you mean?”

It’s very close to “How do you do?”  but can’t really be answered with “I’m fine.” It’s patiently looking for an explanation or a story. I worry that the obvious automatic reaction might become the norm — “I mean well, thank you.”

I wonder what the world would be like if everyone meant well, thank you, rather than was fine, thank you.

What is giving you meaning in your life? What are you thinking about?


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Resources for Parents: A Prayer to Self

August 30th, 2010   by   Andrew


One of the things that bothers me most about atheists, agnostics, skeptics and general-non-believers is their lack of (serious) community ritual. De-baptism by blow-dryer may have a role in promoting awareness, but it doesn’t seem spiritually uplifting…

I mean, they may very well have a workable and very plausible worldview, (I wore the agnostic badge for quite a while until recently converting to anti-label-ism) but what practices are in place to bind communities together and assist individuals in become morally better people? And let’s be fair — blogging doesn’t necessarily count!

Do these same skeptics trust a government-run public education system to guide their children into being well-socialized, ethically aware members of the community? Is the community social club or the kids’ little league enough?

P.Z. Meyers put together an atheist creed a few years ago which is beautiful in its thoughtfulness, humility and simplicity. I especially appreciate that it is AN atheist creed, and not the atheist creed. However, the irony produced from atheists dipping into the creed-business while churches are questioning, editing, abandoning and repenting over their own does need to be examined.

I believe in time,
matter, and energy,
which make up the whole of the world.

I believe in reason, evidence and the human mind,
the only tools we have;
they are the product of natural forces
in a majestic but impersonal universe,
grander and richer than we can imagine,
a source of endless opportunities for discovery.

I believe in the power of doubt;
I do not seek out reassurances,
but embrace the question,
and strive to challenge my own beliefs.

I accept human mortality.
We have but one life,
brief and full of struggle,
leavened with love and community,
learning and exploration,
beauty and the creation of
new life, new art, and new ideas.

I rejoice in this life that I have,
and in the grandeur of a world that preceded me,
and an earth that will abide without me.

My only real criticism of this statement is about the arrangement of word-choice  — it starts with “I” and ends with  “me”. “Community” appears only once.  We all go through stages of being self-obsessed and even self-possessed, but how about we try to grow a little beyond this if we are to come to some better ends? If there is change to be made, let it only begin with “me”.

Some non-believers are offended by prayer. They liken it to talking to imaginary friends or to using exclusive language that perpetuates the ingroup/outgroup barriers.

But ritual is important. If you don’t consciously choose your rituals, and the language of your rituals, they get chosen for you. The morning coffee is a clear example. Television and advertising is a way-too dominant example.

Prayer is as much talking to yourself, giving yourself guidance, as it is any sort of  call out to the unknown. Sometimes your own voice, your own thoughts, can help you be conscious of the moment and conscious of the choices you have when it comes to behaviour.

A common mantra on faithless blogs is the idea of being “good without gods”. I want to help with part of this. I don’t really care if you use a god or not, if you need a god or not. This is about being good, and getting better.

Here is an offering, something I believe could be universal. Months ago I wrote a review of a book by Gretta Vosper, “With or Without God.” This is a prayer from the book,  cleared of all supernatural elements but still designed to inspire change within the individual.

As I live every day,
I want to be a channel for peace.
May I bring love where there is hatred
and healing where there is hurt;
joy where there is sadness
and hope where there is fear.
I pray that I may always try
to understand and comfort other people
as well as seeking comfort and understanding
from them.
Wherever possible, may I choose to be
a light in the darkness,
a help in times of need,
and a caring, honest friend.
and may justice, kindness, and peace
flow from my heart forever,
Amen.

If a child said this each day and understood what the words meant, what would be the effect? Is there anything in this prayer that would offend a non-believer? Is there anything in this prayer that would offend a believer? Can this still be called a prayer?

Maybe that last word,  “Amen” is still too strong. We can edit that out. In fact, we can edit lots of things. That’s one of the rewards of challenging your own beliefs (I think Meyers might even agree with that).

What rituals do you have that help you move from being good to being better?


Take care. I won’t say my prayers are with you, but my thoughts are of you. All ways.


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Confucianism – Dignity in Ritual

March 5th, 2010   by   Andrew

There is a Monty Python skit that pits the intellectual giants of Ancient Greece against the intense philosophers of 18th and 19th century Germany in a soccer match [or football match, for the European surfers out there]. The ref is K’ung Fu Tzu (Confucius) and his two linesmen are St. Augustine and St. Aquinas.

Here’s the youtube clip. I’ll give the ending away, the Greeks win (and the part played by Confucius is kind of small).

The job of referee is quite appropriate really. Confucius was a teacher and later a judicial minister in China around 500 BCE. Interestingly enough, Lao-Tse, Confucius and Buddha all lived and taught around this same time. It kind of fits that the three practices should work well enough together so swimmingly. Like the other two, Confucianism is often considered more of a philosophy rather than a religion.

Confucius was somewhat fixated on personal morality and the use of political power by a nation’s rulers. There are six virtues taught in the Confucian school or morality:

Li – ritual manners, a way of showing respect

Hsiao – family-oriented love between parents and children

Yi – righteousness

Xin – honesty

Chung – loyalty, especially to community or even state

Jen – kindness or gifts out of generosity (possibly the highest virtue, if we were to make a hierarchy from them)

Through the practice of these virtues the individual could function well in society without having to be punished for transgressions against the law. Confucious was particularly interested in the smooth, maybe even efficient, running of society.

.

Ritual and order make up a great deal of Confucianism. One saying attributed to Confucius goes like this, “If the mat is not straight, the Master does not sit.”

(Awfully serious, and a touch anal-retentive, eh? Must be his teachery background. But hey, it works. People need order and respect in their lives, otherwise life can get really annoying…)

A lot of pithy little proverbs are attributed to Confucius. They are worth conscious consideration even though many have become part of the background noise of advice that each of us receives through the public domain of general conversation.

Here are some examples:

Ability will never catch up with the demand for it. – Confucius

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.- Confucius

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.- Confucius

Please check out more of his proverbs here or through searches on the interwebs.

For a more in-depth look into some of the writings, this site might be a good primer.

And of course, there is religioustolerance.org

As well, a recent search has offered up this good resource for quick summaries of the world religions

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