Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Cosmos The In Lost

Home
Catholic
Why Must God Hate the American Dream?

Why Must God Hate the American Dream?

Last updated on: January 17, 2017 at 12:19 pm by Artur Rosman

Why Must God Hate the American Dream? 2017-01-17T12:19:12-07:00 Artur Rosman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why must we choose between God and the American Dream? (Joachim Patinir, Crossing the River Styx, c. 1480; Source: Wiki Commons, PD-Old-100).

The American Dream is making a comeback. Trump channeled it with the Make America Great Again slogan. Then Clinton followed his lead by projecting the greatness we’ll lose if we elect Trump. Then there was the Obama nostalgia when everyone had the epiphany that all those years after 2008 were a utopia compared to what’s coming around the bend. Then yesterday most of us bumped up against MLK’s dream speech, which is a more biblically weighty argument about a botched promise to African-Americans.

But what can the Bible do for our country? Perhaps not much, because, as Barth’s The Word of God and the Word of Man would have it, the Bible itself is its own strange new country?

We are to attempt to find an answer to the question, What is there within the Bible? What sort of house is it to which the Bible is the door? What sort of country is spread before our eyes when we throw the Bible open?

It’s weird and un-American country. You’d notice at least this much if you’ve been following the Liturgy of Hours of late.

The American Dream is all about making material prosperity available to all. I freaked out when I read in Fabrice Hadjadj’s new book The Resurrection, that God not only hates money, but money is main rival. Then last week in the Hours I read this stark opposition:

Lead me down the path of your commandments,
for that is the path I desire.
Turn my heart towards your precepts…
and away from the pursuit of wealth.

Point to Hadjadj. I lose, as does America.

Furthermore, the Bible dumbly doesn’t appreciate the invaluable role played by wealth producers in the creation of the American Dream:

The rich are hungry and in want,
but for those who seek the Lord
there is no lack of good things.

Michael Novak once compared capitalism, the driving engine of the American Dream, to Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. It looks like he was wrong. [Nonetheless, I seem to have read that Novak, the theologian of American capitalism, needs your prayers because of severe health problems. Lend the man your praying hands].

It is part of the American Dream to do as you damn well please, because you know best, and not be bothered. Privacy is important for this, but the Bible doesn’t care:

The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets? I, the Lord, search to the heart, I probe the loins, to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve.

Those leaves seem to leave us exposed like the Second Adam anyway, don’t the they?

So maybe at least God could leave our kids alone to happily flourish?

Come, children, listen to me:
I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.

Oh my, that’s something they surely won’t be learning even in private Catholic schools!

Is there anything more un-American than terrorism? Then why does the God of the Bible look so much like a . . . ?

You bring terror and no-one will stand up to you
when your anger is roused.
…From the heavens you have made your judgement known:
the earth trembled and lay still
when God rose up to give judgement
to save all the humble of the world.
For the rage of man will proclaim your greatness
and the remnants of that rage will make a festival for you.
Make vows to the Lord and fulfil them.
Let all around bring gifts to the God of Terror,
to him who takes away the breath of princes
and brings terror to the kings of the earth.

Well, that’s disappointing from an American standpoint. God is not so much on the side of the terrorists, as much as God is a terrorist against the rich and prosperous like ourselves.

Choose wisely as you prepare to cross the Styx.

As you do so remember there’s no denying that God hates the American Dream. And these passages above are only the tip of the iceberg. If you want to read more along these lines you might take a look at William T. Cavanaugh’s Field Hospital: The Church’s Engagement with a Wounded World.

I would like to note that I’m not singling out the American Dream here, because God seems to generally hate flags.

For those of you feeling rejected:

If you’re feeling apocalyptic disappointment after reading these passage from the Bible, then you might want to take a look at, The Jonah Paradox: Is Humanity Living on Borrowed Time?

Consider making a donation to this blog through the donation button on the upper right side of its homepage. Many thanks to all the souls who have already done so, or plan to do so in the future.

Stay in touch! Like Cosmos the in Lost on Facebook:

Cosmos the in Lost

Previous Post

January 11, 2017

Zygmunt Bauman Goes to Eternity from Liquid Modernity

Next Post

January 18, 2017 Have You Tried Shutting Up?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #WhyRemainCatholic Abortion Advent Anti-Catholicism Arts Atheism Beauty Benedict XVI Bible Book Review Catholic Cinema Comedy Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey Czesław Miłosz Dariusz Karłowicz Devil Easter Eastern Orthodoxy Economics Environment Family Famous Atheists Who Weren't Atheists Guest Post Hans Urs von Balthasar HHS Mandate History Imagination Interview Islam Jean-Luc Marion John Paul II Judaism Just War Lent Literature Little Sisters of the Poor Liturgy Martyrdom Music News Paganism Patristics Phenomenology Philosophy Pierre Hadot Poetry Poland Pop Culture Pope Francis Poverty Prayer Protestantism Rabelais Race Remi Brague Rene Girard Russia Sam Rocha Science & Religion SCOTUS Secularization Sexual Abuse Sexuality Silence Solidarity Stratford Caldecott Synod14 Terrorism Top 10 Uncategorized Walker Percy War Weakened Edition World War II World Youth Day WYD Krakow

Select a Month July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What happened to the prophet Elijah at the end of his life?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Taken to heaven in a whirlwind Killed by Jezebel Died of old age Buried by Elisha