The Song Remains the Same (and it is discordant)

Last updated on: May 26, 2016 at 2:56 pm by Pat Green

The Song Remains the Same (and it is discordant) 2016-05-26T14:56:54-05:00 Pat Green

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.

One of my favorite movies is Mr Smith Goes to Washington. It is a story about a man who believes in a process (democracy and the constitution) and is given an opportunity to serve that belief he holds precious as a senator. In short time he learns the power brokers that represent the ideals he holds dear are corrupt and will do anything to silence him for their own selfish interests. In the movie you see that they will even hire thugs to hurt children.

When I was in high school I learned swiftly how popularity and cliques work to harm people. I would learn this lesson again as a minister. I would learn this lesson again in the secular world.

When I was a progressive pastor I used to argue with my skeptic friends about a great many things. I have recanted and redacted many positions I used to hold to in those arguments save one. If we eliminate religion from the face of this earth, we will experience a better planet. One without humans hurting others. My contention is that we will not and this position is incorrect. It is not the religion that makes good men and women act in ways that harm others. That is often just the excuse used to harm others. Remove that justification and we will replace it with a new excuse. We will call it logic and reason if we have no deity to justify our avarice. I still hold to that and I am seeing it happen almost every day in the atheist blogoshere and podcast arena right now. I see people in power circle the wagons and harm others.

I have heard many secular people say so many beautiful things that have been their draw toward humanism and parts of the atheist community. I have heard many christian converts say the same about their traditions. These people who are looking for something find it in promises and belonging and they see hope. The thing that often shatters that hope every single time is when they are given a seat to the table on a board or in a group. When they try to live those ideals, they see the corrupt leaders who enjoy ruling their little fiefdoms react poorly. Should they do something that those “leaders” feel threatened by, men and women like Jeff Smith and Clarissa Saunders will feel the wrath and power of the Jim Taylor’s of the world and feel the harsh betrayal of Senator Paine (Characters from Mr Smith Goes to Washington).

When I was a taxi driver I saw this hit me in the face once. Well, more than once, but this is the story. I was picking up a couple at a country club. It was a husband and wife. The husband was a local hero. A high profile figure. He was drunk and I saw his true colors. He spoke of his volunteers in horrible ways. These were people I knew. He spoke to his wife in what is clearly an abusive manner. To take the heat off her for a few minutes I engaged him in discussion. With his guard down he spoke of all the advantages he and his inner circle get and he bragged about how he shut out some “boy scout” that got too close to and did not understand how things worked. This was not a church or a government or a humanist affair, but it is an organization that helps people who are vulnerable in society and have needs that deserve better than this man. I do not know what his faith or philosophy is. I can tell you he is greedy and betrays the ideals of the group he is in charge of. His kind is common and they are almost never found in the audience, they are usually found on a board or trying a little too hard to get on the board.

As a parent of a GLBT teen, I have seen the excuses people who say and do horrible things that affect him and his rights hide behind. Sometimes it is their understanding of god and other times it is their understanding of reason. As a friend of many women I have seen the misogyny that exists and the excuses used to defend the horrific behavior that threatens the safety and equality of women.

Towards the end of the aforementioned movie, you see Mr Smith making his final stand. He is a good man and he is losing and the tough as nails streetwise reporter Clarissa screams for him to stop. She can no longer bear to witness a true believer in a system suffer at the hands of the corrupt any longer.

In life I have been the puppet to the corrupt. I have also served as the true believer in an ideal standing alone until I fall. Finally, I have also been the one who watches someone making their stand helpless to stop the bludgeoning.

These roles have happened as conservative christian, a progressive christian and as a secular humanist. The song remains the same and it is discordant.

I will not write directly on some of the goings on currently. Some readers know the minefield I am tap dancing near and others do not. Just know this, the boy-scouts and girl-scouts of the world need us. The ideals they reflect are the best of us. The power-brokers that would silence them are the worst of us and betray the beauty of what we try to embrace.

In every ism I tried to embrace, I was compelled by the beauty and repelled by the ugly corruption. We are all common stardust. That is not only true, but it is beautiful. When the powerful call some of us less, they are wrong. Their reason is flawed and corrupt.

Personally, I need Mr Smith to stand strong. I need Cool Hand Luke to not be broken. I need Neil Carter and Gretta Vosper to not fall under the weight of the corrupt and the small. That is not the world we live in, but it should be. If you believe in principle. If you believe in equality. If you are inspired by your ism or ist or ology to be better, then do it. Know that the opposing ism or ist or ology is not the only hurdle, it will also be the discordant and the corrupt within your tribe that will oppose you as well. Stand anyway.

Previous Post

May 20, 2016

Leaving the Nest

Next Post

May 30, 2016 What Do Politics Have to Do with Meaning and Purpose in Life?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Ableism Activism Addiction and Recovery Agnosticism Anti-intellectualism Arts Atheism Beauty Catholicism Charles Darwin Children China Christianity Church/State separation churchgoing communication compassionate humanism Creationism critical thinking Culture death disaster response doubt education Egypt Entertainment Environment ethics evolution Existence of God Exploration fear Foundation Beyond Belief Free speech God Health History Human rights humanism identity India Interfaith Islam labels Language LGBT Love Meaning Media Medicine Middle East misconceptions mixed belief marriage Moral argument Morality Myths Near-Death Experience Nonreligious parenting Parody Persecution complex Philosophy Poetry Politics prayer Psychology Rationality Religion religious atheists Religious privilege Republican Party Satire Schools science secular parenting Spirituality The Unpigeonholeables Uncategorized United Kingdom Wonder

Select a Month March 2021 August 2020 March 2020 January 2020 September 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 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 June 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the name of the first murderer in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Esau Cain Lamech Ishmael