I watched ‘The Untouchables’, the movie about Elliott Ness and the conviction of Al Capone. Prohibition was, of course, a failure, admitted by both opponents and supporters. It repealed in 1933. While in effect, it did almost nothing to curb the use of alcoholic drinks. Instead, it fueled organized crime and backwoods production, as well as offshore drinking boats and smuggling for personal use.
Similar issues confront our society with drugs and prostitution. Both are illegal. Both are strongly associated with crime, extra-national importation and low-level, individual production (meth labs, pot farms and individual street hookers). Both activities continue to flourish, despite high profile arrests from time to time.
Prohibition grew out of the Christian Women’s Temperance movement. This developed in the 1870s, and took nearly 50 years to gain its goal of outlawing alcoholic drinks, a two to three generation lag being common in the spread of social ideas. Our nation’s discomfort with physical pleasures (or vices, depending on their use) is certainly Christian based, as it is throughout the west. In its beginnings, Christians were a small movement, within which standards of behavior different from the society around them could be readily attained. Christians wanted and needed to distinguish themselves from other religious values of the times, which included ritual sexual activity and drinking as well as animal sacrifice.
Christian social values are much harder to apply broadly. Not everyone is interested, and it is impossible to apply the ideal of celibacy to an entire society- it ceases to exist. I have argued that self control is a virtue in talking a bit about Satanism. Complete denial, however, is not readily obtainable for most people. Should it be?
One fundamental Christian argument is that Adam, in defying God, tainted all of Man with ‘original sin’. We have sinful natures, and require the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus for salvation. This argument has always been weak for me. First, it creates a duality between spirit and flesh that is in part correct, but in large part is dysfunctional. It presumes the flesh can defy the spirit, whereas, short of automatons, the flesh only does what the spirit desires and inspires. Second, it means that Man can thwart the plans of God. This conflicts with an all powerful, all knowing God. Last, it makes all fleshly desires evil.
Not all fleshly desire is evil, and many are necessities that are evil only when carried to extremes. Sex and food are part of being alive. It is hard for me to accept that sin is passed through sex, and that we should be ashamed of our carnal desires. We should be ashamed when we abuse ourselves and others in their pursuit, but the desire of itself is not a sin.
Out of the idea that fleshly indulgence is evil follows immediately the idea that such indulgences should be outlawed in a Christian society. Our society has certainly tried to do this with alcohol, drugs, and sex (prostitution and pornography, laws against pre-marital sex, outlawing sodomy). Every one of these efforts has been a failure. I believe the reason for this is a misinterpretation of the role of religion in the individual and society.
Jesus was hailed by some as the Messiah. Jewish tradition held, and holds, that there will be a spiritual and an earthly Messiah. Those seeking an earthly Messiah were generally Zealots, those hoping for a restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Jesus’ followers felt he was the spiritual Messiah, but some wondered whether he was the temporal one. An appealing argument about Judas, developed in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’, is that Judas was a Zealot, who thought he could get Jesus to reveal his power under duress. Of course, that did not happen, and when Jesus was killed, Judas in remorse killed himself.
Regardless of the nature of Judas, Jesus was not an earthly leader. By his own declaration and behavior, he was a spiritual leader, teacher and healer. Jesus spoke to individuals and small to moderate crowds. He did not speak about societal transformation or group action. He spoke about individual change and repentance, belief in and acceptance of God. Jesus’ teachings and values are not applicable on a societal scale.
There is a terrific Star Trek episode in which Kirk’s character gets split into a ‘good self’ and a ‘bad self’. Each of them needs the other to live and to command. Society needs violence to control violence, as I have argued, and it needs fleshly things for the flesh. These include ways to relax and forget the troubles of the fleshly world. Ideally, this is accomplished by prayer, but too often it is not, or can not be by the particular individual. The resort is fleshly comforts, and making these illegal does not eliminate their attraction or their necessity.
It is typically argued that drugs and prostitution injure others besides the user. This is potentially true, but it is just as true for any other physical indulgence. Alcohol kills thousands on roads, and damages many families. Cigarettes are legal despite their association with disease and death. Food, the biggest current cause of our self destruction, is entirely legal, and can be consumed in public and sold openly. It is not possible to argue that food is a necessity of life that is being misused. The same is true of sex, just as needed for survival in a biological sense, and for relaxation. The singling out of sex and drugs is a moral, not a practical, choice.
Christian values are expressed by discipline within, and tolerance without. They can not be expressed by condemning others for their needs or weaknesses. Jesus was a spiritual leader and example. He is best found, and followed, within. Prohibition was a failure. So is trying to outlaw drugs and prostitution. Such policies fail to materially alter society, and they also serve to reduce respect for and isolate the organized Christian church.
Ted
Similar issues confront our society with drugs and prostitution. Both are illegal. Both are strongly associated with crime, extra-national importation and low-level, individual production (meth labs, pot farms and individual street hookers). Both activities continue to flourish, despite high profile arrests from time to time.
Prohibition grew out of the Christian Women’s Temperance movement. This developed in the 1870s, and took nearly 50 years to gain its goal of outlawing alcoholic drinks, a two to three generation lag being common in the spread of social ideas. Our nation’s discomfort with physical pleasures (or vices, depending on their use) is certainly Christian based, as it is throughout the west. In its beginnings, Christians were a small movement, within which standards of behavior different from the society around them could be readily attained. Christians wanted and needed to distinguish themselves from other religious values of the times, which included ritual sexual activity and drinking as well as animal sacrifice.
Christian social values are much harder to apply broadly. Not everyone is interested, and it is impossible to apply the ideal of celibacy to an entire society- it ceases to exist. I have argued that self control is a virtue in talking a bit about Satanism. Complete denial, however, is not readily obtainable for most people. Should it be?
One fundamental Christian argument is that Adam, in defying God, tainted all of Man with ‘original sin’. We have sinful natures, and require the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus for salvation. This argument has always been weak for me. First, it creates a duality between spirit and flesh that is in part correct, but in large part is dysfunctional. It presumes the flesh can defy the spirit, whereas, short of automatons, the flesh only does what the spirit desires and inspires. Second, it means that Man can thwart the plans of God. This conflicts with an all powerful, all knowing God. Last, it makes all fleshly desires evil.
Not all fleshly desire is evil, and many are necessities that are evil only when carried to extremes. Sex and food are part of being alive. It is hard for me to accept that sin is passed through sex, and that we should be ashamed of our carnal desires. We should be ashamed when we abuse ourselves and others in their pursuit, but the desire of itself is not a sin.
Out of the idea that fleshly indulgence is evil follows immediately the idea that such indulgences should be outlawed in a Christian society. Our society has certainly tried to do this with alcohol, drugs, and sex (prostitution and pornography, laws against pre-marital sex, outlawing sodomy). Every one of these efforts has been a failure. I believe the reason for this is a misinterpretation of the role of religion in the individual and society.
Jesus was hailed by some as the Messiah. Jewish tradition held, and holds, that there will be a spiritual and an earthly Messiah. Those seeking an earthly Messiah were generally Zealots, those hoping for a restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Jesus’ followers felt he was the spiritual Messiah, but some wondered whether he was the temporal one. An appealing argument about Judas, developed in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’, is that Judas was a Zealot, who thought he could get Jesus to reveal his power under duress. Of course, that did not happen, and when Jesus was killed, Judas in remorse killed himself.
Regardless of the nature of Judas, Jesus was not an earthly leader. By his own declaration and behavior, he was a spiritual leader, teacher and healer. Jesus spoke to individuals and small to moderate crowds. He did not speak about societal transformation or group action. He spoke about individual change and repentance, belief in and acceptance of God. Jesus’ teachings and values are not applicable on a societal scale.
There is a terrific Star Trek episode in which Kirk’s character gets split into a ‘good self’ and a ‘bad self’. Each of them needs the other to live and to command. Society needs violence to control violence, as I have argued, and it needs fleshly things for the flesh. These include ways to relax and forget the troubles of the fleshly world. Ideally, this is accomplished by prayer, but too often it is not, or can not be by the particular individual. The resort is fleshly comforts, and making these illegal does not eliminate their attraction or their necessity.
It is typically argued that drugs and prostitution injure others besides the user. This is potentially true, but it is just as true for any other physical indulgence. Alcohol kills thousands on roads, and damages many families. Cigarettes are legal despite their association with disease and death. Food, the biggest current cause of our self destruction, is entirely legal, and can be consumed in public and sold openly. It is not possible to argue that food is a necessity of life that is being misused. The same is true of sex, just as needed for survival in a biological sense, and for relaxation. The singling out of sex and drugs is a moral, not a practical, choice.
Christian values are expressed by discipline within, and tolerance without. They can not be expressed by condemning others for their needs or weaknesses. Jesus was a spiritual leader and example. He is best found, and followed, within. Prohibition was a failure. So is trying to outlaw drugs and prostitution. Such policies fail to materially alter society, and they also serve to reduce respect for and isolate the organized Christian church.
Ted
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