Pimping, Jesus Style
Two things lead me to this return to my occasional writing career. The first concerns a comment about a documentary I haven't seen, the other is from the movie Borat.
The comment about a documentary was a comment about pimps, specifically, pimps who in the future elected to become pastors. Apparently the number is surprisingly high, and that's all that needs to be known right now.
The second thing is of greater importance and comes from Borat. Good movie. The part in question is where Borat goes into a church meeting and is saved, so to speak. Now this movie functions on the premise that no one knows that this is a joke, and so the actions of most of the people can safely be regarded as genuine. During the meeting I see what I would have originally relegated to movies: people jumping up and down, shouting, dancing, basically going nuts. When Borat was "saved" it was men shouting in his face and pushing him back and forth with the crowd cheering along. It was a very dramatic experience.
This answered a question that's been on my mind as of late. It seems like I see more and more of the influence of religion these days, and the more I see it the more it seems like people really are convinced of the life-and-death nature of it. As a "practicing non-theist" (I like that term) I can't help but be a little worried when people believe something that tells them that ancient history is a lie and that penicillin is an abomination (granted many religious sects don't believe this, but the potential is undeniably there). So why do people feel so strongly for this stuff?
This is where my two things (the comment and Borat) come in. When you try to explain to someone that a the concept of a higher power is at best an assumption used to try to fill in blanks we can't fill in ourselves, it's hard to get people all excited about it. But when you have an explosion of sound and an orgy of energy and emotion getting your message across is much more effective. The fact of pimps becoming pastors makes sense because, of course, pimps are smooth. They know how to talk and how to woo. A good pastor has exactly the same skills, with the only difference being in the goal. Thus we find that while a thoughtful scepticism seems to help provide more realistic explanations (at least I believe so), it is much easier for someone who doesn't have the patience for such things, someone who is uncertain of themselves or uncomfortable around the uncertain, or someone who is just plain bored to be swept in in a tide of purpose and feeling. Being saved feels good, with the result being that other viewpoints that are willing to evolve after several thousand years and that are still seeking to provide answers to the questions that dog us are left in the dust.
The reason I have continued, at least up to this point, to be supportive of religion in general, despite believing hardly a word of it, is that I feel it is a necessary condition for many people to be able to get on with their lives. Not all of us want to be in search of the truth. Some of us can't function unless we -know- there is meaning, whether it actually exists or not. This seems to confirm that, to a degree. Some people find that they get swept up in religion and it gives them previously unknown energy. But at the same time I dont think I could tolerate the idea of someone being led purely by strong emotions. People do some really stupid things under the influence of strong emotions. But then again, what would be the effects of "cutting them off" from this energy? Would many people suddenly find themselves without a purpose in a world they no longer are willing to live in?
These are the questions that are in my head as I internally debate my stance on the existence of religion. As is typically the case with my questions, they probably won't have a straight answer. But then again, straight simple answers are one of the things that start to make me worry.
The comment about a documentary was a comment about pimps, specifically, pimps who in the future elected to become pastors. Apparently the number is surprisingly high, and that's all that needs to be known right now.
The second thing is of greater importance and comes from Borat. Good movie. The part in question is where Borat goes into a church meeting and is saved, so to speak. Now this movie functions on the premise that no one knows that this is a joke, and so the actions of most of the people can safely be regarded as genuine. During the meeting I see what I would have originally relegated to movies: people jumping up and down, shouting, dancing, basically going nuts. When Borat was "saved" it was men shouting in his face and pushing him back and forth with the crowd cheering along. It was a very dramatic experience.
This answered a question that's been on my mind as of late. It seems like I see more and more of the influence of religion these days, and the more I see it the more it seems like people really are convinced of the life-and-death nature of it. As a "practicing non-theist" (I like that term) I can't help but be a little worried when people believe something that tells them that ancient history is a lie and that penicillin is an abomination (granted many religious sects don't believe this, but the potential is undeniably there). So why do people feel so strongly for this stuff?
This is where my two things (the comment and Borat) come in. When you try to explain to someone that a the concept of a higher power is at best an assumption used to try to fill in blanks we can't fill in ourselves, it's hard to get people all excited about it. But when you have an explosion of sound and an orgy of energy and emotion getting your message across is much more effective. The fact of pimps becoming pastors makes sense because, of course, pimps are smooth. They know how to talk and how to woo. A good pastor has exactly the same skills, with the only difference being in the goal. Thus we find that while a thoughtful scepticism seems to help provide more realistic explanations (at least I believe so), it is much easier for someone who doesn't have the patience for such things, someone who is uncertain of themselves or uncomfortable around the uncertain, or someone who is just plain bored to be swept in in a tide of purpose and feeling. Being saved feels good, with the result being that other viewpoints that are willing to evolve after several thousand years and that are still seeking to provide answers to the questions that dog us are left in the dust.
The reason I have continued, at least up to this point, to be supportive of religion in general, despite believing hardly a word of it, is that I feel it is a necessary condition for many people to be able to get on with their lives. Not all of us want to be in search of the truth. Some of us can't function unless we -know- there is meaning, whether it actually exists or not. This seems to confirm that, to a degree. Some people find that they get swept up in religion and it gives them previously unknown energy. But at the same time I dont think I could tolerate the idea of someone being led purely by strong emotions. People do some really stupid things under the influence of strong emotions. But then again, what would be the effects of "cutting them off" from this energy? Would many people suddenly find themselves without a purpose in a world they no longer are willing to live in?
These are the questions that are in my head as I internally debate my stance on the existence of religion. As is typically the case with my questions, they probably won't have a straight answer. But then again, straight simple answers are one of the things that start to make me worry.
posted by Derek at 11:05 PM
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