Rendering Unto Caesar: Political Theology‏

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

A religious bigot rejected my personal spin on the political trials and tribulations of Arius the Alexandrian during the fourth century of the common era. His beef was not whether my take on the events had merit but that a student of orthodox theology would disagree with me. I was reminded of the arguments against Galileo's observations on Sun spots. Galileo must be mistaken because Aristotle said that the Sun was without blemish. Galileo retorted that Aristotle would agree with him if he were around to confirm the observations. To the naked eye the Sun appears to be perfect.

The orthodox theologian views his deity with just such an eye. He fails to see the blemishes in his deity because he fails to analyze it with objectivity. The orthodox deity is perfect because Caesar says it is perfect just as Aristotle said that the Sun is perfect. If Constantine Caesar were around today to see what orthodox theologians had done with his precious deity, he would side with the heretics.

The religious bigot gives us the key to understanding the political nature of orthodox theology. He cannot even entertain alternative perspectives on historical political events because such perspectives would offend the tender sensitivities of orthodox scholars. The bigot not only kowtows to the material Creator but also to a group of religious fanatics who have been out of touch with reality for nearly two thousand years.

Buddhist theology has been around much longer than has orthodox theology. Many people prefer it to orthodoxy for a variety of reasons. There are others who are put off by Buddhism because it reminds them of orthodoxy. On a purely surface level they share a great deal in common. The differences become obvious either when their practitioners come in contact with one another or when an outsider to both takes a look at the esoteric aspects of each.

Recent history presents us with an example of political conflict between Buddhism and orthodoxy during the war in Vietnam. Thich Giac Duc described his work as a Buddhist priest in Vietnam teaching the way of compassion to peasants who had been seduced into orthodoxy. He used the example of aerial bombardment of civilians as evidence of the lack of compassion in the orthodox heart. (He failed to see the need to destroy the village in order to save it from the hell of Communism.)

Can you think of other examples of the use of explosives in the interest of religious orthodoxy?

Links: David Chanoff and Van Toai Doan on the experience of Thich Giac Duc. Christopher Haas on the Arians of Alexandria.

Comments

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Are you claiming that there is no orthodoxy in Buddhism?


The differences become obvious either when their practitioners come in contact with one another

What does this mean?

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I did not mean to imply that Roman orthodoxy is the only form of orthodoxy. Vietnamese Buddhism is divided between the Mahayana and the Theravada traditions. Their differences are much like differences in monotheistic orthodoxies. Neither of them is appreciated by Roman zealots.

As for your second question, I do not suppose you have read accounts of meetings between Buddhists and Catholics. The Catholics come away with the impression that Buddhists are heathens and Buddhists come away with the impression that Catholics are in the dark.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

The Catholics come away with the impression that Buddhists are heathens

That's not true. Not even close, at all. Vatican II:

DECLARATION ON THE RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS
NOSTRA AETATE
PROCLAIMED BY HIS HOLINESS
POPE PAUL VI
ON OCTOBER 28, 1965

Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language. Thus in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust. Again, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination. Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing "ways," comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites. The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Ha!

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

This makes Caesar Tuesdays something to look foreward to

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

I already have something for next tuesday

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Dat bass line, man.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

I never chew my food to anything less

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

The orthodox deity is perfect because Caesar says it is perfect.

By "Caesar," I assume you mean "David."

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Michaelangelo had a way with the hammer and chisel.

[404.livejournal.com]

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

What a hoot!

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Oh! We've returned to the Caesar Tuesday tradition now.

Remind me to come back on Wednesday then.

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

Stay tuned we're going to be starting Hannibal Wednesdays soon

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Monday is a civil holiday here in America. It is the day that we remember all of the people who died in order to ensure that we remain an enslaved country.

[brother-dour.livejournal.com]

Alls I can say is, IMHO Jesus was all for a separation of church and state, too. Mark 12:17 wasn't just about taxes.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I think He was more for the sublimation of the state within a divine order of anarchic faith and free souls.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The Church was one of those big mistakes that Jesus would probably disown if he were around today to see it. I agree, though, that rendering unto Caesar has more meaning once we enter a domain of metaphorical understanding. Although we may consider Caesar to be an icon of the state, his contemporaries saw him as more of a pirate than a governing official.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

Any god that isn't perfect, isn't a god - right?

I understand this is where most or all of the negative side effects from religion originate, but still - a god that makes mistakes and changes his mind isn't too impressive, isn't worth following, isn't worth believing in at all.

Go big or go home, right?

(On the other hand, half-ass believers are the main reason religions are retaining any kind of positive reputation - so cheers to them)

[rimpala.livejournal.com]

"Any god that isn't perfect, isn't a god - right?"

This was rather an Abrahamic invention, any study of ancient mythology reveals that gods were far, far from perfect

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I think people tend to prefer the imperfect deities because they can relate to them more easily. It is like the way that scholars in the Middle Ages could identify more with Aristotle than with Plato. He resonated more with their narrow mindset.

To say that an imperfect deity is not a deity is like saying that Skippy is not really peanut butter.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

Sorry, posted earlier comment in the wrong thread. X:

It sounds like you may be describing a variation of religious fundamentalism.

Or a tendency to oversimplify and force issues to conform to black and white terms where figurative language or shades of grey cease to exist.

I don't know that there's a difference between religious fundamentalists who believe man co-existed with dinosaurs and that the earth is 10,000 years old and those who oversimplified in literal terms to contend the existence of sunspots.

The same precedent applies across the board. Its easier to oversimplify and assume socialist healthcare is superior to capitalist healthcare based on a greener grass on the other side of the hill paradigm. Its a fundamental tendency people display in politics, religion, science and elsewhere to avoid grappling with details and avoid taking the time to educate themselves and really think about topics.

But that type of anti-intellectualism, impulsiveness and oversimplifying is prevalent everywhere. So, I'm not sure it really fits with your example. Apologies in advance if that's not what you were referring to. :\

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The scholars who objected to Galileo's Sun spot observations did so on the basis of their devotion to the remnants of the writings of Aristotle. They were of the same school that came up with the absolutist age of the Earth based on biblical interpretation. In the case of Vietnam, the Buddhists sided with the Communists against the Americans because the latter had a worse reputation for bombing villages in order to save them. Communists had a reputation for firing up churches. The Buddhist solution was to convert the Catholics to Buddhism to save them from attack.