Give Me Unsuitable Idols
So, I'm reading this article about How an English church is removing a scary crucifix that "was scaring local children and deterring worshippers" because it was "a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering".
My first thought was, Well duh. It's a bloody crucifix. It's a dead man on a stick. What did you expect?
Later on, the vicar explains:
"It wasn't a suitable image for the outside of a church wanting to welcome worshipers. In fact, it was a real put-off.
"We're all about hope, encouragement and the joy of the Christian faith. We want to communicate good news, not bad news, so we need a more uplifting and inspiring symbol than execution on a cross."
What struck me then was the selective appreciation of this approach to the religion. How can one have the resurrection without the crucifixion? Mind you, I've often wondered about the focus on the passion itself rather than the promise of salvation it bought, but still. It's rather like the short-sighted habit of denying the bad in life, and focusing exclusively upon the good, as if that somehow makes the bad go away. Pollyanna spirituality.
Lest anyone think I'm particularly down on the Christians, let me say that I've seen much the same thing in Paganism. There is the classic bowdlerization of Kali as a gentle grandmother, or extolling the spiritual and cultural virtues of any given ancient people while ignoring bloody wars, sexual oppression, and slavery.
It occurs to me that, if we Pagans are to go on about how our practices are about balance, and embracing all of life, should we not then adore our ugly icons as well as our glorious? The gods govern the bad and painful aspects of life as much as the good. To deny the aspects of the gods that scare us or (let's be honest) shame us as "enlightened, civilized people" is to ignore the bad parts of life. Whistling past the graveyard.
I remember a Christian friend of mine, who once explained that what got her through her abuse was the knowledge that Christ was with her through her pain, that He had known as much, and truly understood what she was going through. Such supporting faith would be impossible without embracing the scary part of the myth, no?
Life is not always pretty. Neither are the gods, our gods or their God. Gods who only show their faces in the good times are not worth our worship. And worshipers who can only look upon beautiful gods aren't worth gods at all.
My first thought was, Well duh. It's a bloody crucifix. It's a dead man on a stick. What did you expect?
Later on, the vicar explains:
"It wasn't a suitable image for the outside of a church wanting to welcome worshipers. In fact, it was a real put-off.
"We're all about hope, encouragement and the joy of the Christian faith. We want to communicate good news, not bad news, so we need a more uplifting and inspiring symbol than execution on a cross."
What struck me then was the selective appreciation of this approach to the religion. How can one have the resurrection without the crucifixion? Mind you, I've often wondered about the focus on the passion itself rather than the promise of salvation it bought, but still. It's rather like the short-sighted habit of denying the bad in life, and focusing exclusively upon the good, as if that somehow makes the bad go away. Pollyanna spirituality.
Lest anyone think I'm particularly down on the Christians, let me say that I've seen much the same thing in Paganism. There is the classic bowdlerization of Kali as a gentle grandmother, or extolling the spiritual and cultural virtues of any given ancient people while ignoring bloody wars, sexual oppression, and slavery.
It occurs to me that, if we Pagans are to go on about how our practices are about balance, and embracing all of life, should we not then adore our ugly icons as well as our glorious? The gods govern the bad and painful aspects of life as much as the good. To deny the aspects of the gods that scare us or (let's be honest) shame us as "enlightened, civilized people" is to ignore the bad parts of life. Whistling past the graveyard.
I remember a Christian friend of mine, who once explained that what got her through her abuse was the knowledge that Christ was with her through her pain, that He had known as much, and truly understood what she was going through. Such supporting faith would be impossible without embracing the scary part of the myth, no?
Life is not always pretty. Neither are the gods, our gods or their God. Gods who only show their faces in the good times are not worth our worship. And worshipers who can only look upon beautiful gods aren't worth gods at all.