THEISTWATCH for May 11, 1995 Texas - HEY, WHO'S TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS Virginia -
THEISTWATCH for May 11, 1995
Texas--HEY, WHO'S TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS?
Virginia--GUIDANCE FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW (Pat Robertson
quote)
United States--EPISCOPALIAN GROUP WANTS INDEPENDENT PROBE IN
EMBEZZLEMENT CASE
Georgia (U.S.)--ART EXHIBIT SHOWS RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS WEALTH
Utah--MORMONS AND MILITIAS (Part 1 of 2)
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HEY, WHO'S TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS?
You Can Blame Human Perdition Instead of God for Oklahoma
City. But Who Takes Rap for Texas Hailstorm?
by Conrad F. Goeringer
It wasn't as devastating as the explosion in Oklahoma
City, but it killed 15 people and injured nearly 100 others.
In the media coverage over the bombing which killed and
injured many more in the nation's heartland, everyone was
trying to reconcile how the god they were busy praying to had
allowed such terrible events. Everyone from President Clinton
to Billy Graham showed up in Oklahoma City to pray for
victims, for the possibility that someone may yet be found
buried in rubble still alive, for the "souls" of departed
kids. Some asked: How did "He," the almighty one, allow it
to happen.
Some of the religious leaders and preachers on the scene
told media that it was a "mystery," something "beyond the
comprehension of men," why god would "call home" the souls of
mangled children and other innocents.
Happens all the time -- war, plane crashes, famines.
It's all part of the Cosmic Plan. Others took a more prosaic
tact; "god" wasn't responsible for Oklahoma City, or Vietnam
or anything else of that nature. That was "man's" doing, and
"man" is cursed with original sin and evil, besotted with
wrong-doing and in need of salvation. Tim McVeigh -- or
somebody else, some other mortal -- bares responsibility, not
"god."
So, THEISTWATCH looked to the great state of Texas for
something recent -- and grisly -- that "man," that vessel of
original sin, definitely did not do.
On May 6, a 70 mph storm swept through Dallas, pelting
the landscape --and innocent people -- with softball-sized
hail. Fifteen people died, and four were reported missing.
Ninety people were treated for injuries at just one hospital,
with everything from cuts resulting from flying shards of
glass, to bruises. 2,500 were caught in the melee at a county
fair. 600 people attending a Tommy Tune and Brooks & Dunn
concert in Dallas were evacuated from a park.
Then the flooding came. Two workers were killed and
another dozen injured when a roof collapsed. Car windows
were smashed, roads flooded, and patients already in
hospitals had to be moved when water poured into the
emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center.
Planes were grounded at Dallas-Ft.Worth International
Airport, and hundreds of commuters with scheduled to keep
were inconvenienced. The American Airlines terminal lost
power; so did 16,800 regular private customers.
Hey, somewhere in the world, things like this happen
everyday. Innocent people are killed, mangled, cut, bruised,
at the minimum inconvenienced. Sometimes, it happens on a
much larger scale -- involving hundreds, even thousands of
casualties.
But the Good Book -- and those who read it and live by
it -- insist that it 's all "part of His plan."
Really? Next time you hear that line, just think of a
rainy and stormy day in Texas.
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GUIDANCE FROM THOSE IN THE KNOW
"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill
their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and
become lesbians." -- Rev. Pat Robertson
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EPISCOPALIAN GROUP WANTS INDEPENDENT PROBE IN EMBEZZLEMENT
CASE
Group is Not Satisfied With Bishop's Explanation in Scandal
by Conrad Goeringer
A reform movement known as Episcopalians United isn't
satisfied with the explanation of Presiding Bishop Edmond
Browning in connection with a $2.2 million financial scandal.
Earlier, THEISTWATCH had reported that Ellen Cooke --
the church's treasurer -- had allegedly taken the money for
personal use including jewelry and vacations. Bishop Browning
claimed that Cooke "maintained absolute control of the
auditing and reconciliation functions of the Treasurer's
office," and had prevented others from seeing the account
ledgers.
But a press release from Episcopalians United says that
it wasn't quite that simple.
"Bishop Browning himself had increased Mrs. Cooke's
autonomy by appointing her as treasurer not only of the
Episcopal Church Center, but of General Convention, the
denomination's triennial legislative body." The
organization's paper, United Voice, also maintains that
"Browning repeatedly defended Mrs. Cook throughout her
tenure." Episcopalians United wants a full disclosure from
the bishop's office, saying that "a failure of accountability
created this scandal."
But it is events like the Cooke scandal which often give
the public a rare glimpse into the organization -- and extent
-- of church finances. That someone could systematically
divert such an amount of funds during a nine-year period (as
Cooke is alleged to have done) raises questions about the
sheer volume of cash moving through church accounts.
And it suggests that even in the churches, the worldly
consideration of money plays a leading role.
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ART EXHIBIT SHOWS RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS WEALTH
A Ten-Week Show Opens This Saturday in Atlanta. The Fantastic
Collection is Expected to Attract Thousands
by Conrad F. Goeringer
One of the consequences of theocratic governments has
been the unfortunate merger of religious expression with
artistic creativity. Religious motifs were often the only
venue of expression for talented artists throughout the
centuries, in part since churches and ecclesiastical
authorities were the only sources of commission money. The
weakening of that monopoly, along with the rise of industrial
capitalism, gave artists more flexibility in terms of the
subject matter and themes they depicted.
In pre-Revolutionary Russia, a long history of alliance
between autocratic rule and orthodox Church authority shaped
and restricted the direction of artistic development. The
Russian Orthodox religion was state supported, and received
lavish support from individual tsars and landowners. In fact,
the priesthood was considered a viable economic move upward
for many Russians, even those in the middle-class.
An exhibition opening May 13 in Atlanta promises to give
insight into the extent of religious wealth and influence
dating back to the 1300s. Titled "The Sacred Art of Russia
From Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great," the ten-week
exhibition is expected to attract 300,000 people. The 375
works on display will include 59 ceremonial robes, along with
decorated chalices, crucifixes and other items. Many are made
from gold or silver, and accented with precious stones. USA
TODAY quotes exhibit director Gudmund Vigtel as saying that
the show illustrates "the incredible influence of religion on
Russian history, art and culture."
A number of exhibition items come from Novodevichy
Convent outside of Moscow, which receive the largess of Tsar
Ivan the Terrible; the convent became "one of the richest
religious institutions in Europe." Interestingly, the
decline in "sacred art" began under the reign of Peter the
Great, the monarch responsible for bringing the
Englightenment spirit to Russia. Peter was influenced by the
major "Philosophes" of Western culture, and worked to curtail
the social and political power of the Orthodox church. He
even insisted that reactionary practices, including the
wearing of long, untrimmed beards, be abolished. Under his
reign, art began to focus more on the natural world and less
on religious themes; the use of precious gems and rare
materials became a statement of secular wealth rather than
religious display.
Unfortunately, exhibits of this nature fail to root the
artistic works in a cultural and political context. The
period in Russian history which saw the zenith of religious
artistry was also a time of feudal oppression for nearly 90
percent of the populace who were considered peasants, and
eked out a precarious existence working vast estates. A small
class of "Boyars" ruled the countryside, holding most of the
land and considerable wealth. The Russian Orthodox church
legitimized this rule, acting to buffer tensions between
peasants and landowners, and provide a soporific ideology for
masses of people. Despite the impoverishment of the
countryside, regal palaces, sprawling estates and magnificent
churches dotted the Russian countryside. To fully appreciate
the meaning of Russian ichnographic art and other sacred
works, a political and social narrative should be presented
to provide a contextual comprehension for viewers. While we
can certainly appreciate the craftsmanship and artistic
excellence that went into these creations, we must never
forget who ultimately sacrificed and sweated to make them
possible. The exhibit will take place at Cobb Galeria Centre
in Atlanta.
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MORMONS AND MILITIAS (Part One of Two)
Conspiracy Views of History and Politics Are Deeply Rooted in
Mormon Tradition. In the Land of the Saints and Elsewhere,
the Spiritual Heirs of Joseph Smith Are Doing More Than
Singing in Temple Choirs; They're Getting Ready for The End
of the World.
by Conrad Goeringer
Millenialism -- the belief that the world will end
according to a cataclysmic holy prophesy -- is alive and well
in the twentieth century. There are indications that a
number of groups throughout the world look with anticipation
to the next five years as we approach 2,000. For some it will
be the unfolding of events foretold in the Bible. Others,
such as the Aum sect in Japan believed responsible for gas
attacks in the Tokyo subway, jazz up Christian doomsday
scenarios with New Age mysticism and Eastern Buddhist
occultism. And for thousands -- perhaps millions --
throughout the world, "something" is about to happen. Jesus
Christ will return. Aliens will land. Human beings will
"evolve" in some strange planetary evolution, similar to the
storyline in the best seller "The Celestine Prophesy." Or
there could be the collapse of civilization, and the
emergence of a new order.
The tapestry of apocalyptic thinking often contains the
threads of conspiracy theory views about history and current
events. For many fundamentalist Christians, the end of the
world pits the faithful and saved against the pernicious
minions of Satan and his worldly flunky, the antichrist.
With luck, some fundamentalists say they will be chosen as
the "saved" and be flown up to heaven in an event called
"Rapture" before the devil is turned loose on earth for 1,000
years of mischief and evil. Others believe that even those
chosen will undergo persecution and torment to test their
faith. And others see this an opportunity -- it will be the
big shoot-out with the forces of antichrist as foretold in
the Book of Revelations. Maybe it will happen in the Middle
East. Some predict the American midwest.
And they're getting ready.
Many of those subscribing to fundamentalist Christian
scenarios of the "end times" gravitate toward apocalyptic
social movements such as militias and fringe church-groups.
The Oklahoma City bombing has focused public attention on the
self-styled militias, groups of men (and sometimes women) who
train in shooting and survival skills, accumulate guns and
ammunition, and often distrust the government. Federal
investigators suggest that Oklahoma bombing suspect Timothy
McVeigh had ties to the militias, but so far that evidence
seems circumstantial and flimsy. McVeigh moved in the militia
subculture, but the camouflaged world of right-wing
survivalists is far from monolithic, and many militia groups
have denounced the Oklahoma City terrorism.
Some militias reflect the peculiar politics and theology
of what is known as Christian Identity. The best known
Identity group is the Church of Jesus Christ Christian, also
called Aryan Nations. Founded by Richard Butler, the
organization is based in Idaho, but has active presence in
dozens of states. Christian Identity teaches that the White
race is the lost tribe of Israel, the true "chosen" people,
who must do battle with Jews, blacks and other "mongrels" and
establish what it terms a White Bastion in the Pacific
Northwest. The modern racist Skinhead movement is influenced
by Identity politics, especially with its appeal to violent
resistance, guns and racism. Like many larger,
fundamentalist groups, Christian Identity preaches that we
are in "end times" and that an apocalyptic event is about to
occur. But whereas most Christians believe in a conflict
between god and satan, Identity prepares for a race war.
Latter Day Militias
But miles south of the Pacific Northwest bastion is the
State of Utah, base of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, known as the Mormons. Mormon theology is based
on the writings of Joseph Smith, who claimed to have
uncovered golden tablets telling a religious history in the
new world, America. Skeptics like to point out that Smith
was a spinner of tall tales, that the Book of Mormon bears a
curious resemblance to the mythos in the Old and New
Testament, and that the doctrines of the church reflect
Smith's penchant for mumbo-jumbo ritual and outlandish
narrative. Ten million people consider it to be gospel
today, however, and the Mormon religion thrives in Utah and
throughout the American west. It owns the single biggest
concentration of capital in the Rocky Mountain region,
including real estate, newspapers, TV stations, and other
businesses. Politically, the church has been conservative.
Mormon leaders have served in important government posts.
The late billionaire recluse Howard Hughes surrounded himself
with a Mormon security squad, thinking that they were
"incorruptible," and placed Mormons in administrative
positions throughout his business empire -- including
gambling casinos. Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had an
"affinity" for Mormon agents according to biographers. A
disproportionately high number of Mormons in the ranks of the
Central Intelligence Agency has been noted as well. (Some
contend that Mormon agents in the field do not function well
in the fleshpots and back alleys of foreign countries where
much intelligence and blackmail material is gathered.)
The Mormon church is "establishment," with a strong
streak of conservatism. The church opposes homosexuality,
abortion, and courts the political conservatives of the
Republican party.
But Mormon history is replete with incidents pitting the
church against local, even national authority. And distrust
of established institutions, mixed in with prophetic
apocalypticism and conspiracy thinking runs deep. Joseph
Smith formed what he called the Nauvoo Legion in 1840 to
defend the church. Anti-Mormon writings warned of the "Sons
of Dan," a Mormon terrorist group acting as a kind of church-
mafia. Another label -- Avenging Angels -- has surfaced from
time to time in connection with Mormon activity. And there
were confrontations with the federal government concerning
the admission of Utah into the county as an official state.
The church altered its teachings on polygamy, a practice
which outraged the Christian blue bloods on the East coast
and in Washington, D.C. Today, a number of Mormons still hold
to their older traditions, and live in polygamous
communities.
But while early mistrust of the government gave way,
millenialism -- belief in the immanent "last days" --
thrived. That traditions lives on today, in part, through
the existence of Mormon militias scattered throughout Utah
and the west. According to news reports, they call
themselves names like Culpepper Minutemen, Sovereign Freemen,
even the Mormon Battalion. The Salt Lake City Tribune (4/30)
quoted Becky Johns, a communications professor at Weber State
University and an expert on ultraconservative Mormon groups
in Utah: "They literally believe they are in the last days.
They are very cognizant of time, and believe things happen in
an order and that somehow there is an end . . . the end is
always close."
(End of Part One)
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TheistWatch is a regular news survey on religion and
religious belief, and the foibles and follies of religion, as
reported from an Atheist standpoint. TheistWatch originates
from the headquarters of American Atheists, Inc., in Austin,
Texas, as a service to members and potential members and all
Atheists concerned about the problems created by organized
and unorganized superstitions. Unless otherwise noted,
articles appearing in TheistWatch are contributed by the
staff of American Atheists.
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