When Religion and/or Spirituality Meet Politics
George Lakoff drew this connection most directly, albeit simply.
In Lakoff's linguistic study politics, he noticed two family models that correlated roughly to progressive and conservatives. (This is very simplified. For a more detailed version, read at least the first essay in Don't Think of an Elephant.)
The conservative family model is one based on an evil, scary world that needs a strict father to protect the children and teach them morality and right from wrong via punishment, so that they can succeed in the world by making a lot of money.
In some denominations of Christianity, god takes the form of the strict father who will punish you with hell if you do not obey his rules about right and wrong. If you do obey, you are rewarded with success, which is heaven. This is the kind of god that I do not believe in and that contributed to my leaving the Christian faith.
What happens when this meets politics is a lot of what we've seen the last five years. The successful (i.e. wealthy and therefore moral) are rewarded by paying less taxes. With less tax revenue, this justifies cutting aid programs for the under-privaleged, which would only keep them from developing the discipline they need to succeed. The rights and choices of women being downgraded because they did not obey their father and had sex anyway. The list goes on...
The progressive family model is one where nuturant parents believe the world can be made a better place through empathy, cooperation, fairness, freedom, opportunity and open, honest, two-way communication.
In some denominations of Christianity and other religions, god takes the form of the nurturant parent (male, female and/or both) who gives unconditional love and support.
The resulting politics is one where individuals and communities contribute resources for the common good which enables individuals to succeed, i.e. make the world a better place. Those resources are taxes. The common good benefits from the FDIC, SEC, our highways, cleaner air and water, among other things government created. Basically spreading the wealth around a little bit, because not everyone had an even playing field from the start.
Lakoff points out that most, if not all of us, have some combination of both of these models in our personalities. This definitely rings true for me. Even while typing this, I feel the tension between a strong Darwin streak and compassionate empathy. While I've been generally trending towards the more progressive side for a while (ok, maybe that's an understatement), that I recognize the strictness within myself, I hope is a tool for futher understanding and communicating with the conservative, partial progressives that are our there.
In Lakoff's linguistic study politics, he noticed two family models that correlated roughly to progressive and conservatives. (This is very simplified. For a more detailed version, read at least the first essay in Don't Think of an Elephant.)
The conservative family model is one based on an evil, scary world that needs a strict father to protect the children and teach them morality and right from wrong via punishment, so that they can succeed in the world by making a lot of money.
In some denominations of Christianity, god takes the form of the strict father who will punish you with hell if you do not obey his rules about right and wrong. If you do obey, you are rewarded with success, which is heaven. This is the kind of god that I do not believe in and that contributed to my leaving the Christian faith.
What happens when this meets politics is a lot of what we've seen the last five years. The successful (i.e. wealthy and therefore moral) are rewarded by paying less taxes. With less tax revenue, this justifies cutting aid programs for the under-privaleged, which would only keep them from developing the discipline they need to succeed. The rights and choices of women being downgraded because they did not obey their father and had sex anyway. The list goes on...
The progressive family model is one where nuturant parents believe the world can be made a better place through empathy, cooperation, fairness, freedom, opportunity and open, honest, two-way communication.
In some denominations of Christianity and other religions, god takes the form of the nurturant parent (male, female and/or both) who gives unconditional love and support.
The resulting politics is one where individuals and communities contribute resources for the common good which enables individuals to succeed, i.e. make the world a better place. Those resources are taxes. The common good benefits from the FDIC, SEC, our highways, cleaner air and water, among other things government created. Basically spreading the wealth around a little bit, because not everyone had an even playing field from the start.
Lakoff points out that most, if not all of us, have some combination of both of these models in our personalities. This definitely rings true for me. Even while typing this, I feel the tension between a strong Darwin streak and compassionate empathy. While I've been generally trending towards the more progressive side for a while (ok, maybe that's an understatement), that I recognize the strictness within myself, I hope is a tool for futher understanding and communicating with the conservative, partial progressives that are our there.
Labels: politics, spirituality
1 Comments:
"While I've been generally trending towards the more progressive side for a while (ok, maybe that's an understatement), that I recognize the strictness within myself, I hope is a tool for futher understanding and communicating with the conservative, partial progressives that are our there."
(WAVING HANDS LIKE CRAZY)
ME TOO ME TOO ME TOO!
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