"Anthropic Deep Time" or "Such Beautiful Buildings for a Celestial Dictator" (A Blog Short)

I live right down the road from a Catholic church. I often jog by it when I do laps around my block for exercise. The other day I stopped, pulled the headphones out of my ears and just stared at the artwork on the side of the building. Sweating, my heart pounding from running I felt a deep connection to that building. I had no idea why at the moment. I thought at the time it was due to my upbringing. I was brought up in a very religious home and there is often a sense of "home" or nostalgia I feel when I see a churches, attend church when I visit it my father, or hear an old hymn I remember from my childhood. I know, I know, the Christian would say that's God's way at pulling at my heart, but I am too much of a skeptic to accept such things now. The equation to something like that would look something like this: All things good in life = God/ All things bad = God works in mysterious ways or "the fall". My understanding of the world does not allow for such cognitive dissonance anymore with things like that, but what is it with these buildings that give me that connection, that emotion?

I have a hypothesis. That feeling, that emotion is "anthropic deep time". When we hear deep time it's relative to what we are talking about. When we think of deep time we think of the age of the cosmos or the Big Bang. We think of ancient rocks in Australia that formed 4.4 billion years ago as the Earth was forming. Think of the (dare I say?) "spiritual experience" you get when you go hiking in an old canyon (like Red Rock Canyon near me, for example). If you know some basics in geology you know that canyon and those rocks formed millions of years ago and once was an ancient ocean bed. Zero in on that feeling you get when you stare out at geologic deep history or hearing the poetic words of cosmologist Carl Sagan or Neil deGrasse Tyson about the true deep history of our own body and what we are all made of (atoms that formed in the hearts of other stars).

We humans have our own "deep time". Think of how entrancing it is to stare at old photographs of our great grandparents. There is a magic that goes with looking into anthropic deep time. We listen with absolute attention as our grandparents or senior citizens tell us stories of how the world was when they lived what we read about in our history books. We relish in stories of our past. There's an entire channel on cable TV called the "history channel" (though the "history" part of their name is debatable). Think on how we revere the Native Americans. If you read any accurate historical books on Native American history you will read the horrific, immoral acts implemented by these various tribes. Our new "liberal" way of viewing Native Americans is often skewed the other direction. (Did I just parody Ann Coulter without thinking about it?!) Of course before this all white children were told in school was that the Native Americans were savages. As usual the truth is a mixed bag with nuances from both extremes not just one or the other, but the Native Americans were far from perfect and we almost deify them when we look back on their very foreign culture compared to ours today.

Religion (as a very humanistic expression in art) can fall under the "deep time" wonder we can experience. Hear me out: It's been around since pre-history for our species, and there is spotty evidence that maybe our fellow hominid species might have had a rudimentary religion as well; there really is "magic" in religion. And that sentence sounds odd coming from an atheist, but its true. Not the way the fundamentalist mean "magic" but we need to start taking some of these terms back, in my opinion. It's "magical" only if religion isn't used as "the way the cosmos and this Earth works". Daniel Dennett wrote about religion as a natural phenomenon in his book "Breaking the Spell". I recommend it. Many authors have given a long history of religion, quick to point out the wonderful things religion has given the human race. I know this sounds weird coming from me and trust me - I am on the anti-theist side of most things religious, but that is mostly because now when we weigh everything out there is more harm that comes with religion than good. We need more of the religious to treat their religion as a cultural phenomenon and not "take it so seriously". This is the way we make progress and get somewhere as a species. We reflect and even celebrate the art in religion, but let go of the useless dogma that does nothing to help society flourish.

I don't need to tell you that the most beautiful of religious buildings are mosques. If you want your breath taken away google image search mosques. I have a close Muslim friend that designed a local mosque. He is an architect and a really talented one. A year or so ago he showed me the blueprints to the mosque he was designing and it stunned me. It was gorgeous. The level of craftsman that goes into the buildings of the Muslim religion is unparalleled in my opinion. Mormons are most definitely up and coming in the craftsmanship of their temples, and of course Christianity has had some truly gorgeous buildings. Synagogs? Eh. Just kidding! Google image search: "most beautiful synagogues in the world" and hold on tight! Obviously the Christian artwork during the Renaissance was some of the best paintings ever painted and the sculptures are breath-taking. Go to any art museum and you'll know the true beauty of religion.

The key for the future in my opinion is to get people to treat religion like art or a game (like Dungeons and Dragons) not as something that makes "real" claims about the natural world and cosmos. We have to also be honest about the "holy texts" - it isn't all bad, it isn't all perfect and good, it's a mix bag again and they are books written by men. That is what we know for sure. We need to stop hanging our hat about how things operate with some "cosmic plan" or "universal purpose" when we have no such evidence. We can't just ground our lives in things with no evidence. Instead we must take what we know and be honest about it and go from there. I love the way many people I know are religious - it's OK. I don't want to yell at them for being crazy or whatever, I just want more people to be "culturally" religious. This desperately needs to happen in the Muslim world overall. Look at the polls, we need this for our species to thrive. We need more people understanding religion as art and culture and letting go of these "way the world works" unfounded concepts. When religion "makes theories" about the natural world this is where it hits a wall. This part of religion must have the heart ripped out of it so we can truly appreciate the beauty of religion and that is simply - anthropic deep time.

"Such Beautiful Buildings for a Celestial Dictator" - from a text from my friend Forrest who at some point will join me as "Gog" on this blog!

Just look at this mosque!:
http://blog.oliver-meili.name/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC_7818_stitch_2.jpg

and come on. the Old Christians make the best art:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/The_Sacrifice_of_Isaac_by_Caravaggio.jpg

Your Child's Religion of "Choice?"

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (Bible)

O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded. 
Tahrim 66:6 (Qur'an)

There are a lot of bizarre, quirky memories I have from my earliest conscious experience growing up (almost literally) in church. I remember the dogma vividly right now, things told to us as matter of fact from no one with any actual academic expertise in theology. None of my Sunday school teachers I had when I was in the first decade of my life had degrees in Bible scholarship or theological discourse. Most were very kind, well-meaning stay-at-home moms without a college education. "Facts" about world history (via Bible stories) were dogmatic and made real before our eager eyes on felt board. If you aren't familiar with flannel board click on the link at the end of this blog entry. 

My mother and father brought me in a fundamentalist evangelical Christian home. We went to church every single Sunday without exception, two times - morning and evening service, as well as choir practice before the evening service since both my parents sang in the choir. Every Wednesday night we would attend Bible study (basically another evening church service). Early on I recall my parents going to visitation (which was essentially going door to door sort of like Mormon or Jehovah Witness-style). My brother and I, all the way through high school, attended a Christian private school that was in the same building as the church we attended 2 days out of the week. So this is what I mean when I say I nearly literally grew up in church.

If you read my blog entries from a few years back titled "Into the Lion's Den: Notes On a Recent Trip" I explain the emotional connection I feel with that very building. When I go home I will often attend a church service in that same building with my dad and it's always a trip down memory lane to walk into the gym or my old Sunday school classrooms. There is a strange mix of emotions like nostalgia with a deep realization at how far I've come in my life. The little child intently listening to stories of Jonah and the whale or singing in unison about Jesus' love for little children seems like a whole other consciousness that I can barely relate to anymore. It's a weird thing to step back into rooms like that.

I have a few Christian friends now. And a handful of these friends grew up in the same church/school or just church. I see some of my Christian friends having children and recycling the same pattern I had growing up. These little children begin religious (Christian specifically) indoctrination at a very young age. This is just like my past. I started in the church nursery and ended with walking out of Bible college in my 20's to eventually completely stepping outside the bubble and breaking the spell religion had on me all of my life. 

It concerns me when I see documentaries like "Jesus Camp" or hear of my Christian friends indoctrinating their children with a specific myth they believe in like it is a fact of life. Of course we know it's not and of course we know this is how you spread the religious meme and let religion continue to evolve from one generation to the next. It's the way the old ideas continue to thrive. We see it in Middle Eastern countries with Islam all the time. It's the same here in the U.S. and I feel this must be addressed and ended.

¹³ And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
¹⁶ And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16 

We were taught growing up that there is a specific "age of reason" or "age of accountability" in every young child wherein they will finally understand that 1. they are a sinner (and grasp the story of "original sin") and 2. that God's son died in actual history for their sins then rose from the dead and ascended up to heaven where he is now, and 3. accept Jesus into their hearts to save them from their sins. Some of this is not difficult. At a very young age you can get a child to admit guilt in wrong doing, so the "sin" thing is easy. The complicated part is getting a small child to understand the very weird story of the cosmic blood rules of blood sacrifice. Even as a small child I remember finding it sort of gross and odd that a whole group of people killed innocent animals for God. I still ask this question - why again does the Perfect Almighty God of the universe need animal blood? Is he a vampire? When small children are easily questioning your religious dogma and you need apologetics to defend your faith against babies- that's when you know your religion might be bullshit.

I was saved first at the age of 5. This is something I barely remember the specifics of now. However, I do remember it wasn't based on the alternative of NOT believing - which was burning forever. THIS is the best way to get a small child to accept Jesus into their heart. At the age of five hell wasn't as clear to me, but obviously a savior is needed if all other options get you endless torture when you die. Once the full picture of a never-ending Lake of Fire came into part of the narrative as I grew older I asked Jesus into my heart just in case once again. This was around the age of 8 or 9. 

Call it "fire insurance". 

You just can't be too safe when it comes to burning forever. Then into junior high, in one of the Wednesday night AWANA services, I watched some of those apocalyptic "end times" rapture movies from the 1970's called "Thief in the Night" and a new fear was born!-- The fear of being "left behind" in a world with an evil fascist new world order (called UNITE in the film), losing my Christian parents and everyone I knew. I thought maybe -- just maybe, I would have to live in a Walking Dead-type world. I would have to fend for myself, on the run from this tyrannical evil world government. I was terrified of having these creepy men wearing brown hoods (like some evil monks that worshiped Satan) coming after me to kidnap me. So, I was saved again for fear of being "left behind". Triple saved (so you know it's good).

I don't blame my family for raising me in a world in which they thought was the correct view of reality. What's the point? They too have evolved in some ways to adapt to new information and their worldview in many ways has loosened a bit since I was a young child. Change can be good and I think overall we've all changed for the better. I do think it is essential for us to have this discussion and to express how we feel about child indoctrination to our New Christian friends as they continue the pattern. Some atheist call it child abuse. That's a strong word I suppose, but I can agree with it in some ways. It is certainly taking a human at it's earliest cognitive years (where impression is so vital, raw, and malleable) and filling those gaps in knowledge with a very specific worldview of reality that is based in zero evidence and magic.

That's the issue. 

What's the alternative then? Well, you could start by being honest. By honesty I don't mean preaching to your children what you know in your heart is the right faith. I mean real global, worldly, historical, philosophical honesty! If you don't know better than maybe educate yourself about other worldviews before bringing a conscious being into the world. One should present religion as it is to their child - a set of beliefs by some people and a natural phenomenon throughout human history. Explain that religions have their own rule books they consider are "words of god" but contain some good information on ethical and moral living and some immoral ideas. Children are not stupid. They can decide from there what to do with all this information. Promote freethinking in the young. Explain to them that caging ideas and thoughts (which is what religion is at its worst) is the enemy. Think of this as promoting liberty for their young minds and raising up a child in truth and reality.

Felt board for Sunday school class:
http://www.amazon.com/Small-Deluxe-Flannel-Board-English/dp/B000TMB6MK

Salvation for Kids (YAY!)
http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-f005.html