PS: I just realised you have to register with the LA Times to read this and I can't work out how I got in in the first place. Anyway, it's free and worth it.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
William Lobdell's Loss of Faith
This is a long but extraordinarily engrossing article by William Lobdell, who was the LA Times religious columnist. He lost his faith because of the job. Part of the fascination lies in the exotica of American religion. There is, for example, the Mormon Jello-O belt and it is quite amazing that former Mormons hold conferences. There is also the usual cast of high-living Holy Rollers. Equally fascinating - and equally American - are the glimpses into Lobdell's mind. In prayer, for example, he senses God has a plan for him - 'To write about religion for The Times and bring light into the newsroom, if only by my stories and example.' But the big theme is the clash between faith and institutional brutality and corruption. The suffering this causes Lobdell is acute. Anyway, just to say, this is a very rare kind of read - unpretentious, informative and moving.
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
From the article:
ReplyDeleteShouldn't religious organizations, if they were God-inspired and -driven, reflect higher standards than government, corporations and other groups in society?
Obviously not, although not many folks argue that the response to corruption in government and corporations should be to abolish them.
Shrewd point, Peter. But it is Lobdell's extremity that is so fascinating and, when it comes to faith, american.
ReplyDeleteI went to look at the article but in order to register had to give details of annual income. Would I have been denied access if I earned too much or too little? I decided not to put that to the test. Perhaps some more of your readers will add to Peter's quotation and the article will appear in installments on your blog.
ReplyDeleteLie, Monix, it is the royal road to truth.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Bryan. There are lots of Christian countries and Christianity is apprently expanding rapidly around the world, but only one country has creationist theme parks, Microsoft-sized televangelism and a propensity for asking lower court judges to rule on the origins of life in packed courtrooms. As a veteran of many debates with bright, secular Americans on religion, I've been struck by how firmly they associate religion with this kind of in-your-face literalism so foreign to the rest of us, even to the point of taunting me as a hypocrite for not believing in it. Not believing in it? I don't even recognize it.
ReplyDeleteBut as with many things American, it is easy to fix on the high-profile, garish extremes and mock them as mainstream when they are not. American religion is a lot richer than that. And there is, of course, a complementary in-your-face literalism on the other side. A few years ago, my family and I were driving to Florida for a vacation. Just beside the Interstate in East Tennessee was the hugest, most offensive triple xxx porn outlet I've ever seen--huge, flashing neon lights set in the rolling hills of a nice-looking suburb, etc. It was appalling. On the property right beside it was the tallest, brightest wide-beamed cross I've likewise ever seen, set strategically to tower over the outlet. I remember thinking: "Wow, we have a debate going here. This beats blogging."
Monix, I had the same concerns about giving details of annual income and stopped the registration process at that point. However, I was able to view the article by typing 'William Lobdell' into the LAT's search box. It immediately threw up the article.
ReplyDeleteEither you have the gift of faith or you don't. It's not a choice. It can't be willed into existence. And there's no faking it if you're honest about the state of your soul.
ReplyDeleteThis strikes me as the crux, and perhaps the beginning of true wisdom, that simple humanity and compassion will trump faith any day. And what a tough journey Lobdell has had to get to this point, not least the notion that if I believe I am hearing the Will of God through prayer, how can I know whether I am really only hearing my deepest wants and delusions played back to me in a frighteningly convincing way.
Thanks for this link to such an excellent article. Personally I'd burn the Vatican to the ground (artworks removed first) but I'll admit that's a little extreme for some. In the meantime, the question still remains: how do we shake off the prison of self?
It's not really a long article. I suspect that's the Internet conning us into thinking that more than a few paragraphs must mean epic and forbidding.
Well, Mark, we can all agree humanity and compassion are wonderful things worth cherishing and encouraging. But, at the risk of slipping into a seriousness unbecoming to this blog, that begs the question of where they come from. Many today seem to be convinced they started accidently long ago with a freakish genetic mutation in some icky little creature. Could be, but you will appreciate some of us who have tried to observe this vale of tears carefully suspect they started with a shared submission to "Thou shalt not."
ReplyDelete'Unbecoming to this blog'! I am hurt.
ReplyDeleteDon't you know the first commandment for blogmeisters: Thou shalt not be hurt!.
ReplyDeletecareful with those passive-aggressive commandments!
ReplyDeleteBryan, as I grew up with the Los Angeles Times in its heyday, when delivery men were said to have accidentally killed more than one small dog while pitching the ten-pound Sunday edition out the window of their cars, I find it a shadow of its former self. I'm not all that sure that even free registration is worth it. Be that as it may, that was a good story.
ReplyDeleteTo those who don't want to answer the income question: Lie! It's ok. If you really want to screw up their demographics, report the absolute minimum income rendering your visits there useless to the few advertisers they have left.
Peter Burnett wrote: "Well, Mark, we can all agree humanity and compassion are wonderful things worth cherishing and encouraging. But, at the risk of slipping into a seriousness unbecoming to this blog, that begs the question of where they come from."
ReplyDeleteWorrying about where they come is a great way to worry yourself to an early grave. Stop worrying, I would suggest. It doesn't matter an iota either way. "Kill them all, God will know His own" is what happens when people start thinking faith is the supreme virtue. Reality, as they say, is beyond religion (thank the gods, etc.). Btw, I have just enjoyed a most heavenly chocolate ice-cream.
Thanks to johntyh for the tip; lies work too but remember to give a false email address as well as income details. Excellent article, worth lying for.
ReplyDeleteMark:
ReplyDeleteYou know, whenever I used to think about the Old Testament patriarchs trying to work out the details of that new-fangled monotheism, I always imagined them faced with constant, determined opposition from those Baal-lovers arguing non-stop, or worse. Now I see their real challenge was coping with neighbours who said: "Hey, Abe, you worry too much. One god, three gods, lotsa gods, what does it matter? Let's just roast the darn goat and boogie."
Glad you enjoyed the heavenly ice cream. Sadly, today I can only look forward to a decidedly materialist banana.
For those not keen on registering, www.bugmenot.com is usually helpful.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lostfaith21jul21,0,3530015,full.story?coll=la-home-center
ReplyDelete