Hope to believe in God - Why?

Who are the Nones? [1]

They “constitute the nation’s [The US] fastest-growing religious demographic.” The Nones “may not believe in God, but we [the author is a self-professed None] hope to one day.” The why of this hope is articulated nowhere.

They, about 12% of the people in a survey, claim “no religious affiliation at all.” However, the same survey indicated 93% of Americans said “they believe in a higher power,” presumably, God. This “holds true for most Nones,” the author explains.  Here is the mathematical disconnect between religion and God. 93 and 12 add to something more than 100, if I am not wrong.

The newspaper article under reference tries to make sense out of the numbers thrown up by the survey and ends up, alas, being nonsense.

“Apparently a growing number of Americans are running from organized religion,” the author says, implying that religion can be, even if not disorganized, unorganized. Perhaps, private religion? This confusion is compounded when the author later asks, “[H]ow to talk about the private nature of religion publicly?” He assumes, apparently quite confounded by his line of thinking that private religion has to be talked about in public.

Lest you do not catch the distinction between religion and God, the article says that the people who are running from organized religion are “by no means running from God.” Blame the co-option of the debate about God by the “True Believers” (TB) and “Angry Atheists” (AB). The Nones have nowhere to hide. They neither like the TBs nor agree with the AAs. Hence they became Nones. And, politics helped.

The author refers to the ideas of two academics, David Campbell and Robert Putnam, who are paraphrased as, “we’ve mixed politics and religion so completely that many simply opt out of both; …they [Nones] are reluctant to claim a religious affiliation because they don’t want the political one that comes along with it.” This may not be farfetched, but it is claimed that the Christmas Holiday season helps to, “reconnect with our religious heritage.” The implication is that politics does not play during this season. That could be so, but an even more insidious virus is at work, commercialization of the season. It is like, “Chose your poison, politicization or commercialization!”

Religion, and also unfortunately the tag-along God, are brought into the public space through shopping! Every mall in the US sports a few white bearded, red clad, potbellied Santa Claus. That is religion for you. Oops! God for you! Better than the burning bush!

The author helpfully says that it was when he came out of a health scare he became a None. It was a crisis of faith that drove him off the AA cliff and stopped him from climbing the TB cliff all the way. He fell between the stools.

And, he blames God. The Semitic God has not been too much fun to be around (you must remember that Christianity has none like our mischievous, womanizing, ras leelaesque Lord Krishna). The God of Abraham is eternally angry because His folks are disobedient (who will not be when you ask them not to steal and do other fun things, like having fun with the neighbor’s wife?). “He is constantly judging and smiting.” No wonder Christian religious leaders are a dour lot. Wet blankets.

But the Nones find that any God is better than no God. Hence they like Dalai Lama, who “Laughs, often and well.” They transfer Dalai Lama’s smile onto the Buddha’s. Now, I know the secret of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; he too smiles often and well; and not for him the matted hair of our erstwhile sages.

But, how to get back to Christianity? You have to have the entrepreneurial spirit of a Steve Jobs. There must be a “new way of being religious,” that does not offend God, of course. And, it may do a whole lot of good to have Him named iGod (following Jobs)! This new way “would be straight forward and unencumbered and absolutely intuitive.” The author imagines “a religious space that celebrates doubt, encourages experimentation and allows one to utter the word God without embarrassment.” This is the height of nonsense.

If a religion allows doubt it stops being a religion. If it allows experimentation, it stops being a religion. If you accept the first two, the third comes automatically.

Why would you ever be embarrassed about something meaningless?

Raghuram Ekambaram

References

1.    Americans: Undecided about God? Eric Weiner, The New York Times, December 10, 2011