religion

They Don’t Believe, But They Believe

by

Honestly, do the various grifters, fake gurus, and political pundits believe their own shit? That’s a question I hear a lot in the spheres I run in. Perhaps it says something about the time – or humanity – if we have to ask, “does this libertarian selling crystal shorts that protect your genitals from 5G believe what he’s selling?”

However, I don’t think the issue is one that always has a yes or no answer. The question is what do these grifters believe themselves and what do they want you to believe?

Let’s take a look at some of the bizarre magical/supernatural/New Age practices that set off our bullshit detectors. You know the ones, where someone has “discovered new energy centers via a Lunar download” or provides an insanely complex map of colored rays that connect you to aliens. The stuff that looks wrong in part because it’s described in just the right way to get attention.

Sure it may be a load of holy horse crap, but what happens to people taking these practices seriously? Does it just occupy their minds with crap – so they can be sold more crap? Does it drive dependency on the guru or make your mind mushy? Any of us with some mystical experience know certain practices can really mess you up.

The metaphysical grifters may not believe in their practice. But they do believe it will affect you and it may not be in a way that’s good for you – but it’s good for their bottom line.

The same can be said for political grifters and opportunists who clearly are selling people policies that make believer’s lives worse. People who complain about taxes will vote for politicians who cut taxes on the far more wealthy while raising those of the complainers. Politicians will blame someone of another skin color for drug problems created by giant pharmaceutical companies. It’s very obvious – and it keeps working.

What the grifters sell you works but for them to get power and money. They don’t necessarily believe it but it’s a tool.

And behind all that? Well the grifters and opportunists and gurus may have actual beliefs. I suspect they’re also way more disturbing than many want to admit.

Look at the mystical would-be Space Shamans and Cosmic Love grifters. They’re making bank selling you all sorts of made-up stuff, usually by re-purposing what others do. But how much metaphysical malarkey do they believe? Perhaps they really do think all those controlled souls empower them or that they’re in contact with ancient gods – they just don’t want to spill the goods to their victims.

The political grifters? Well it’s often clear they believe something but they don’t want to admit it. Many a grifter has a barely-disguised philosophy of some kind, though it’s usually “how do I get more power.” They usually have some kind of plan, so something is clearly in their heads..

(For some reason it seems these political types believe more than the New Rage guru types, which is probably worth it’s own exploration.)

Next time you see someone selling Cosmic Witch Ray Charts, Crystal 5G Negating Shoes, or The Solution To Your Money Problems By Electing me don’t ask “do they believe or not.” Ask what they really believe and what they want others to believe.

The two probably don’t line up, but belief is there. Figuring out what is important to understanding them – and dealing with the crap they foisted upon us.

(Shout out to Nonsense Bazaar (https://thenonsensebazaar.com/) for being the core inspiration for this post.)

– Xenofact

Devotion Via Little Free Library

by

I’m fan of Little Free Libraries. If you’re not familiar with them, the idea is that you set up a cabinet or shelf for books (preferably outdoors) and people can take or leave a book. It’s pretty simple, but I’ve seen them all over, and there’s even a relatively organized movement (https://littlefreelibrary.org/). I’ve used many as they’re prominent where I live, and I hope to start one pending some yard remodeling.

As nice as they are – and I encourage you to support and even start one – I also use them in religious devotionals and invocation, and want to share what I do.

First, select an deity-appropriate book to donate. You could:

  • Take one out of your personal library that you no longer read or are done with. It’s a good way to make space, show respect, and share something you’ve vetted.
  • Buy ones at a local bookstore or used bookstore. I’ve written before about how you can even invoke the spirits of the store. Plus it supports local businesses!

Next, find a Little Free Library. You can find some online or at the link above. Select one that fits whatever god you’re invoking if you can.

Finally – and obviously – go to the Library, make an appropriate invocation to your chosen deity, and put the book in the Little Free Library. Be discreet since these are public places and run by people who put time and effort into maintaining them.

It’s simple, effective, and good for your community! Because you put thought into it, it also helps connect you with your chosen deity and what you value, making it great no matter how you regard the divine (which I’ve written about). You also put money into local businesses – if that’s where you make your purchases.

I’ve taken to keeping a pile of deity-appropriate books around, which helps as I often check out local bookstores on my urban hikes. I also make donations parts of my regular exercise, walking to appropriate Little Free Libraries. Come to think of, this method is also good for my muscle tone and cardio.

So give this one a try. Let me know how it goes – and how you innovate!

– Xenofact

Racism, Hell, and Insecurity

by

Many strains of American Christianity have a racism paradox.  They are clearly bigoted in past and present actions, often embodied by their adherents and leaders in ways subtle and gross (and grotesque).  Now such bigotries clearly would go against almost any sane interpretation of Jesus, a pleasant fellow by all accounts who invited people to love each other and never set down any racial boundaries.  However we see such bigotries with painful clarity in our culture today (specially, 2023) even as some of these strains of Christianity seek to control our country.

I’ve also noticed a peculiar brittleness in practitioners of these bigoted strains of Christianity.  There’s a defensiveness and an anger, a kind of fear of a person who feels something can break any moment.  It may manifest as bravado or ever-speedier speech, but there’s something there that’s delicate.  I want to discuss this behavior, these moments of fearful eyes, cracked voices, and aggressive yet confused postures easily apparent in newscasts, recordings, and fundraisers.

(I am aware American Christianity has other sins, but I focus on this brittleness because it is a problem in America, and it utterly flies in the face of most interpretations of Jesus.  Honestly, the man deserves better.)

In exploring this brittleness, this insecurity that boils up in these strains of Christianity when they confront racism, it’s necessary to discuss the idea of Hell.  In popular Christianity the idea is simple – you get judged when you die and irrevocably go to the afterlife, which may include eternal torment for being a bad person.  Now I would argue that actual biblical literalism would argue for a resurrection, but again this is what is believed.

Now if you believe that bad people go to Hell, and one is a Christian where one is called to love people by Christ, then being a racist, simply means you’d possibly go to Hell.  I mean one is not just hating people, but not helping them when in need and quite possibly harming them directly and indirectly.  In fact, to spout racist rhetoric is to slander a person, and Jesus was pretty against that too (Matthew 5:22).

(It’s really hard to read the New Testament and imagine Jesus being fine with racism.  Of course many people try to imagine him being fine with many terrible things, but those take effort as well.)

This means many bigoted Christians are caught in a trap of fearing damnation but also very obviously doing what Jesus said would get you damned.  The racism is so ingrained in their culture – as history has sadly shown – they can’t give it up despite this fear.  Thus they have to go through many psychological acrobatics to ignore it.

And this is if they believe at all and aren’t just trying to cover up the stark truth that they’re just lying (and if caught, a better liar will steal their grift).

Thus I believe that the brittleness we see in bigoted Christians confronting their racism is in part due to this dichotomy.  Having internalized racism as part of their religion – yet not being able to reconcile it – there’s often that low level itch of “I am a bad person and am going to hell.”  To fear eternal damnation and continue to court it in your mind has to be, well, rather hellish.

Further, as one tries to reconcile blistering racial hatred with Jesus, one has to consider past actions.  American history has plenty of Christians excusing and participating in horrible racist atrocities.  To look at the words of Jesus and the threat of damnation is to open your mind to the possibility an enormous amount of your ancestors are eternally in the grip of Satan forever.

Obviously a book could be written on bigotry, the fear of damnation, and Christianity.  I certainly won’t explore it in a blog post or simple musing.  But I think as we deal with American Christianity and racism, it’s important to keep in mind this brittleness.  There’s a fundamental tension some American Christians have gnawing at the back of their minds – being racist and fearing damnation for it.

And as we deal with their actions and plays for power, we’ll want to keep that in mind.

– Xenofact