Vera Verba

Pope Benedict XVI released his second encyclical letter today, entitled “Spe Salvi” - or “Hope Saves”. This is basically an open letter from the Pope to all Catholics. However, it is not an Ex Cathedra communication, so the views expressed in it are the Pope’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Catholic religion or any sponsoring deity(s).

In the letter, the Pope blames atheism as the cause of the many atrocities committed in the name of Communism in the 20th century. He also points to the ideological remains of communism, continuing to live on in more capitalistic cultures even as previously communist states have left these failed ideas behind, as the cause of rising atheism in Europe and North America. The overall theme of the letter is that faith equals hope, that atheism causes misery, and that religion that reaches out and embraces others will save the world.

The English translation of the letter can be found here:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html

Now I have to give the Holy Father credit here, because he is definitely correct about some of his causality. He is right that Communism could not have seized complete control without minimizing the influence of Christianity. He is also correct that the left over influences of communism (often called progressivism) is definitely playing a role in the current reduction of Christianity in Europe and North America. But (and this is a really big but) in extolling the virtues of hope/faith he is missing the fact that it is actually faith that causes the big problems.

While it is true that the communists didn’t believe in GOD, they definitely had faith in The State, and their belief in the greater good allowed them to do some terrible things. The Nazis also had their own religion that gave them hope/faith in the natural superiority of the Aryan race, and perhaps they even thought the old Norse gods would lend them a hand or hammer. And belief in a monotheistic GOD has no shortage of culpability for atrocities. The Catholic church of the middle ages, in full control of the show, committed acts of torture and genocide that, if they do not actually surpass the death toll records of communism and fascism, at least put it up on the score board as a respectable third runner. (And please note that these results are not yet final.)

The truth is that peace and prosperity have never been achieved through the dominance of a single ideology over the minds of a group of people. Historically, where we see times of peace and prosperity, we see separation of power and co-dominance of ideas. Where no single philosophy is allowed to gain too much power, no one is persecuted and new ideas are given a fair hearing.

The free exchange of ideas creates a better world for us all.

The creeping effect of too much faith is why I sometimes refer to hope as the “slowest evil.” This is also a reference to the fable of Pandora’s box. She was said to have a box containing all the evils in the world. Then one day she foolishly opened the box to look inside. As all the evils in the world started to escape, she quickly closed the box again, but Hope was the only thing she managed to keep from escaping. The fact that Hope was in the box at all implies that it was one of the evils that the box contained.

Hope can indeed be evil, or at least lead to evil - that is if it is an irrational hope. There is nothing wrong with being optimistic rather than pessimistic when those are the only two choices, but never discount being realistic whenever you can be. Maintaining hope/faith when it is unwarranted is a sort of evil. When your hope is proved wrong, it should be abandoned. Not doing so is to abandon reason instead.

Gradual change from optimistic hope to irrational faith is the course run by every ideology that turns to evil means to accomplish its ends. Hope that they are doing the right thing becomes faith that they are doing the right thing becomes the knowledge that they can do no wrong.

When people believe they can do no wrong, they are rarely found to do anything right.

In the book “God Wants You Dead,” Paul and I explain that religious and political philosophies are sub categories of a type of ideological entity that we call “collective idea-organisms.” We show how such multicellular ideological constructs, existing across many minds, will turn individual hope/faith to their own (often evil) ends. We try to show the reader how the story of humanity is the story of the evolution of, and competition between such ideological entities. (We also included funny cartoons to lighten the mood ;-)

But let’s get back to what the Pope thinks is happening today. He recognizes that his own particular faith is on the decline in Europe and North America, and that something else is on the rise. He calls it atheism, but is that really what it is? Is it just the absence of his particular religion, or is it actually the encroachment of another ideology that is very much like a religion? Is there a new collective idea-organism battling Christianity for mind share - mental territory?

Looking at the ideology of the modern Western world, I fear that a new collective idea-organism is indeed on the rise. It has moved more quickly in Europe, where the rise and fall of fascism and communism significantly weakened Christianity, leaving an ideological void to be filled. In North America, Christianity is still strong enough to give it some resistance, so this new ideology is gaining strength more slower there.

This new collective idea-organism is known as Environmentalism, and it is indeed using the remains of communist/socialist/progressive philosophy to advance its cause. It is a new religion where the idea of a “Divine Plan” is replaced by the concept of “Natural Order,” and it certainly offers its own ideas about morality. It could probably be part of an overall climate of peace and prosperity, just as Christianity has been in various places at various times, but only if there is separation of powers and other ideas are allowed to exist in a state of co-dominance. Given full control, this collective idea-organism will be just as dangerous as any other.

If Environmentalism is allowed to take full control of any government, we are likely to see as much evil as we might expect from any religious oligarchy or other form of totalitarianism. This seems particularly likely when you consider that Environmentalism starts out openly containing an idea that most other ideologies end up with only when things start to go very bad - the idea that individual human lives are not of paramount importance.

If you are a person who is infected with the collective idea-organism of Environmentalism, you may now think I am an evil person for saying these things - that I must be a tool of the earth-hating corporate devils. But please consider that when you find yourself inclined to think that someone is evil, simply because they hold opinions that are contrary to your own, that this is an indication that something is bending your mind in an extremely unpleasant direction. Please also consider that your hope/faith that your cause is good may some day lead to a great deal of harm, should you let go of your ability to rationally question the dogma.

Just as not every person who thinks of themselves as a Christian is an evolution-denying fundamentalist who believes the earth is only 6000 years old, not every person who thinks of themselves as an Environmentalist is an intellectual slave to an ideology that promotes nature over man. But I have seen the passion that Environmentalism inspires in some, and I really do fear its potential to evolve into a more harmful Enviro-fundamentalism.

There is nothing wrong with the altruistic idea that one should minimize one’s impact on shared resources. But this does not mean that you should buy into everything that anyone attempts to sell to you in the name of Environmentalism. You must ALWAYS question each new idea separately, and be willing to abandon old ideas as new evidence dictates. If you refuse to allow multiple ideas to bundle together under a single label, and continue to question old and new ideas, then no collective idea-organism will ever be able to control your mind.

And try not to allow yourself to be labeled. If you don’t buy into the group label, then it is easier to think for yourself. Instead of thinking of yourself as a Christian, think of yourself as a person who sees many important truths in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Instead of thinking of yourself as an Environmentalist, think of yourself as a person who sees the wisdom in considering the impact on shared resources before acting.

Or to quote the great Ferris Beuller:

It’s not that I condone fascism… or any “ism” for that matter. “Isms” in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an “ism,” he should believe in himself.