21st Century Progressivism

Author: Michel Chattan

  • Is This What Armageddon Looks Like?

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    In the Bible, Armageddon is the place where a final battle will be fought between the forces of good and evil. Up until now we have not taken the rantings of the Christian Zionists seriously, but we have been aware of their lust for the final battle. Now they have us questioning ourselves. Are they mad? Or will they be allowed to demonstrate the righteousness of their cause by force? Is this what Armageddon looks like?

    The brutality of the assault on Gaza is something to behold. We’ve all experienced it in one way or another. The entire offensive has been a message to the people of Palestine. But it has been a message to the global population as well.

    This week, Israeli tanks entered the refugee camp at Rafah after the IDF set a large number of refugees on fire. It can be argued that the intentional, public cruelty of this act was meant to taunt the rest of the world. If so, Israel’s message is destructive of human organization on every level. It demands a response.

    A Response to Israel’s Latest Outrage

    Israel’s behavior represents a double threat to humanity. The Israelis’ willingness and ability to ignore public opinion is a threat for global politics. To trample on public opinion in this way signals the death of peaceful settlements everywhere, and it will have unforeseen consequences. But this pales in comparison to the second threat. When a state calmly broadcasts God’s approval for destruction of life and property, and when its powerful secular allies assist in the carnage, it makes a mockery of religion. The fact that Israel has turned democratic politics into a joke is serious enough; Israel’s religious claims threaten religion itself. This is more serious by far because religion anchors a benign, universal human reality.

    Again we question ourselves: do the stories of Old Testament violence represent ancient history, or are they are a recurring part of human reality? Is this drama somehow necessary?

    Personally, I don’t think so. Let’s continue with this line of thought.

    The Discordant Element in Israel’s Campaign

    It is encouraging that there is a major discordant element in Israel’s campaign. The discordant element is that the Israelis and their allies act as if they have nothing to fear, yet they are compelled to broadcast their excuses to the world. Apparently public opinion is democratic. It demands to be assuaged. How strange.

    You could say the strangeness of it demonstrates that political and military might have no relation to religious power. In fact, they contradict one another. For example, why bother with propaganda if God is on your side? Does God need human approval? And if the Israelis and their allies are able to depend on military superiority to prevail over their ‘enemies’, what do they need God for?

    Where is God in This?

    Perhaps God represents permission for military conquest. If so, it’s not exactly God who gives permission, is it? They argue that the Bible, or history, ‘proves’ the Jews have a right to Palestine. And the Holocaust somehow proves it as well. But military superiority is always there in the background. However, leaving aside the biblical and historical claims, military superiority does not really belong to Israel. It is a function of her allies. Her secular allies.

    The Christian Zionists deal with this unfortunate fact as follows. The secular nature of Israel’s western allies is actually important part of the story. They point to King Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple in 538 BC. And they imagine this history will be repeated in our time, with their help. The fact that Cyrus was not Jewish allows Cyrus to be compared to Israel’s secular allies and specifically, to Donald Trump, who is not religious.

    One could ask why Israel needs Trump to be president when anyone in Washington would support Israel just as well. Apparently, it’s the Christian Zionists who ‘need’ Trump. Perhaps they think Trump will bring our secular experiment to an end.

    Question: if this is what Armageddon looks like, why bother?

  • Christmas 2023

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I want to quickly share a few videos and sermons that have come to my attention since I wrote the last article. It is my opinion that theologians would best address questions that were raised in that article about the nature of God. Some of the following links address this question. I’ve also included related videos. There is one criticizing Zionism and the latest pro-Palestinian protest. Also included is a Christian service from St. Peter’s Basilica and a video of Royal Hours for the Nativity of Our Lord from the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in North Dakota. Happy Christmas 2023.

    Bishop Robert Barron – He will rule forever.

    Double Down News – “Jesus Would Be Killed in Gaza”

    Seyyed Hossein Nasr – Does God Make Sense?

    Lauren Booth – Rabbis Expose Zionist Genocide

    Reuters – Palestinian Christians replace Christmas festivities with a sombre vigil in Bethlehem

    Not the Andrew Marr Show – Christmas protests for Gaza!

    Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church – Royal Hours for the Nativity of Our Lord

    I would also like to share a Bible verse from Bishop Barron that is an important addition to the article Political Zionism is an Anachronism. That article related that Hebrew nationalism was made extinct after a Babylonian monarch, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the Jewish state. As a result, the Hebrew religion changed. It came to worship a God who was no longer tribal and confined to a specific territory. Now God was universal and concerned for all mankind. The experience of exile and the new understanding of God that accompanied the exiles cut the bond between religion and nationality.

    The verse from Bishop Barron is Hebrews 13:14. I’ll share verses 9 through 14.

    Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats; which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

    We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

    For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

    Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

    Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

    For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

    Hebrews 13: 9-14

  • No Christmas for Bethlehem

    Reading Time: 4 minutes
    No Christmas for Bethlehem
    Learning How to Keep Christmas

    Now that Gaza as been destroyed and her people are starving and dying of infection and disease, our conversation can’t help but change. We no longer feel we are talking to fellow beings when we address our elected officials. And anyway, there is nothing left of the world we hoped to save. Both physical infrastructure and human life have been destroyed. For survivors in Gaza and their sympathizers, the mental and spiritual wounds will never go away. And now we are hearing that there will be no Christmas for Bethlehem. After everything that has happened, Christmas has been shrouded by the misery of Gaza. My prayer is that this realization will shake our world view. Maybe it will even teach us what it really means to keep Christmas.

    I wrote previously that the time has come to prepare for the next life. I said Gaza reminds us that Death comes for everyone. Today, Americans see this possibility more clearly when our own government ignores our cries for mercy. We feel we are kin to the Palestinians more than to the political establishment. But I’ve discovered that we need to clear a theological path so that they can walk beside us.

    I became aware of this need by watching this video by Dr. Ali Ataie on religious Zionism. I explained in a previous article that Morris Jastrow was sympathetic to a certain kind of religious Zionism. But there is another version that Jastrow would have considered heretical. In his video, Dr. Ataie explains this second type of religious Zionism. However, the part of the video I want to talk about is near the end. It has to do with his concern about the nature of the Judeo-Christian God. This concern is especially relevant today because of Netanyahu’s use of Old Testament passages to justify the destruction of Gaza.

    If I understand him correctly I think he is presenting questions that he can’t avoid asking. He is trying to understand a concept that is necessary to his own faith.

    How do Muslims understand the Jewish and Christian God?

    The Christians say they believe in the God of Abraham, but then they say that the genocidal God of Deuteronomy 20 is not Christian. He is the Jewish God. This is not satisfactory.

    Dr. Ataie mentions the word Perichoresis. According to Cambridge Core,

    ‘Perichoresis (perichoresis, circumincessio) is a theological term which describes the ‘necessary being-in-one-another or circumincession of the three divine Persons of the Trinity because of the single divine essence, the eternal procession of the Son from the Father and of the Spirit from the Father and (through) the Son, and the fact that the three Persons are distinguished solely by the relations of opposition between them.’ 

    Cambridge Core

    I think the Cambridge article attempts to explain away any confusion, but I’m not sure it was successful. According to Dr. Ataie Muslims have a difference of opinion with the anti-Zionist Jews who describe the problem as a mistaken definition. The anti-Zionist Jews claim that the Zionist Jews got the meaning wrong. I think it is understandable if this doesn’t provide much comfort when bombs are falling.

    Genesis 1:28 has similar genocidal language. Some try to explain this away by saying that it only applies to the generation of Moses. Others claim it never actually happened. But Ataie argues that current beliefs matter. And they really do matter in Palestine today. All things considered, it’s hard to argue with him.

    Concerning the Christian concept of God, Ataie is also aware that the Logos became Jesus of Nazareth. Or is is it more correct to say the Logos is Jesus of Nazareth? I haven’t studied this concept, and I’m not sure it would help if I had.

    Logos theology is a theology of presence without division. It is a way of unification, of which the incarnation is the greatest visible example.

    1517.org

    What does Morris Jastrow say?

    If someone had asked me these questions a week ago, I would have cited Jastrow. He said the Prophets ushered in a new conception of religion that cut the bond between religion and nationality. As a result, religion became the concern of the individual and not the group. As for the nature of God, the Prophets announced that pleasing Yahweh would now depend on each individual’s obedience to certain principles, as opposed to the group’s obedience. In this way, the national Yahweh was transformed into a universal Jehovah.

    Jastrow calls this new religious concept the religion of the Prophets and explains that this process happened in phases. Judaism emerged out of Hebrew nationalism only after the destruction of the Jewish state.

    Does this answer Dr. Ataie’s questions? Because now I have some questions of my own.

    Where was God in all of this? Or who was God? Unless I’ve missed something, it’s not clear if God himself changed or the Hebrews merely changed their view of God.

    These questions don’t shake my sense of the God I pray to, but I’m not being bombed by a crazed tribal deity. And I’m not Arab or Muslim. Does this description of God make more sense to a Western reader than it would to an Arab reader?

    Hopefully, theologians can help us deal with these questions. It’s important because unless we can establish a common base of understanding and trust, nothing we say will be helpful.

  • Recognizing and Fostering a Better World

    Reading Time: 2 minutesWe are watching the old world disintegrate while eagerly waiting for the new world to reveal itself. As we navigate through this transitional period, we will explore ancient practices and principles that have shaped the human race. We also also must acknowledging the horrors that currently pass for civilization. This process of recognizing and fostering a better world will include identifying ancient ideas that contribute to the disintegration of our world.

    Who are 21st Century Progressives and what do they want?

    21st Century Progressivism is not confined to a single political or social movement. Instead, it encompasses a wide range of individuals and groups who are united in their desire to pave the way for a better world. It is a mindset that transcends traditional and national boundaries to address the pressing issues of our time.

    One of the key aspects of 21st Century Progressivism is the recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings and the environment. This holistic approach acknowledges that the well-being of humanity is intricately linked to the health of the planet. It encourages us to adopt sustainable practices and work towards a harmonious coexistence with nature.

    Key principles

    The most important principle of 21st Century Progressivism is probably the promotion of social justice and equality. It seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and discrimination, and advocates for inclusivity and fairness for all. This includes addressing issues such as racial inequality, gender discrimination, and economic disparities.

    21st Century Progressivism emphasizes the importance of education and critical thinking. It encourages individuals to question prevailing norms and ideologies, and to seek knowledge from diverse sources. By fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity, progressivism aims to empower individuals to actively participate in shaping a better world.

    We also call for a shift in our economic systems. We challenge the notion that unlimited growth and consumption are the ultimate goals. Instead, we advocate for sustainable and equitable economic practices. This includes supporting local businesses, promoting fair trade, and reevaluating our relationship with money and material possessions.

    What is required of us?

    As we embark on this journey of exploring 21st Century Progressivism, it is important to remember that change starts from within. Each of us has the power to contribute to a better world, whether it is through small acts of kindness or larger efforts to advocate for systemic change.

    Let us embrace the principles of 21st Century Progressivism and work together to create a future that is more compassionate, just, and sustainable. The old world may be disintegrating, but the seeds of a new world are being sown. It is up to us to nurture and cultivate them.