Two for Tuesday – Daniel Dennett

Of the numerous Dan Dennett videos available online, these rank pretty high among my favorites. I especially like what he says about teaching children at an early age about the different religions, giving them only the facts and allowing them to make their own choices.

11 years ago, when I was 23, I thought I had to be born again at the Pentecostal church my father went to. I believed that my father’s having made the choice to be in my life again after 7 years was a sign from God and that I should worship where he worshiped. I thought God had a purpose for my life and I was convinced by their church’s militant leaders that it meant converting the world to (their particular brand of) Christianity.

Well, the other day I had lunch with my sister at one of my favorite restaurants (Empress of China on Dort. Hwy — simply the best General Tso’s ever, but I digress) and seated at the table next to us was the woman who taught my Three-Dimensional Design class back in 1997 when I attended the Flint Institute of Arts through Mott College. I had to laugh at the obvious dichotomy of how I used to think back then and how I think now. I talked to my sister about how, in my misinformed naivete, I believed that most of the people in that class were going to Hell, even though I sincerely liked them by the time the semester was over. I believed that even though I was officially “saved” I was also risking a trip to Hell because I enjoyed the company of a young man who happened to be an incredibly talented artist and who tried to debunk my belief in God on several occasions — once by pointing out that the act of bowing in prayer was actually a throw back to Ancient Egypt when people worshiped Min, the God of Reproduction by getting on their knees to kiss his statue penis. I thought that the gay Wiccan girls in the class were cool but Satanic. I thought the instructor's Golden Bull statue was beautiful, albeit a glorification of a false idol and therefore, she too was sadly among the lost. There they were, showing me who they really were inside, inadvertently educating me about their beliefs and doing their best to tolerate my dogmatic fundamentalist opinions without ostracizing me. There I was, standing in judgment of their very “souls”.

I often think about that class and what I learned from that small talented group of artists, not just during the course of that semester, but over the years as my opinion of religion has changed so dramatically. I can look back and pinpoint a time in my life when I was completely blinded by faith. When I remember that class, I remember a time when I was a condemner of souls. I remember voicing my emphatic viewpoint and spouting off Bible verses, convinced it was my personal God-given duty to convert them all.

I was wrong. Not just wrong, I was fractally wrong.

Many times I have wished that I could run into those individuals again and tell them I have changed. If only we could take the class again together, this time I would be open to their concepts and ideas. I would be interested in their beliefs and ask questions about how those have changed since 1997. I would not fear their friendship because I no longer believe I will go to Hell based on who I associate with. If I had physical attraction for any of them, I would not feel shame or resort to praying for hours on end to rid myself of temptations of the flesh. I would grok without judging. I would rejoice in our differences.

Anyway, as it turns out, I didn't get a chance to approach her as we were leaving; she was dining with a friend and I didn't want to interrupt their meal. I'm sure she has left a huge impression on many students over the years and that I am probably just one of hundreds who respected her approach to teaching. Perhaps she wouldn't have even remembered me if I had walked up to her. Certainly made me chuckle to think that if she had, it would probably have been one of those oh-yeah-she's-that-super-religious-nutso-from-a-decade-ago kind of moments. Funny noteworthy coincidence, just a couple days ago I opened a gardening book I've had on the shelf forever and a slip of paper fell out. It was my report card from that very course. I got a 4.0. I do hope I run into her again someday so I can thank her for seeing past my bigotry and not allowing my jackassedness to affect my grade. In the meantime, I'm preserving this piece of paper in my daily journal to serve as a reminder of my personal growth.

In closing, I want to share this little bit of text I found quite enlightening…

Eskimo: “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?”
Priest: “No, not if you did not know.”
Eskimo: “Then why did you tell me?”
-Annie Dillard

This is my official stance on religious missionary work et all. I'll save my rant about my (possibly extremist) views on boycotting religiously tainted charitable organizations like the Salvation Army who like to indoctrinate desperate people when they are most vulnerable for another time.

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