Process

Robert,

i haven’t read elton john’s comments. perhaps i don’t need to smell the aroma of his argument. i agree with you.

you know, william t. cavanaugh notes that the defention of religion is a fabricated idea in and of itself. it is a weapon. it is a term defined by the “modern state” in efforts to particularize ideas, isolate people, and destroy social bodies that might have a joint agenda. his argument goes: in the post-reformational period, poweful people began to expand territories and claim dominion in places with mixed religious groups. as a result these changes in geography stimulated warfare. this has been popularly dubbed the wars of religion. this is a mosnomer. instead, cavanaugh argues that the development of “statehood” created confusion in loyalty. those who had seen the ecclesiastic body as the highest governing authority now dealt with new lines on the map. as a result the state declared itself the “big brother” that would prevent opposing doctrinal groups from killing one another. they (the state) told this story and are still telling it. they claimed that this private affair, “religion”, was not to be in the hands of the ruling authorities but was private. prior to this it couldn’t be imagined that faith was so compartmentalized. faith diminshed and the state’s salvation encroached on the land in was forced out of. every time we hear someone condemn religion and its inherent violelnce we realize that the state’s lies have rooted themselves. the sates saves. that’s their story. for they wish everyone under their jurisdiction to believe that they are the only ones wise and capable enough to wield violence…of course for ouw “own good”.

thus the irony. religion for elton john is hateful while it is the state in which he lives that wields the largest sword. terms (religion, unity, plurality, etc.) are weapons used to condemn social groupings (i.e. churches) so that they can validate their need for other weapons (i.e. guns, prison, and economic sanction).

mr. John is merely a pawn spouting the beliefs of his big brother. he cannot see for he has no eyes to see says Isaiah. (he does wear dark glasses)

-ryan