Beginning with a disciple’s act of striking with a sword to the beatings
Jesus received to the flogging he endured to the crucifixion itself, the
Passion is a story riddled with violence from beginning to end. Everything about it is carefully orchestrated
by the Romans to inflict as much pain as possible while at the same time
publically humiliating Jesus as a means to discourage others from joining his
cause. It is community-sanctioned brutality
of the highest order. What does it say
that the crowd wants to crucify the person who proclaims the peaceful coming of
the Kingdom of God while demanding the release of an insurrectionist charged
with murder?
In 2011, the Canadian born cognitive theorist Steven Pinker published a book titled The Better Angels of our Nature. In it he argues civilization today is much less violent than at any other point in the past. As an example, he describes one of the most popular forms of entertainment in sixteenth-century Paris: cat-burning - where a cat was put in a sling and hoisted over a fire. Huge crowds, including kings and queens, shrieked with laughter as the animals howled in pain. This kind of sadism would be unthinkable in much of the world today.
In 2011, the Canadian born cognitive theorist Steven Pinker published a book titled The Better Angels of our Nature. In it he argues civilization today is much less violent than at any other point in the past. As an example, he describes one of the most popular forms of entertainment in sixteenth-century Paris: cat-burning - where a cat was put in a sling and hoisted over a fire. Huge crowds, including kings and queens, shrieked with laughter as the animals howled in pain. This kind of sadism would be unthinkable in much of the world today.
Pinker notes:
“Cruelty as entertainment, human sacrifice to indulge superstition,
slavery as a labor-saving device, conquest as the mission statement of
government, genocide as a means of acquiring real estate, torture and
mutilation as routine punishment, the death penalty for misdemeanors and
differences of opinion, assassination as the mechanism of political succession,
rape as the spoils of war, pogroms as outlets for frustration, homicide as the
major form of conflict resolution--all were unexceptionable features of life
for most of human history. But, today,
they are rare to nonexistent in the West, far less common elsewhere than they
used to be, concealed when they do occur, and widely condemned when they are
brought to light.”
According to
Pinker, violence has been in decline as human history as unfolded. He contends today we live in “the most
peaceful moment of our species’ time on earth.”
His thinking seems to run counter to commonly held assumptions we have
of the world, but is worth considering.
Here are three
others whose findings tend to support Pinker’s theory.
George Gerbner, the
founder of something called “Civilization Theory”, did some research into the
appeal of violence in movies. He showed
one group the 1993 theatrical release of The Fugitive and another group
a version in which he edited out all the graphic violence. Gerbner asked each group to grade the movie
and discovered both rated it at the same level.
His conclusion: violent content did not increase the movie’s appeal.
Scott Rigby and Richard Ryan conducted a similar test focusing
on violent video games and found what Gerbner found with movies. The presence of blood and gore did not impact
players’ enjoyment of the game.
The British
journalist Jamie Bartlett interviewed prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to learn what
drew them into the jihad movement. Most
might think once its adherents are radicalized, violence itself is the
appeal. He discovered, however, something
quite different:
· First, jihad extremism provides adherents a ‘fun
adventure’. Going to a training camp
offers a means to test oneself, to push one’s limits, and to learn new things.
· Second, it provides a path to become the hero of the
story. It is a way to transform oneself
from a nobody into a mythical figure. Bartlett
discovered many violent extremists draw inspiration from Western movie icons.
· And finally, it gives the adherent what might best be
called “street cred” – recognition and respect from one’s peers.
The violence is not an end unto itself, but rather a means to achieve
something else. Jihad, Bartlett
discovered, is not so much about furthering a particular ideology as much as it
is a pursuit of very personal and private benefits.
All of this gives credence to Pinker’s contention that
violence and brutality have been declining over the course human history, even
in our day. Still, he cautions (and
whether you accept his thesis or not, this is his most crucial point in my
estimation), the decline in violence cannot be a “license for complacency”. He
writes, “We enjoy the peace we find today because people in past generations
were appalled by the violence in their time and worked to end it, and so we
should work to end the appalling violence in our time.”
There is something deeply disturbing
about John McGraw, a 78-year-old man, punching a 26-year-old, Rakeem Jones, at
a South Carolina political rally, even if, as McGraw contends, Jones was ‘cussing’
at him. In a 2009 newspaper article
McGraw was quoted as saying, “I believe in the Scripture as a road map to a way of life. The Bible tells us how to live, to
survive.” To survive? Those of us who read the bible and hear it
read in church every Sunday have to say a clearly as possible McGraw’s action
is not all reflective of what we are taught in Holy Scripture.
The bishops of the Episcopal Church
gather twice a year in retreat. From
time-to-time they issue a statement to the church which clergy are to read to
the congregations they serve. The House
of Bishops met last week and unanimously agreed to issue ‘A Word to the Church’
titled “We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some
by sacrificing the hopes of others.”
It reads:
On Good Friday the ruling political
forces of the day tortured and executed an innocent man. They sacrificed the weak and the blameless to
protect their own status and power. On
the third day Jesus was raised from the dead, revealing not only their
injustice but also unmasking the lie that might makes right.
In a country still living under the
shadow of the lynching tree, we are troubled by the violent forces being
released by this season’s political rhetoric. Americans are turning against their neighbors,
particularly those on the margins of society. They seek to secure their own safety and
security at the expense of others. There
is legitimate reason to fear where this rhetoric and the actions arising from
it might take us.
In this moment, we resemble God’s children
wandering in the wilderness. We, like
they, are struggling to find our way. They
turned from following God and worshiped a golden calf constructed from their
own wealth. The current rhetoric is
leading us to construct a modern false idol out of power and privilege. We reject the idolatrous notion that we can
ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others. No matter where we fall on the political
spectrum, we must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the
common good above all else.
We call for
prayer for our country that a spirit of reconciliation will prevail and we will
not betray our true selves.
2,000 years ago, people with power handled
political and public discourse by inflicting horrible, excruciating pain on
those voicing a dissenting opinion.
Today we remember one person who paid the ultimate price for trying to
lead the world into a new reality featuring an ethic of justice, love, and
mutual respect. The reading of the
Passion of Christ is without a doubt the most powerful moment of the church
year. It is gripping and emotional and
leaves us speechless. And yet, like the
women at the foot of the cross who watched in silence, we too feel compelled to
participate in this moment.
After we absorb what we hear there is
much about it we might say. Here is one
thing we surely must proclaim in our own day and time: intentional degradation,
violence, torture, and execution have no place in the human family and most
certainly cannot be considered “Christian”.
Each of us must speak this word of truth,
even if few will hear. Each of us must
live this truth; finding ways – be they grand or be they ordinary – to express
kindness, generosity, and respect. As
more and more people do this, the Spirit of Christ will work through us and
this world will continue its path to more peaceful reality.
Let me conclude with these timeless and familiar words from Abraham
Lincoln’s second inaugural address:
“With malice toward none, with charity for
all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to
see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the
nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting
peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
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