CrossCurrents A Catholic Reflects on Faith in Our Times
Bernard
F. Swain, Ph.D. www.CrossCurrents.us
The Lies We Live By
ÒDonÕt trust anyone over 30Ó was the
slogan of a whole generation – my generation. We had come to
believe that we were growing in an age dominated by misconceptions and
falsehoods. This explains much of
the Òcrisis of authorityÓ so deeply rooted in the 1960s: we came to see our
leaders, and indeed most authority figures, as people guilty of misleading rather than leading.
My children grew up in a different
generation, but they are beginning to learn that the problem we faced has not
disappeared
Last week I spoke of Benedict XVIÕs
message on the World Day of Peace with its theme of ÒThe Truth of Peace.Ó One
way of understanding this message is to see it as clarifying, not only how truth
lies behind peace, but how lies lie behind war.
And just as our generation saw leaders
committed to misleading us, the new generation is beginning to wise up to
current deceptions. For we live in
an age saturated with deceptive yet dominant myths that cloud our true path to
peace on earth. I can think of at least six lies we live by, lies that induce
us to tolerate war while dismissing peace as an unreal ideal:
The ÒChristian NationÓ myth. For more than a decade weÕve been fighting Òculture
warsÓ that divide our country and even estrange us from our allies. Much of
this battle is about preserving AmericaÕs status as a ÒChristian nation.Ó But
the same First Amendment that denies any Christian church a privileged status
over other Christian churches also denies Christianity itself from holding any
privilege over other religions. American culture is certainly rooted in a
Christian past, but our nation is officially impartial about religions. So as
our population gets more diverse, we can see a truly multi-religious culture on
our horizon. To ignore this truth (or worse, to deny it or defy it) could
condemn American culture to a chronic polarization that disqualifies us as
Peacemakers.
The Democracy myth. We like to think we live in a democracy, and that we
can model and champion democracy elsewhere. Some Americans even think that is
our national mission. But if democracy means Òthe consent of the governed,Ó the
truth is that millions of Americans have precious little consent-power over the
forces that govern their lives.
In the marketplace, the workplace, and in
dealing with many major institutions around us, Americans often have little or
no voice to shape events or conditions. A true democracy, for example, would
never tolerate the gaping US divide between rich and poor—a divide MUCH
wider than any other industrial society.
By reducing ÒdemocracyÓ to Òvoting,Ó we
risk glorifying a system that leaves millions frustrated and helpless—and
spreading that frustration and helplessness to other lands.
The Ameri-centric myth. With the worldÕs biggest army, itÕs natural for us
to assume we can command everyoneÕs attention and even Òcall the shotsÓ in
world affairs. But the truth is, the world does not revolve around the US. It
was very striking that the Pope's World Day of Peace message never even
mentioned the US. His entire analysis of world peace focused on the very
areas----nuclear weapons, arms trade, international law, diplomatic
relations—where recent US performance has been weakest. The sad truth:
the biggest army is NOT the way to peace. A peaceful world will be centered on
an international order the US cannot control.
The Vigilante myth. For at least
40 years the US has repeatedly intervened in other sovereign nations to achieve
ÒnobleÓ ends. We are supposed to believe this preserves international order.
But even if we suppose the ends were legitimate, this means the US has repeatedly
taken the law into its own hands. Pope BenedictÕs message made clear that respect
for the rule of law is a fundamental ingredient in peace. But that means
accepting this truth: The Wild West is gone forever, and vigilante posses have
no place in a peaceful world.
The Terror Villain myth. We crave security, and weÕve been led to believe that
we can get it by locating and eliminate the Òbad guys.Ó For all Christians, the
lie is obvious: evil is within ALL of us, so we can never create a world of pure
innocents, we can only build a world where love is stronger than the evil that remain
in us, and so controls it.
The Righteous Cause Myth. For too many of us, noble intentions are enough to
justify almost any action. But the end, however noble, can never justify evil
means. This is the core principle, for example, behind the Catholic theory of a
just war: that we must justify our conduct of war, not merely our cause
for war. The same thing also underlies the ChurchÕs support for international
law. The truth is, good intentions alone are not enough to justify jeopardizing
peace.
These myths sedate our faith, tranquilize
our zeal to build peace on earth, and con us into complacence about our chronic
dependence on war.
Pope Benedict was right, I think, to link peace
and truth. We cannot expect the worldÕs people to admire us, let alone to see
us as beacons of peace, if they do not believe us or find our beliefs based on
fallacies. We must show ourselves to be truthful, honest observers of the
challenges we face. We must resolve that we cannot allow anyone to mislead us
if we expect to lead others.
And this may mean realizing that what we
often mistake for ÔrealismÓ others detect as denial. If we live by lies, we
will be rutted in war—as we have been for nearly 100 years. If we really
desire a peaceful world, we must begin by making our peace with the truth. JohnÕs Gospel tells us ÒThe truth shall
make you free.Ó That means free from war at last, free for the peace on earth
that JesusÕ coming promised.
Do we believe that? If we do, then itÕs
time to start living it.
© Bernard F. Swain PhD 2006
Send Your Comments and Questions to bfswain@juno.com
Dr. SwainÕs
opinions do not represent the views of this parish or any other official body.
Bernie Swain has
devoted more than 30 years to adult spiritual formation in dioceses in the US,
Canada, and France. Since 1991 he has maintained a private practice as trainer,
teacher, and consultant to leaders in parishes and other religious
organizations. He holds degrees in theology and political science from Holy
Cross, Harvard, The University of Paris, and The University of Chicago.
His writings include Liberating
Leadership (Harper & Row,
1986) and more than 200 articles in periodicals such as The National Catholic
Reporter, Commonweal, The Miami Herald, The Catholic Free Press, The Pilot,
Harvard Theological Review, and
Liturgy.
A lifelong layperson,
he lives in Boston with his wife and three children. Visit his website at:
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