[MF] MoQ and theism
Muzikhed at aol.com
Muzikhed at aol.com
Tue Dec 20 10:31:14 PST 2005
To the Question:
"Where is theism in the MoQ?"
I'd reply:
My paperback dictionary says theism is a belief in God, or gods.
If by God we mean a 'Secondhand God', a religious God, like a Jewish or
Christian God, or Allah, then the MoQ says theism clearly is a Static Social
pattern. I think this is what is usually meant by theism, so I agree with dmb's
quotations of McWatt... nice set of quotations.
The MoQ clearly says belief in God, theism, is a social pattern.
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There's an interesting use of 'god' in Lila, the gods of the social order.
These gods have nothing to do with theism... in Chap 20 they are the gods of
culture...
" 'Culture Shock.' That's what it was. The 'gods.' He'd been watching
them for years. The 'gods' were the static culture patterns. They never quit.
After all these years of trying to kill him with failure, now they... were
going to get him with success." ...and at the end of the chapter: "Those
gods. They'll pull anything."
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It is interesting to note also that in ZMM Pirsig uses the word 'God' fairly
often in natural dialog and also in the narrator's voice: (Again, nothing
to do with theism)
"If you ever need any rope, don’t hesitate," he says. "God, I think I’ve
got about five times what I need here."
"...and so I suggest taking out the plugs to dry them off and air out the
cylinders while we go back for another beer.
Oh my God no! He doesn’t want to get into all that stuff."
"and then in the brilliance of the next flash that farmhouse-that
windmill-oh, my God, he’s been here! -- "
"Save him a trip to God knows where to get shim stock."
"It was beyond both of them. And by God, it wasn’t subjective or objective
either, it was beyond both of those categories."
In all these instances, I'd say Pirsig is "just being sociable," not
referring to any theistic God. Americans talk this way, to write otherwise would
not be authentic. We were raised with "God" in the social language.
Interestingly, though, even in the social language, the word "God" still evokes that
sense of the surprise; some dynamic moments call for the use of the word God!
as shown above from ZMM. Very natural rhetorical style, though, dontcha
think?
...in the famous quote Pirsig uses "the Godhead" in ZMM as equivalent to
Buddha, "the One"
"The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a
digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of
a mountain or in the petals of a flower."
But here I believe he is trying to connect with the reader, not make a
distinction... He's trying to evoke the mystic/'omniscient' aspect of the
Judeo-Christian concept of God: the mysterious all-encompassing, all being,
all-time/timeless, all everything aspect of God, which is still a living concept in
Judeo-Christianity, rather than a static, micro-managing, human-oriented
"Father" image of God.
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Personally, though I've always failed to accept any religion, I've usually
admitted a belief in "God" - especially when it's convenient to do so in certain
social situations- like when you want to get along peacefully rather than
start a debate with a relative or spouse's relative at a family gathering. Or
when you don't want to shock someone who's quite old and just wants to feel
that everything's in harmony. "Yes, grandma, I believe in God." is a better
answer than "No, grandma, I believe in the MoQ, let me explain that to
you..."
While I now think that the MoQ is the best intellectual 'model' of reality,
I know it's an intellectual model and most people don't want to go there.
For them, it's easier to say that I believe in God, but have my own personal
relationship to God. In my mind & heart I am telling my truth in the way I
think best communicates it to the listener. I do not follow a church. No, I
have not accepted Jesus as my personal savior!, No! I can't take communion and
actually believe I am eating the body of Christ! No! I can't believe in a
Virgin birth!
Resurrection after physical death? I don't think so!
But I can say I believe in "God" - (but I know, and only I need to know,)
that the God I believe in is "The Buddha, the Godhead", which "resides quite
as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle
transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower."
Sorry if I digressed... I'm a rookie.
T Cole
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