Egos gone wild: religious believers thinking God is on their side

First off, I've been there and done that: thinking God is on my side. So when I say that this is a crazy belief, I'm criticizing an earlier version of myself -- along with everybody else who has an ego massive enough to believe such a thing.

Which includes the Green family, founders and owners of the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores. Yesterday I wrote a post on one of my other blogs, Salem Political Snark, "Here's 5 good reasons not to shop at Salem's Hobby Lobby." 

As part of my Google research for that post, I listened to an interview a Slate podcaster, Mike Pesca, did with Candida Moss, a professor of theology who wrote a book about the Green family's quest to Christianize the United States ("Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby").

Here's a transcript I made of part of the podcast where Pesca and Moss discuss how the Green family just knew that God looked favorably upon their decision to close Hobby Lobby stores on Sunday.

Pesca: In fact, they made a decision early on, the family did, to close the stores on Sunday. How they decided was kind of interesting. They kind of rolled it out slowly, and it wasn't going well at first. But then when it did, they took that as proof it was the Lord's plan all along. 

Moss: That's right. They started with states that only had a few stores and closed them there. And by the time they were done with Texas, which had the most stores, then their profits took off again. And they interpreted that as a sign that they had won God's favor. 

Pesca: It seems like there are so many instances in your book where that wouldn't be the accurate interpretation, or even a logical interpretation, or an interpretation, you know, that a reasonable person, or anyone approaching a reasonable person would have. But they always interpret everything as telling them that they're right and God is on their side.

Moss: That's right.

This is a dangerous belief.

What makes it dangerous, rather than just plain crazy, is the fact that the Green family has billions of dollars to spend on promoting their fanatical brand of evangelical Christianity, spurred on by their conviction that whatever they do, God approves of it.

Here's how I summarized my blog post on Facebook:

Don't shop at Hobby Lobby, which just opened a store in Salem. Here's the headlines of my 5 reasons why. Those who shop there are having their money go to:
(1) Denying contraception coverage to women employed by corporations owned by religious zealots.
(2) Teaching the Bible in public schools as "true" and "good."
(3) Smuggling artifacts from Iraq, an act that supports terrorism.
(4) Supporting the election of Trump.
(5) Helping fund a $500 million Museum of the Bible.

Item (3) above resulted in Hobby Lobby having to pay a $3 million fine to the government after the company was caught smuggling Iraqi artifacts. So I guess the Green family believes that God approves of illegal acts that support terrorism.

I realize how easy it is for religious believers to look upon themselves as God's chosen people. This belief is comforting. It soothes the ego, even though religious people put on a false humility with words such as "God is doing everything" and "I'm just a servant of the Lord."

False, because I've seen how religious egos go wild when devotees of a particular faith are told that they are looked upon with special favor by God. Or, in Eastern religions, by a guru who is considered to be God in human form.

I've both seen this in other people, and also in myself.

For example, when I used to give spiritual talks at a Sunday meeting of fellow believers, and I was late leaving for the place where the meeting was held, if I found that all of the traffic lights were green when I came to the intersections between my house and the meeting location, I'd look upon this as a sign that God was helping me be on time.

 Crazy? Yes. Just like the Green family believing that God is on their side? Yes. 

It took me many years, decades, really, before I came to realize that I'm nobody special, and that the universe isn't treating me any differently from everybody else. 

That realization was a relief, actually. I could stop pretending and start living an authentic, honest, down to earth life. 

God isn't on anybody's side, because almost certainly there is no God. (I'd leave out the "almost," but I'm scientifically minded, and in science nothing is 100% certain.)

Comments

[pooh bear]

Well - back in 1963, Bob Dylan decided (with tongue firmly in cheek) that God was definitely on America's side.

WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE

Oh my name it is nothin’
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I’s taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that the land that I live in
Has God on its side

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
l’s made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don’t count the dead
When God’s on your side

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side

I’ve learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It’s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we’re forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God’s on your side

Through many dark hour
I’ve been thinkin’ about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can’t think for you
You’ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side

So now as I’m leavin’
I’m weary as Hell
The confusion I’m feelin’
Ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God’s on our side
He’ll stop the next war

[777]

Karma is fair

Real interception and inception occurs when there is some Love

Don't make the usual mistake of wanting to receive, then call that love
The trick is on the GIVE LOVE side of the coin

Only then the real God is at once's side
doing a serendipity
and I have so often explained what that is

For the 'takers' creation's Karma is still fair and Dylan correct

777

ps
I'm mentioning the Love which increases in the giver
when/while giving it to another one
The Love that by exponential increases makes us all equal.

[Jen]

Its all about love, love, love... but then..

If you plan to be enjoying heaven, while multitudes are tortured in hell forever ... then you are as much a sociopath as the God that you worship

[Arjuna]

@ Jen

OMG pardon the pun. Sociopath - you used that term. That what I think of God. Such an ego entity that wants to be worshipped. Hell here I come lol.

He or it completely messed up - an agreement with the Devil to punish his children and the law of karma set up. Wrong - if God did not see or know what the Devil would do - where was his Serious Crime Squad - they needed to shut the Devils operations down. Perhaps they were busy at RSSB beas - who knows 😀

[Spencer Tepper]

Hi Brian

The problem of ego is that it fears no belief, even Atheism.

Too many people think they have perfect, or at least superior understanding. So when someone laughs at the notion of someone else being "perfect", holding tight and with some pride to their argument as if it were perfect, well, they aren't fooling anyone. Even if it's an Atheist making that accusation of a spiritual teacher.

A mystic sees that their personality in this life, including their ego, is just a tool to function as an individual here. And like all things biological, it is hopelessly limited and flawed.

They see this when they leave the body.

So that's a kind of humility.
Because at that point everything "perfect" or at least wonderful is gained by leaving "me" behind completely.

When anyone says "you are a fool" the mystic knows this better than anyone and says "yes, of course."

God doesn't favor anyone. But like a perfect servant feeds billions of people, heals them, cares for them every day in perfect submission and silence, to..... Each of us. That isn't an opportunity to be proud, but the opposite, humble.

The sun shines on sinner and Saint alike. We should all learn to treat each other in that spirit.

[Jen]

Arjuna, you are young and this (Simulation Theory) is going to become more popular. I'm really into it so maybe I'll be back again (another life) ... watch out humans!

What is Life? No Bad Days (4:20)

https://vimeo.com/248146468

[Arjuna]

@ Jen - yes it’s a nice theory could be true as well.

Think about there is no evidence whatsoever of higher dimensions - and anyone in here who has seen the light - it could be 👽 aliens having their tea time fun with you lol.

Master certainly needs to hire a better sales team or get JK Rowling in to do satsangs . Lol. The message at present appears made up. Rock on investment banks , shares and Bollywood stars + politicians on the mean time loooool

Laters

[vinny]

When Church-Pastors hounded Scientists & Inventors , they felt that God was on their side but they were terribly wrong.

[777]

-

At 81 this makes me crazy too :-)

See comment under Willie

Is this my Ego going fantasticly Wild
Yes I play but not that good

777

[777]

Altz forgetness :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQsgE0L450

7

[777]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o63mXv9Z3h8&t=1674s

This is the one

7

[mstair]

“The relentless pursuit of attention to our ego obstructs us from receiving and appreciating God’s exclusive gift of inclusion into His selected group of people.”

Excerpt From: Mike Stair. “On Earth As It Is In Heaven.”