I just finished re-reading Lewis Vaughn’s autobiographical, Star Map: A Journey of Faith, Doubt, and Meaning,* a book I reviewed over five years ago. On this reading I was even more struck by the power of the narrative and the beauty of its prose. Re-reading it I felt as if I’m back in his 1969 (or my 1973) breaking the shackles of religious indoctrination.
There is so much that should be said about this work but I’ll refer readers to my previous review if they’re interested. What I ‘d like to do here is point out just a few of the passages attributed to his first college philosophy professor who was also a Catholic priest. (We can assume that they reflect something clost to Vaughn’s own view, although I’m sure his views are ever-evolving.) Here is his mentor on life after death,
The hope of an afterlife is groundless. As you have learned faith cannot prove the existence of life after death. As for science, it has given us strong evidence against the notion of an afterlife.
But this realization doesn’t have to be accompanied by despair,
If we strive for the truly meaningful in life … and if we renounce the truly meaningless in life … then we can create a life of meaning, despite hardship and despair… A meaningful life can be established only on the hard rock of reality … By losing hope of heaven or eternal life or some other sad bit of make-believe… we can focus on true sources of meaning and happiness.
And this acceptance leads to another realization,
And from this understanding comes gratitude—gratitude for our being and impossible, unlikely speak of bright light in the void… We are all made of the same stuff, we are all whirling galaxies of atomes, we are all gifted with the same light.
And another,
Now I imained that the stars, planets, comets, and I were all connected, as if we were all nestled in a gossamer web. Or a star map. And the star map … was far superior to the one the church had given me. This one included morality, science, reason, love, friendship, and empathy. Best of all, this one was real and true.
There is so much in this autobiography to recommend and the above passages are just appetizers of the wisdom found within the book. I again encourage my readers to take a look.
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(Lewis Vaughn is one of the most popular and prolific authors of college philosophy textbook alive today.)
I have long thought religious indoctrination to be one part good intentions and, one part audacity of hope*, neither of which are inherently bad or intrinsically useless. Religions/faiths recruit followers in order to survive and thrive in a world where their fellow-proseltizers (sp?) are in the same catch. Some of them do better than others, but, well, it is a free-market for mining minds and hearts. We don’t all agree that religions and faiths have what we think are the best intentions. But, neither did we write scriptures, unless one considers more modern writings. The book you mention and quote sounds inspiring. Even a former president can write something inspiring—once in awhile.
Sounds similar to physicist Brian Green (“Until the End of Time”)— a materialist of the first order, yet inspired and wondrous over the fact— despite the odds— of our consciousness and human life. And from a very different angle, Abraham Heschel and his sense of “radical amazement.”
Last remarks, if anyone is interested: see Ernest Becker, Escape From Evil, and, Denial of Death. Religious indoctrination is connected with these notions, a reversal of expectations and hope, because there aren’t any. Becker, I think, saw through the facade, because he understood its’ social underpinnings, and bases. There are problems with all of this, because of the advance, expansion of human consciousness. That faculty increases, generationally, producing—in theory, at least—people who can think better. Certainly, this does not “rub off” on the majority. If it did, we would all be dead. And that would not do, would it? Hmmmm…
We form many of our views ; much of our personal life philosophy from experience. Over the course of life, those can change—some, gradually, others, suddenly if not traumatically. We are human beings, at the apex of consciousness (hopefully) by the time maturity and experience reach optimum levels. I used the word, traumatically, because depending on circumstance/contingency, it may apply to the *radical* amazement mentioned. IMHO, religious indoctrination is a mistake. Yet, there are those among us who assert that “cause” is best for all—it worked for them, ergo, it must be good for everyone, right? That is another mistake, seems to me. Native American culture was effectively erased by the intention of civilizing *savages*. It is pretty clear who the savages were. And, yes, there is Native American lineage in MY ancestry, so, I did a little bone-picking here. I, and probably others, have asserted consciousness as a capacity. As is human kindness. We do well when we can live in such a way as to maximize those potentials.
(footnote: my father maximized HIS potential, becoming an electrician, beginning at age 45. he did the best he could with what he had and knew)
Faith and doubt are effervescent , ever-present. Doubt is part of philosophy. Faith , as religion, discourages doubt. We must need both, otherwise, they would be gone. I think, though cannot show, both are examples of Dennett’s skyhooks and boom crutches. Which propels me to the notion that philosophy is useless. So, is it? I don’t think so. Current academic thinking appears to throw out the baby, with the bathwater, STS. (so-to-speak, for acolytes). The APPARENT effect shows that contentions between religion and philosophy roll in favor of the former. Meaning to me baby, bathwater and bathtub are all soon gone. So, what does this mean? Well, if ethics and morality are at stake, as is being alleged, and lamented by many…evidenced by where we seem to be sinking—we are screwed. If philosophy is our last lighthouse, we are doomed. Religion lacks any rationality to save us. Always has.
It took me a long time to get there, but I eventually agreed with Mark Twain’s rant in the latter pages of “The Mysterious Stranger”.
“….and You invented Hell!”
All the comfort, all the transcend beauty, all the possibilities of a soul at peace with the creation….wiped out by the anxiety and fears of eternal damnation.
Even if one has certitude regarding their own eternal future, empathy for others whom are loved and don’t make the criteria would cause anguish.
A lousy ‘bait and switch’ at best.
I much prefer Lewis Vaughn’s spiritual teachings.
(sigh…another author and his books to add to a list I will never finish…..unless of course there IS an afterlife…)
Very familiar with Denial of Death, a great book.
I read a speculative book years ago, during a period of fascination with reincarnation. The book talked about what famous dead people were doing in an afterlife eternity. As stated, I was into a metaphysic of afterlife, but also curious around some other experential events, never able to resolve any of them—surprise, surprise!—it is problematic to square metaphysics with empiricism. Am still haunted by memory of a radiant child who seemed unable or unwilling to take her eyes off me at a wedding reception. There was something familiar in those eyes, other-worldly in her gaze. OK.
Enough suspense. I sensed I was looking at a reincarnation of my deceased mother. No other explanation made, uh, sense. Few ever do. I have memory—usually, too much.
Escaping Religious Indoctrination Indoctrination is the practice of teaching people to believe something, religiously, the goal of which is to enter the indoctrinated person into a state of ‘belief without question’ and with a fear of the ‘Sin of questioning established truth’, questioning ‘Established truth’ is. Today, the heresy of believing Dis-information, in the early stages of ‘religious movements Heretics are often punished severely, with the approval and pleasure of the true believers, true believers have no doubts about their beliefs, when we believe ‘religiously’ our belief, and the belief of our coreligionists is all the proof we need to justify our beliefs and behavior!
Obviously we believe in many ideas that are encapsulated in single words, things we believe religiously that have no relationship to an imagined afterlife or a prescription for attaining a Ticket to enter any Paradise.
Sigmund Freud, said the every person believes that ‘They’ will live forever, they know that you will die but not themselves!, is this true?
The ‘Fear of death’ is a constant anxiety for many, so, for many, membership in a group where their ascension to a higher plane upon their death is an accepted reality and which also offers a prescription for a useful and respected life among like minded friends is sought and welcomed when found.
People who say they believe and act as if they believe are welcomed, some groups are directed by Charlatans, people who have a need to be abused find themselves in these groups!
Every Human is their own Philosopher, the object of life s to find a way of being that lets us find some peace and happiness while we are here!
We don’t know where we came from, we were already here when we became aware of our selves, and we really don’t know what happens next, what ever brought us here is the director of our lives, the future will happen as it does!
Love the people and animals in your lives and hopefully they will love you back! This is the only true pleasure that I have found.
All the best for everyone, of course!