PBS is running a great documentary series 6 hours long that investigates religion in the United states, from its very beginnings until, I assume, the present. So far the documentary, God in America, is excellent. My favorite part so far has been religion during colonial times. The show also explain the split from the established church. I had no idea that Anglican Church was the official church of Colonial Virginia and that taxes supported it. Night one was full of information I had no idea about. Much detail was given about Thomas Jefferson and the establishment clause.
Night 2 part 1 mainly centered on Abraham Lincoln as a spiritual being. Ho hum. Night 2 part 2 was about Judaism in the United States. Fascinating. Lots of new material in that segment. There was a part 3, involving the Scopes Trial. I haven’t finished watching yet. More on that later. I need to think about that part. We haven’t even gotten close to finishing that debate that took place 85 years ago.
Tonight wraps up the series. In watching this show, I saw how we haven’t really evolved all that much as a nation. Religious ideas are still center stage in our political arena, much the way they have been throughout our history.
Who else is watching this series and do you find it worthwhile?
Enjoyed the part about Nebraskan William Jennings Bryant and the debate over the Bible last night. Looking forward to Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, etc. tonight. I was living in North Carolina during the Jim and Tammy Bakker years. I think anytime you study religion as history it’s valuable. Any time you visit another church or faith center, it is valuable and gives you perspective. The best thing I did as a college freshman was take a course on the Old Testament. It represented a bridge that I consciously chose to cross into my faith as an adult.
I liked the part the first night about religion in colonial times and really how it left Anglican and Congregationalist camps. I liked Jefferson, Judaism and Scopes. Of all the segments, I liked the Civil War part the least. I felt that part was slow and tended to generalize a little too much.
I think you are right about comparative religion. I was not encouraged as a youngster to do that in person.
Give me that Old Time Religion!
http://home.naxs.com/melaniet/religion.htm
GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION,
GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION,
GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION,
THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!
There are people into voodoo
there are people into voodoo
I know, I know, I hope that you do,
it’s good enough for me.
There will be a lot of lovin’
When we’re gathered in our coven
With your pushin’ and your shovin’,
so there’ll be room enough for me.
We shall worship with the Druids
Drinking strange fermented fluids
RUNNING NAKED THROUGH THE WOO-OODS,…
and that’s good enough for me.
Let us go and worship Hermes;
Got a staff that crawls with wormies
That could knock out all the germies,
He’s good enough for me….
We went off to worship Venus.
And by gosh you should have seen us!
Now the clinic has to screen us.
But, she’s good enough for me.
We will pray to Aphrodite
Even tho’ she’s rather flighty
And they say she wears no nightie,
And that’s good enough for me!
Invent your own! Invite your friends!
Is there a tune to this?
Cargo, are you watching the PBS show?
Drink a toast to Odin
Raise your horn of mead to Thor
And hope that cursed Loki
Remains chained forevermore!
@Moon-howler
Haven’t watched the show. The song is sung to “Give me that Ol’ Time Religion.”
We will go and worship Loki
He’s the old Norse god of Chaos
Which is why this verse don’t
rhyme or scan or nothin’
But it’s good enough for me…
Here’s one just for you, Moon.
It’s the Fundie Right’s solution
To put Christian absolution
In the U.S. Constitution
And that don’t sit well with me!
I never knew that there were SO MANY VERSES………
http://www.whitetreeaz.com/vintage/realotr.htm
I sure hope its on youtube, Cargo.
It was an excellent program. You can buy the dvd also. It is $34.
Last night I am still watching since I had to record in the middle of the night. NOTHING is allowed to interfer with Criminal MInds.
It started with Billy Graham, moved on to MLK, and is finishing up with the current leaders in the evangelical movement, like Francis Schaffer, Falwell, Robertson.
I remember my mother disliking Billy Graham. She never explained to me why since I was a kid. Now I know why. Geez. He really crossed the line, in my opinion.
I am up to the influence of Roe v Wade on bringing evangelicals into the political arena. NO comment. It seems that all the evangelicals said it was a Catholic issue at first. I guess they saw the convert factor and their eyes lit up.
Cargo — Cut out that business about worshipping Loki. The way I heard it, if that guy ever escapes from those chains, it will be the start of Ragnarok — in effect a final battle between the gods and then the flaming end of the world. Incidentally, my Norse ancestors thought that earthquakes were the result of Loki rattling those chains in an effort to escape (he was serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin’s son). Boy, he must have done some ferocious rattling of those chains down Haiti way!
@Cargo
It’s the Fundie Right’s solution
To put Christian absolution
In the U.S. Constitution
And that don’t sit well with me!
That sort of sums it up for sure.
The fundies were in last nights episode. The interesting part was why. What sprang them to life was Roe v Wade as a political movement and Ronald Reagan. What I did not know is that Falwell and some other known fundie (just not to me) had not taken issue with Roe and said it was a Catholic issue. Then they saw the political efficacy of it and hopped on the band wagon. Ronald Reagan gave them lots and lots of recognition but never delivered on his promises to them. They thought they had the real McCoy with George W. Bush because he actually was ‘born again,’ unlike Reagan who didn’t even attend church. Bush was disappointing also, although I never figured out why. Too liberal maybe. All I could figure out is that he didn’t trash Islam.
You all really missed a great, informative series. It can be purchased from PBS and delivers the beginning of NOv.
Apparently you can watch it online.
http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/view/
Each episode is 50-60 minutes. I liked the Lincoln part the least. I just learned so many new things in each segment.
This is better because you can watch it in smaller batches.
There are also discussion groups on that website.
Where has Rick Bentley been?
At church maybe?
I think some of the segments would be great for church groups to discuss.
How did Billy Graham cross the line?
I was watching Billy Graham circa 25 years ago and he went off HARD about how AIDS was created by God to punbish gay people. He later apologized, but it was a very virulent hateful attack IMO. The idea of him as a positive model for others because of his devotion to his inane beliefs is not one I agree with. HE WAS DUMBER THAN DOG**** and that speaks badly to the notion of his false God.
Society has pretty much agreed now that AIDS is a bad thing, and a sad thing to see people infected by. Circa 1984, that wasn’t the way everyone felt. Lots of nitwits really felt that God put it here because he was mad about “fags” the way they are, and that it was a positive awesome manifestation of God’s power.
“inane beliefs” and “false gods”
Rick, please do me a favor. Go to ABC Online (“The Drum Unleashed”) and look for an 18 October 2010 article by Scott Bridges, a self-proclaimed atheist from the get-go. The article is entitled “A Rational Respect for Religion.” Bridges makes some very good points. Come back and tell me what you think.