I thought of you and some of

artappraiser — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:37:32 +0000

In reply to Thank you for the pointer.

I thought of you and some of your past comments when I read it, so I'm glad you caught it.

Myself, I like this part:

my grandfather was a pastor at seven different churches across the Tennessee Valley. Over the course of his life he preached to Holiness, United Methodist and Baptist congregations. The church he founded in his last years was nondenominational: he could no longer stand for his beliefs to be governed by any organization.

He wasn’t alone; religious individualism ran deep in Tennessee.

That is a deep and significant part of American culture in my view of the same, I think it's really the main root of the individualism/libertarian strain of American culture. I..E. the nature of this country being heavy on individualism is because of a rejection of the old world religious systems (it's why the flood of Catholic immigrants from the late 19th to early 20th century were considered with high suspicion, a prejudice lasting until and after JFK's election.)

I've seen plenty of ranting in the blogosphere over the years about American individualistic culture being all about capitalism and worshipping profit. I think not so much--all you have to do is look at how New York City was reviled way back when for it's godless nature of Dutch money lenders, financiers, sellers of pleasure and other sinful types. I think the deep individual impulses come from religion, the new "independent" American way of religion being passed down generation to generation. When Al Gore and others say we're about freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, that really gets at it. This is an unsually religious country, but that tradition is definitely and strongly against religion being institutionalized to any degree, where a man can pick one religious tribe but easily leave it and join another as easy as he changes his clothes, and where those tribes are left alone to do their own thing.

Same with the mythical American small town living where everyone knows everyone else's business (the downside) and at the same time helps one another in need (the upside.) You are free to move to the next town over and start anew if you don't like the mores of a particular town (it's in all the wild west stories--one town is law abiding and god fearing, the next over is a lawless sin city.) This is where the "state's rights" thing comes in with American conservatism and libertarianism--the federal government staying out of all local affairs. The idea that institutions should not be large and the mistrust of those that are comes from the very first immigrants to this land, running from either religious or state institutions, it's very deep in this country's bones.

Thank you for the pointer.

EmmaZahn — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:59:42 +0000

In reply to God and Man in Tennessee

Thank you for the pointer. So many of us have forgotten or never knew our own history. It is good to be reminded. I may just order reprints to distribute. :-)

Best graf, imo:

My belief is an intensely personal thing. I believe my relationship with God is sacred, and all my own. It’s important to me to instill the values I’ve been passed down in my two children. But it’s equally important that I have the right to choose the churches and Sunday school classes they attend, that I know and trust the people who introduce religious theories to them.

dagblog - Comments for "God and Man in Tennessee"

I thought of you and some of

Thank you for the pointer.