March 4, 2007
The Gospel According to Redwire
(This article is featured in the latest issue of Redwire Magazine)Book Review of "The Holy Christian Bible" by Dustin Rivers
Through Indigenous struggle, it becomes essential to look at the weapons used in colonization. On the flip side, decolonization is really about humanization. There are different weapons of political exploitation through reducing the leaders to puppets or the disenfranchising of the economic land base and resources. It might be evident that the religious and spiritual aspect of ways of life were also targeted, but many different motives existed behind those attacks. With the policies of the Indian Act, or displacement through reservations, the institution of the Christian religion became the strongest form of "civilizing" (cough) of Indigenous populations. It was through the use of written word, and supposedly 'divine right' supremacy, that the white (hu)man felt self-justified in creating the "other" history (the other being the history that is not known, but is true). This false foreign history was chiefly used by the man for fear, corruption and dehumanization. This is also known as the Holy Christian Bible, written by "the god" himself, to the man, in a land in a far, far away place.
To understand the bible, it must be assumed that it is all open to interpretation of the implicit text (similar to mainstream media). Here we have the Douay-Rheims Version, from the Catholic Church, where the religion of Christianity emanated (remembering the idea that religions are man-made). If it's the literal Truth, or some allegory used to convey values, principles and morals, it did create a society to manifest itself in oppression of more than one "other" people. Although it's ironic that a religion created hope, power and faith in an originally oppressed group of people, it became a way for the oppressed to oppress billions of other people throughout history. It became one of the most genocidal books in history. Taking into account that there are many interpretations, with many translations, with different histories, and how this tool is used to create a culture that are very different from that of Indigenous people (but with similarities). The book can be related to stories of salvation, and judgment, and many different values. The main important factor of these foreign values is how some of them in practice, show how people learn from religions and this book, in a form that which is different from our own Indigenous principles. Salvation, redemption, sin, confession are all foreign values. My proof can be found in the Indigenous languages. And in the quest for self-determination, righteousness, and decolonization, it is instrumental in studying this fiction for it's history of psychological hegemony over our Indigenous spirits. It's imperative to understand being Indigenous and having the posterity, achieve the closest way of life in our lifetime to that of which our ancestors walked. For decolonization is not about trying to re-live the past, but taking those tools for future generations.
These scriptures don't convey the same morals, values, principles of our Indigenous heritage. Our histories don't talk about worshipping the land, the sea, the laws that we live within, but the Bible would have to believe in dominion, colonization, and imperialism; "Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth." For it is the one true religion, and all other religions are wrong. And according to the book, our people were all sinners, before we even knew we we're sinners. The Christians appeared and asked: "Are these things going to hell, even if they've never heard of Jesus Christ, the Lord, and savior?" Our "mythological" beings are rendered as evil and wicked creatures, yet our beliefs are sacred and spiritual. And although there is a modern tendency to meld foreigner beliefs with that of our history, they fundamentally clash. Where the Holy Book gets wrong is everything about our history. Before Adam and Eve, we we're transformed from the Wolf, Bear, Thunderbird peoples. The histories that belong to us, that make us, illustrate a life that is mentioned no where in this book. So as a divine fax from god, it comes off as an imitation of the spiritual force our people have understood for thousands of winters prior to Jesus Christ's supposed death on the cross, for a sin we never committed. In the end, our true deliverance comes from the insurgency of our way of life, the Indigenous stelmexw, xwelmexw, bakwam, quu'as, alloogigyet, onkwehonweh, (Indigenous) way of life.
The Holy Christian Bible, by a few white European men, doesn't serve as a true conduit for our existence in this life. This is what we all do ask though: "Why are we here?" But after reading this book it uncovers how our spirituality would prevail. Except that religion never could nor did it ever cede our spiritual existence with our ancestors, our gods, and our way of life. We can then see how religions are man-made, but spirituality is a power we can only narrowly understand and decipher. There is an argument that our civilizations evolve, that they grow into something more. Except our cultures didn't just evolve into individualistic, capitalist, resource-wasting, polluting, megalomaniac-tic, narcissistic, false god-worshipping culture; It was raped by an individualistic, capitalist, resource-wasting, polluting, megalomaniac-tic, narcissistic, false-god worshipping culture.
Although faux faith for Indigenous, the Bible's fundamental default is not the preachy attitude, nor its imperialist blueprint, but our historical investigation for our Indigenous revolution. The book was the weapon, and it has had far-reaching affects. But when we talk about community healing, cultural revival, nation building, or resistance movement, this book has been the strongest tool for colonization because it is embedded in our self. It is not about reading the 'good book,' but hearing the great histories of our peoples. The protocols, the traditions, the beliefs, and philosophies that can all still be achieved. And if we don't have those, nor our languages, then we cease to be Indigenous.
Kneel Before Your God Babylon!
1:28. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the
fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.
2:19. And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see
what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name.
2:22. And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam.
6:4. Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth
children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown.
9:7. But increase you and multiply, and go upon the earth and fill it.
22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Wa'a! No wonder this religion produced the "civilization" we know today.
by
Rivers
on
Sunday, March 04, 2007
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Labels: Book Review, Christianity, Jesus, Redwire, Religion, Spirituality, The Bible
Labels: Book Review, Christianity, Jesus, Redwire, Religion, Spirituality, The Bible
9 comments:
Is Jesus real? Well, he's as real as a giant-flying-spaghetti-monster.
I agree with some of the context and interpretation that can be done with the bible, and the history of Jeudo-Christian religious beliefs.
But Jesus, is a lot of things. He was "the first anarchist", as some have claimed, he was also the first communist too...lol
But the way Jesus, whether you belief in the liar, the lunatic, or legend, was and is used for did horrible things. There are differences between the philosophy of the bible, and, Indigenous-type philosophy (I don't want to sound pan-Indian, but I did in this article because getting into specific of each Indigenous philosophy, with each different Indigenous nation, with each different Indigenous philosopher).
Sin, salvation, heaven, hell? Belief in the son of god and we'll get into heaven. Indigenous people became sinners on and only after Oct, 12th, 1492.
We can agree, I don't know who can't agree, that Jesus is used as the tool for oppression and colonization tactics. But it's all myth and lies and all that other good stuff.
Why not worship the Greek gods, or the Egyptian gods, or hell, some giant-flying-spaghetti-monster? Oh, that would be because the white man came to this land and forced those beliefs on Indigenous people, (and people still go around the world for their imperialist agenda. And yes, I did meet a giant-flying-spaghetti-monsterist the other day who wanted to convert me).
I agree with some of the context and interpretation that can be done with the bible, and the history of Jeudo-Christian religious beliefs.
But Jesus, is a lot of things. He was "the first anarchist", as some have claimed, he was also the first communist too...lol
But the way Jesus, whether you belief in the liar, the lunatic, or legend, was and is used for did horrible things. There are differences between the philosophy of the bible, and, Indigenous-type philosophy (I don't want to sound pan-Indian, but I did in this article because getting into specific of each Indigenous philosophy, with each different Indigenous nation, with each different Indigenous philosopher).
Sin, salvation, heaven, hell? Belief in the son of god and we'll get into heaven. Indigenous people became sinners on and only after Oct, 12th, 1492.
We can agree, I don't know who can't agree, that Jesus is used as the tool for oppression and colonization tactics. But it's all myth and lies and all that other good stuff.
Why not worship the Greek gods, or the Egyptian gods, or hell, some giant-flying-spaghetti-monster? Oh, that would be because the white man came to this land and forced those beliefs on Indigenous people, (and people still go around the world for their imperialist agenda. And yes, I did meet a giant-flying-spaghetti-monsterist the other day who wanted to convert me).
Well someone walked around Judea 2000 years ago healing people and syaing things. I don't believe it was ever his intention to create a world cult that would decimate entire peoples in his name.
But I'll take issue with your assesment that Judaisim is not an indigensou relgion. The Bible tells the stories of a group of peopl who have lived in the lands around the east end of the Mediterranean Sea for at least as long as the Squamish have lived in this territory.
Whether this set of stories is relevent to the Squamish Nation is irrelevant - of course they aren't, in the same way that the stores of Xais make no sense in Gaza.
At one shallow level, colonization is th imposition of one set of stories on someone else's. It use the happen on this continent when the Mohawks travelled around the Great Lakes offering their law to the othe rnations and exterminating all of those who didn't sign up.
The fact that stories and beliefs are used for colonial purposes does not in essence make them non-indigenous. It's just a question of where they apply.
Christianity is a problematic religion, as they all are, but far more important than what Jesus did or didn't do is what people did or didn't do in his name. We're not sinners because Jesus said we are...we're sinners because some guy in a funny hat says we are. As far as I'm concerned what the pope or a preist has to say about my life matters not a whit. Their power extends only as far as we believe that they have any at all.
So bottom line...nothing to be afraid of. The Bible is just a story book and Jesus could well be a spaghetti monster for all I know. But if we continue ascribing power to these beliefs then we do ourselves a great disservice. When someone tries to convert me it's just amusiing to watch. It's like getting porn spam...it comes and it goes!
But I'll take issue with your assesment that Judaisim is not an indigensou relgion. The Bible tells the stories of a group of peopl who have lived in the lands around the east end of the Mediterranean Sea for at least as long as the Squamish have lived in this territory.
Whether this set of stories is relevent to the Squamish Nation is irrelevant - of course they aren't, in the same way that the stores of Xais make no sense in Gaza.
At one shallow level, colonization is th imposition of one set of stories on someone else's. It use the happen on this continent when the Mohawks travelled around the Great Lakes offering their law to the othe rnations and exterminating all of those who didn't sign up.
The fact that stories and beliefs are used for colonial purposes does not in essence make them non-indigenous. It's just a question of where they apply.
Christianity is a problematic religion, as they all are, but far more important than what Jesus did or didn't do is what people did or didn't do in his name. We're not sinners because Jesus said we are...we're sinners because some guy in a funny hat says we are. As far as I'm concerned what the pope or a preist has to say about my life matters not a whit. Their power extends only as far as we believe that they have any at all.
So bottom line...nothing to be afraid of. The Bible is just a story book and Jesus could well be a spaghetti monster for all I know. But if we continue ascribing power to these beliefs then we do ourselves a great disservice. When someone tries to convert me it's just amusiing to watch. It's like getting porn spam...it comes and it goes!
Yes, a set of stories. But I'm talking about just stories. I'm not talking about reading the bible with the same merit I do when I read Lord of the Rings. I'm talking about bowing down on your hands and knees worshiping what this divine fax tells you to believe. Okay, let's take it as a set of stories with a moral implication. But some of these stories don't connect, or at least, the morals don't, with our histories.
If we must use this theology, then liberation theology. Jesus was the first anarchist, and he fought "the man". So let's take up weapons and fight the man also.
If we must use this theology, then liberation theology. Jesus was the first anarchist, and he fought "the man". So let's take up weapons and fight the man also.
Correction: I'm not talking about "just" stories.
Dude...I agree with you. THe stories of the Bible have absolutely nothing whatsoever in the world bar none to do with Squamish tradition, culture, history place...
Im saying that's the problem. The question is, are they invalid in the places in which they were written? Are they not stories about another indigenous people? A totally different indigenous people?
What prompted me to long comment here was the little throwaway line you wrote about the Bible being authored by white Europeans. All I'm saying is that it bears looking at how that book got put together before writing a public indictment of it. The Bible is full of the strangest shit...laws about murdering your slaves, stories of righteous genocide, the weirdest kind of visions and depravity and advice. And it also has moments of sublime beauty to offer, and amazing teachings.
I'm not saying anyone should take these as Gospel (ha ha) - I certainly don't - but the strange nature of the Bible's various stories reflects the way it was put together. It is not ONE book. It is the result of political choices made by very strange men who selected certain messages that would help them justify all sorts of atrocities.
To me that's an interesting story in itself. At any rate...prolly we're done this now.
Im saying that's the problem. The question is, are they invalid in the places in which they were written? Are they not stories about another indigenous people? A totally different indigenous people?
What prompted me to long comment here was the little throwaway line you wrote about the Bible being authored by white Europeans. All I'm saying is that it bears looking at how that book got put together before writing a public indictment of it. The Bible is full of the strangest shit...laws about murdering your slaves, stories of righteous genocide, the weirdest kind of visions and depravity and advice. And it also has moments of sublime beauty to offer, and amazing teachings.
I'm not saying anyone should take these as Gospel (ha ha) - I certainly don't - but the strange nature of the Bible's various stories reflects the way it was put together. It is not ONE book. It is the result of political choices made by very strange men who selected certain messages that would help them justify all sorts of atrocities.
To me that's an interesting story in itself. At any rate...prolly we're done this now.
A good indigenous critique of "Christianity" is always a good thing as long as it is based in solid research and context. The Zapatistas that you have at the bottom of your blog, would be very perplexed by quite a few of your statements about ALL forms of Christian belief-most members of the EZLN practice a syncretized form of Indigenous beliefs mixed with Catholicism, as do most Indigenous People in so-called "Latin America" (my wife is Quichua from Ecuador-I have seen and experienced this myself). I would love to see someone accuse these indigenous people of not being "revolutionary enough" due to thier indigenized catholicism! I would recommend "Liberation Theology from Below:The Life and THought of Manuel Quintin Lame" by Gonzalo Castillo Cardenas. It is about the Native Paez Revolutionary in COlombia who fought against the Colombian Government AND was a practicing Catholic, who challenged both the Church and the state to recognize the real teachings of Jesus, who he call the "Liberator".
-A Tlingit Nationalist and Eastern Orthodox
-A Tlingit Nationalist and Eastern Orthodox
Thank you.
Well, the basis for any religion is to explain things. Why we are here, what we are supposed to do, and who we are (as humans).
I did learn about Liberation Theology during writing this, but near the end. The magazine I wrote for also did a thing about Liberation Theology, so, I was alright with it.
If we are to use Liberation Theology to find liberation, great. It is a liberation. But why aren't we using Muhammad to find freedom? Or flying-spaghetti-monsters? It would be because of 500 years of colonization and assimilation. Some could say that would be a good idea also. But, all I'm saying is, decolonize.
Well, the basis for any religion is to explain things. Why we are here, what we are supposed to do, and who we are (as humans).
I did learn about Liberation Theology during writing this, but near the end. The magazine I wrote for also did a thing about Liberation Theology, so, I was alright with it.
If we are to use Liberation Theology to find liberation, great. It is a liberation. But why aren't we using Muhammad to find freedom? Or flying-spaghetti-monsters? It would be because of 500 years of colonization and assimilation. Some could say that would be a good idea also. But, all I'm saying is, decolonize.
I completely understand where you're coming from brother, we have a to maintain a dialogue about these things amongst oursleves (native folks); All I am saying is there are millions of Indigenous People who also happen to be "Christian" in thier spiritual orientation ( in varying degrees)who are AS revolutionary as any "Traditonalist" and would gladly stand with thier people when the need arose for national liberation and decolonization. I have met as many "Shake and Bake" Traditionalist (many of whom are also collaborators and traitors to thier people) phonies as I have Christian phonies in my travels. Your points are well taken, though, and Spaghetti Monsters might also be in our future!
First, no doubt that Christianity in the service of colonization has been devastating. But my take on that was tht Jesus himself was anti-colonization - that's what he was killed for, among a few other reasons - and yet the Apostles, in their fervour to spread his message made quick work of a set of judgemental interpretations of his teachings. These were later focussed by various gatherings in which the books of the current Bible were chosen. THere are many more scriptures (see the Cnostic Gospels for example) but for poliyical reasons, these were never included in the Bible. And so what you get is the story of a Jewish revolutionary fighting against the oppression of his people by both the colonizing Romans and the elites in his society. You get this tsory abused and constrained and added to by various people for whom there was great political advantage in having a certain messgae. Then you put it all into the service of colonization again. It's strange. I think Jesus would have been surprised to see the way his teachings were used to justify the destruction of so many peoples.
Second, the Bible was not written by white Europeans. It was written by brown Jews, and even the Gospel writers would probably still have called themselves Jews. None of them were European, and in fact the New Testament writers were working under a deeply oppressive European regime that had colonized their homelands. This is important because the prevailing hegemony of Christianity would have you believe that Jesus was white and that the religion is a European one in origin. It's not. Some writers (even Christians) havae said that Christianity was a personality cult that seemed to just take off. Many spritual teachers have said and done what Jesus said and did. He just had beter PR.
But is the story in the Bible the same as indigenous philosophy? Well yes and no. No it is not the same story as the story of these lands, but yes it is an indigenous philosophy. THe Old Testament is the religion of a group of people very closely tied to the land and many rabbis deeply understand that Judaisim cannot be practiced without being mindful of the territory. Rabbi Gershon Winkler for example (Google him) has been working with Navajo people for years trying to understand what Judaism practiced in North America would look like if it was informed by local indigenous ways of being. Winkler holds that you cannot practice Judaism seperate from the land, so you better get a clear picture of the land you're on from those who understand it the best.
Like all things in life, it's complicated, and this is not to deny what you are saying about the way the Bible has been used in the service of the mass oppression of indigenous societies. Just to say that I truly think that Jesus wasn't the problem, but those who abused his teachings in service of oppressive power and racial superiority have to answer for what they have done.