OUR FUNDAMENTALIST PRESIDENT

By Madis Senner
Written March 2002, Posted October 2002

Greater in battle
than the man who would conquer
a thousand-thousand men,
is he who would conquer
just one --
himself."
"Dhammapada VIII, No.106
Translated from Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
(Geoffrey DeGraff, Copyright 1997)

Who is our real enemy? Those words resonate with people of faith, people who live with an awareness of their inner consciousness. Not only can we be our own worst enemy at times, but also much of what transpires in our lives– both negative and positive -- is directly related to our own actions. Many have heard the expression "what goes around comes around," which is essentially a western restatement of the eastern concept of karma. Our decisions and actions have cosmic repercussions; if we fail to learn the spiritual lessons life gives us the opportunity to learn, we set off a chain reaction of woe. We are presented with the same opportunities again and again until we respond properly. If we examine our motivations and actions, grow in humility and prosper in spirit, the world benefits. The law of Karma rules us both individually and collectively. It was the Buddha’s quest to end human suffering that led him to the insight that we are often our own worst enemies. If only a similar enlightenment could occur for the U.S. president, George W. Bush.

Unfortunately, this message of introspection and self-awareness seems not to have dawned on President Bush. Explanations for the 9-11 terrorist attack here seem to fall short in addressing the U.S. role in what many find troubling in the world: global poverty, injustice and inequality to name a few. Worse, the more we see of President Bush the more apparent it becomes that he has many of the characteristics we find loathsome in the terrorists. Just as terrorists do not concern themselves with the immense suffering their actions bring upon the innocent, President Bush has declined to evaluate the consequences of this nation’s policies, particularly those assigning priority to the economic concerns of the United States over global concerns, such as the environment, policies that have made us, as a nation, appear indifferent to the suffering of others. He displays a narrowness of vision automatically equating the culture and economy of the USA with the will of God, just as Osama bin Laden has equated the culture of the Al Qaeda with the will of God. While it is horrendous to even imagine that God was pleased with the killings at the World Trade Center, it is also horrendous to imagine that God is pleased with the polluting of waters by manufacturers or the practice of exploiting laborers oversees in order to maintain a high profit margin here. As President Bush is fond of noting, God has indeed blessed America (or at least the section of North America called the United States), but that is not to say that God has not blessed others as well. This is the dilemma of the fundamentalists: if their way of thinking is the most basic – closest to the Divine -- and the only good Way, then there can be no other acceptable norm for humanity. Anyone who believes otherwise automatically is an "evil doer." That the bombing was, in fact, evil is undeniable. Rejoicing at the murder of innocents also is undeniably evil. But was the desire to turn the heart of this country in a new direction entirely evil?

It seems every time President Bush speaks he tells us that God is on our side. So did bin Laden - the President's rhetoric is not much different from bin Laden's call for a holy war against the United States with himself cast in the role of the God-upholder. The modern world and its increasing linkages threaten such fundamentalism. It preaches a doctrine of righteousness and exclusion, instead of inclusion and love, virtually ignoring the golden rule (the golden rule, or brotherly love or the law of karma is universal to all religions). They present themselves as up-holders of the God of wrath rather than the God of love. This distinction is very clearly represented in President Bush's rallying cry, which uses religious imagery of good and evil to create an atmosphere of mistrust and hatred against entire nations he identifies as part of an "axis of evil." The president's rhetoric establishes an "us" and "them" system that is unnecessarily and dangerous divisive and even serves to alienate our allies. In some ways it is a perverted twist on Jesus's words to his disciples when they wanted him to prevent people who weren't part of their immediate circle from performing miracles and preaching the word. Jesus said, basically:'If they are not against us, they are with us.' Clearly President Bush sees it differently: 'If you are not with us, you are against us.' Jesus was not threatened; President Bush is. Threatened and frightened, the fundamentalist resorts to anger, hate and even violence instead of love. The desire to understand, the willingness to examine the roots of discord, the ability to question our own role in creating the strong feelings that are so evidently now turned against the United States - responses one might expect at least fleetingly from a person of faith -- are absent. There was no turning of the cheek, even momentarily. Rather, there was the automatic jump to the offensive stance, placing more trust in a display of military superiority than in the reconciling power of faith. The voice of God in Isaiah, "Come let us reason together," was curiously silent. "Blessed are the peacemakers," words of Jesus in the well-known Beatitudes, might never have been spoken. Rather, there was finger-pointing and judging - again, despite the admonition "judge not less ye be judged.""They are sinners; I am doing God's work" - the rallying cries of both President Bush and Osama Bin Laden -- replaces love and exonerates the fundamentalist of guilt. The more frightened the more righteous they become--whether it be bombing abortion clinics, dropping bombs on enemies or killing thousands of innocent people--they think they are doing good!

The exclusionary nature of President Bush's outlook is not confined to the war. While the President has been paying lip service to Islam and other religions you have to wonder whether he really believes they are as valid as Christianity. The words and actions of those close to the President makes one ask if there is a stubborn, almost mystical secret society type doctrine held up in the Bush administration that the USA is a Christian nation? Attorney General Ashcroft almost missed getting senate approval for saying as much at Bob Jones University. And then there's Franklin Graham, the president's religious representative of choice both for the Inauguration and for the post September 11th memorial service. In both instances, Graham alluded to the Christian nation belief. After the Ashcroft imbroglio one might have expected some awareness of ecumenism. But it was only after further hateful statements by Graham such as, "Islam attacked us," on NBC News and others on several occasions that both the administration and Graham began backing off. The fundamentalists' belief of the superiority of their religion over others becomes increasingly frightening in our interconnected global world. It ignores that God has always sent different messengers to different peoples at different times: "Whenever there is decay of righteousness... and there is exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth ... for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age." (Hinduism/Krishna: Bhagavad Gita; 4th discourse) Jesus bore witness to the ability of the Holy Spirit to work through people other than his direct followers ("whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven..." Matt 12:32.), and considered as his "family" all those who followed the word of God ("Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Mark 3:35). The recent prophets God has sent tell us our collective path is toward unity not the separatism and intolerance fundamentalism preaches. The tenth Guru Sikh, Gobind Singh, echoed the theme of religious harmony, "God is in the Hindu temple as well as in the mosque…all human beings are one though they may appear different . . . They are all of one form and one God has made them all." The Bab and the Baha'u'llah of the Bahai' have reaffirmed the same.

President Bush’s claim of divine support for the U.S. makes us look very much like crusaders, as bin Laden has said. But what are we crusading for? Thousands of people were murdered in an execution at their place of business. Were the individuals targets? No. Was the system they were part of the target? Most likely, yes. And how do we properly go about seeking justice for these wrongful and tragic deaths?

Fundamentalism is not spiritualism. It is the materialist’s companion. Whereas the material word builds attachments to sense objects and things, the fundamentalist attaches absolutely to the literal word, various translations notwithstanding. No matter how much the world may have changed in the centuries or millennia since it was written. They ignore the possibility that the words are trying to express spirit or right living for the time. They do not take into consideration the ability of the divine spirit to reach us through the words. If we look beyond the words to the spirit informing them, we see a unity of truths in the major world religions. Devotion to the source of existence is primary; harmony with all of creation is not far behind. Concern for others is paramount.

This is the time for us to move inward, to seek the counsel of our hearts upon which God’s will is written (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Is the American way the way that puts concern for profit above concern for the environment? Is the American way the way that puts concern for profit above the rights of laborers? Is the American way the way that says it is all right for corporations to move into other countries, out-sell existing businesses, and run home with the profits? The murders at the Twin Towers were heinous crimes. But the real enemy of the U.S. is within us. It is us.

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