The God Industry

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that "God is dead" in his book "Froeliche Wissenschaft" and continued with that theme in his next book "Also Sprach Zarathustra". What Nietzsche meant was that belief in the Christian god had become "unbelievable" in a 19th Century swept away by scientific rationality. Almost a century later, the French philosopher and author, Albert Camus, pointed out that the hopeless fairy tales of a god, divine creation, heavenly host, and life after death had created an absurd contradiction with realities of the human condition. Yet throughout the election campaigning of 2011 through 2012, we have heard pronouncements from Republican candidates who not only believe that god wills raped women to have babies but who also believe that the earth was created in six days while god rested on the seventh day --- never mind that there was nothing to mark days and nights until god, supposedly, created the sun and moon. It is probably no surprise to anyone that the very same politicians who are such fundamental Christians disbelieve in the last four centuries of scientific work, especially the theory of evolution and any evidence suggesting human involvement in global warming and its consequent, climate change. What is truly appalling is that contemporary supposedly intelligent people can believe and broadcast this nonsense; but what is even more appalling is that we allow this sort of garbage to enter the political theater at all. The very same politicians who introduce bills in state legislatures to prohibit Sharia Law are eager to submit Americans to Christian Law! And when it comes to dealing with women's lives they are not really that far different.

Now Nietzsche warned us that the news of god's death would be slow to make its way throughout the world but we've had almost 150 years to get it right. So what is the problem here? I've been thinking about this a lot, lately, and I've come to the conclusion that the central problem is the "God Industry." It is, in Western history, an enormous industry; and while it seems to be declining slowly in present time, it remains truly enormous today. Consider as an historic example the power of the churches in Medieval Europe; bishops and archbishops were as powerful as kings, perhaps more powerful. Consider the enormous wealth accumulated by religious institutions in order to build the huge cathedrals that we tour throughout Europe. In America we have our cathedrals as well; and every town has enough churches to service a variety of belief systems. The God Industry is everywhere and, most important, it employs large numbers of people. Needless to say, it cannot afford to allow people to go their own way in deciding belief or unbelief. 

Of course, there is also a large amount of fear associated with this issue, fear that we have learned since childhood. If god and the heavenly host do not exist, then what is there to give meaning to human life? If god doesn't regulate behavior, then the world will go mad. If there is no life after death, no heaven where we will meet our Aunt Millies, then that means a fall into Nothingness, the Abyss. In their weird ways, these fears are the greatest nihilistic forces in all of life --- one of Nietzsche's main points --- because they drain all value out of normal existence and thrust everything into an other-worldy paradise. Simply living our lives has meaning to us and does not require other worlds. 

Personally, I am sick and tired of baseball players who motion to god or Jesus when they round first base; if there were a god, I'm sure that she would have something better to attend to. I am also sick and tired of politicians proclaiming their faith, especially the ones who corrupt scientific judgment or try to control women's lives. And finally, if god were something worthy of belief, I don't think he would urge nations to go to war and grind young men and women into useless and forlorn pulp.