In Theory: On the spiritual benefits of admitting weakness
America’s “cultural religion” worships success and leaves no room for failure and “offers no healthy coping strategies for tragedy,” writes Matthew S. Rindge, associate professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University, in a Religion News Service column.
This philosophy, or gospel of success, is evident in President Donald Trump, according to Rindge:
“His commitment to winning is so complete that any hint of criticism must be responded to with a full-throated attack (e.g., Meryl Streep and Rep. John Lewis).
“Any trace of failure must be blamed on anyone and anything other than himself. His inability to cope with failure is part of a cultural pathology that lies at the root of the American Dream: Trump is not strong enough to be weak.”
Rindge argues that for our “national spiritual and religious maturation” Americans must embrace weakness, failure and death.
“We must be strong enough to be weak. Our very humanity may depend upon it.”
Q. What do you think of Rindge’s observations?
Sun Tzu, the Chinese military philosopher, is quoted as saying, “When weak appear strong and when strong appear weak.”
All egocentric leaders make use of this concept ad nauseum.
As followers of the God who creates and does not destroy, we must look to scripture for a better guide. The sentence translated as, “You will love your neighbor as yourself,” has a parallel translation for “your neighbor.” It is “your evil.”
The meaning then is “you will love your evilness as you love yourself.” If one can acknowledge their failings (evilness) as an important part of their being then they are living the true meaning of loving oneself and then they will not need to treat others with blame, one of the most destructive of actions. Creation, not destruction, has made and will make America great.
Rabbi Mark Sobel
Temple Beth Emet
Burbank
..
Mr. Trump’s “inability to cope with failure” does not indicate a pathological flaw in our culture, but shows his own lack of abilities as a human being. He has never bothered to learn how to cope with failure because he has never admitted to failure. Numerous bankrupcies, multimillions in legal settlements paid out, two divorces and a string of harassment claims against him, yet the man still thinks he is a business wizard and the universe’s gift to womankind.
As for Professor Rindge’s sweeping observation that the worship of success is the “most dominent thread of American religion,” I’d need to see some supporting evidence. What I do see is a religious milieu in the United States dominated by Christianity, expressing its central tenet in various versions on the theme of the meek inheriting the earth, the last being first. The triumph of the cross is their core belief. How Christians can support Trump is bewildering to me.
President Trump eked out a slim electoral college victory resting on about 80,000 votes in 3 states. Speaking for myself and the rest of the substantial majority of the 2016 U.S. presidential electorate who voted for the other candidate, we are not about to allow our culture to take the rap for the next four years, or however long our Commander-in-Chief lasts in office. This chaos is not our fault.
Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose
..
Funny how the finger gets pointed at Trump, who did, in fact, win. Unless there’s a better way than to focus on winning, please explain. He was in a race where losing was not an option until someone lost. I’m not echoing Ricky Bobby’s sentiment that “If you’re not first you’re last,” but if winning is Americanly endemic, then fine, let’s look at the recent election’s poor losers. They’ve responded with viciousness, violence and rampage. For people who thought America was hellbound for electing Trump, they reveal that Hell was already growing like mold, and Trump just opened the basement door and exposed it. The losers champion illegality, murder of the innocent, deny truth, and remain limpwristed about national security. Ever notice how they’ll take potshots at Trump, then cry “foul” when he fires back? If you are hanging from a precipice, do you remain passive while your fingers are stomped? If you don’t answer your detractors when you most need to look capable, an unanswered litany of charges will emerge at the eleventh hour when it’ll be too late to respond.
Perhaps Rindge is the sort that believes every child should receive a trophy, and nobody should be a winner, or everyone’s a winner so we should stop trying. I don’t believe that ultimate success is measured by power and acquisition, but it’s a fact in the American ethos that having a decent roof, quality food, and some significant role to play in society equals a good life — the American Dream. That isn’t the end-all of our existence, but it’s all there is for some. So, we pursue happiness with winning in mind, yet remain mindful that most of us won’t wind up millionaire celebrities. Perhaps that’s maturity enough. We have plenty of stories every day about people who’ve prematurely lost life’s race, and we think, “there but for the grace of God go I.”
Biblically speaking, we’re taught to “be perfect,” to “live as saints,” and to do all “for the glory of God.” High standards, yet to expect less is to promote and value less. So the bar’s high, and the knowledge of our imperfection is always with us, and with God, as “He knows we are but dust.” Nevertheless, we aim for heaven and expect some of earth to be thrown in sufficient for happy thriving.
Perhaps Trump won because he doesn’t take any crud, and deep down it’s how we’d all like to respond but don’t because it’s not always appropriate. We also know that any of us could be caught unawares while being videoed in a moment our enemies may exploit for our demise. What to do? I don’t believe we should just “embrace weakness, failure and death,” but fight it all the way, and do so with Christ as our banner, and eternity on our calendars.
Rev. Bryan A. Griem
Tujunga