Dear Reclaimers,
I would like to share some thoughts at this fraught time in our country. You might be feeling anxious, bewildered, angry, or frustrated, and that would be understandable. The new Trump administration has been an onslaught of changes with scary implications for the future. The authoritarianism may be triggering for you since many churches have similar structures of power. In fundamentalist religion, loyalty and obedience are the highest values so you might be familiar with feelings of degrading powerlessness. But this is not the whole story.
It is true that we face severe challenges to our democracy, that human rights are being threatened, that climate change is not being taken seriously, and human health and well-being across the globe will be impacted by this new regime. We also realize that Christian Nationalists are actively involved, enacting their apocalyptic agenda. We are continually frustrated by the claim of the religious right that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation (It was not), and the Constitution as up there with the Bible. Religion permeates our society; some parts of the country seem to have no separation of church and state, and are proud of that fact. (To help you understand the Trump cult, read what I wrote about the similarity between the characters of Trump and Jehovah God on page 9 of The Freethought Society issue here.)
In general, reclaimers tend to shift their political views toward the left, valuing human rights more than before, and adopting a humanistic philosophy. They are more aware of social issues than before leaving religion, and more likely to take part in some kind of activism, even just to join a march like the Women’s March or Black Lives Matter. There is more concern about human well-being in this life instead of the hereafter. They are concerned about Planet Earth and thus issues like climate change.
For reclaimers new to political awareness and activism, this event of Trump’s election has been very discouraging. It raises questions: Is the world just a lost cause like religious people say? Are we just as helpless as before when we were trying to change the world? Are people basically bad – racist, sexist, classist, and more? Is it really the end of the world?
Regarding the environment, it is noteworthy that the U.S. is the most religious of Western nations as well as the most opposed to climate change legislation. We know that there is a large evangelical voting bloc which believes the earth will burn anyway when biblical prophecies are fulfilled, so why bother saving it?
These are good questions and can really get you down. But there are several things to keep in mind that can help:
- It’s not the end of the world. In the course of history, there have been many crises and humanity has survived. Think about all the wars (and “rumors of wars”) and all the epidemics including the Black Plague. There have been many times humanity has believed it was the End Times. Religions that try to pinpoint the exact date for the End have been wrong. Trump is not the first megalomaniac tyrant to rule. Genghis Kahn came and went. The Roman Empire rose and fell. Pol Pot was a dictator and is now gone. Mao tz Tung and Stalin had their day and have now passed. Trump is mortal and even his term as president will not last.
- The overall arc of history is toward human rights and better living conditions. That is, if we look at changes over hundreds of years, there are marked improvements. Steven Pinker is a psychology professor and philosopher who has studied this and points out that:
- life expectancy for most of human history was around 30 and now is 71 years worldwide and around 80 in more developed parts of the world,
- in education, for most of world history, people were illiterate; now 90% of people in the world under 25 can read and write,
- wealth and poverty: 200 years ago 90% of the world lived in extreme poverty and now the rate is 10%,
- peace: even though there are horrific wars that continue to go on, the rate of death in war is now about a quarter of what it was in the 80’s, and about a 7th of what it was in the 70’s during Vietnam, to say nothing of what it was during the world wars. Pinker has more to say and points out the most people are more pessimistic than they need to be.
- Change occurs in movements, not individual efforts. People like the suffragettes or abolitionists organized to achieve goals like women voting or ending slavery, not in isolation. The labor movement or the civil rights movement were collective efforts. We have many organizations now which individuals can join and assist – the ACLU, Peace Action, Move On, and many more. For individuals who get involved, there is camaraderie with others as people work together, lifting spirits. Protest marches are encouraging and exciting as you spend time with others that are like-minded, realizing that you are far from alone. Move On (https://front.moveon.org/) organizes around small groups in house parties that gather to work on progressive projects, writing letters, raising funds, backing candidates and more. You can contact any of these groups to find out how to fit in and contribute. The result is empowering. People are fighting back and the Resistance is growing. The mid-term elections are not far away with a good chance of flipping the House and possibly the Senate.
- Appreciate the BIG PICTURE.
We earthlings are not the only ones in the universe. There are enormous and spectacular things happening in all the far reaches of space. To get some excitement and encouragement about what scientists are learning, check out the images from the James Webb Space Telescope. It’s amazing and beautiful. We can be small and humble as we realize an inkling of what is going on that is beyond our comprehension. In a strange way, that’s pretty comforting.
- You are not helpless. You can contact your representatives in Congress (https://congress.org) to express a concern or to sign a petition. You can join in the efforts of a group you support or go to a protest. In your private life you can pledge to live up to your own chosen values and contribute to your community. You can live the way you want and be the person you want to be regardless of how national leaders are behaving or what moral standards they happen to have. You can still feel empowered in the way you live your own life. You can plant a garden, get outside to exercise, or be a good friend.
- Notice the power of Springtime. The small sprouts of greenery on the ground, bravely pushing around rocks, splitting the soil. Life persists! The first flower blossoms, so tender and powerful. Trees, at the tips of their branches, spread a new shade of green. They stretch and reach, sending their force into the future. Inexorable!
Spring has come. Be the springtime.
I hope this was encouraging.
Warmly,
Dr. Marlene Winell