The writer is also unaware that in Judaism (and I mean real Torah Judaism, not liberal or post-modernist nonsense) there is room for both "reincarnation" (gilgul neshamot) and panentheism (not "everything is 'gxd,'" which is a contradiction, but "everything is in G-d," which is a perfectly legitimate way to see things).
However, aside from this henotheistic western chrstian chauvinism, the author raises some genuine points when she turns to our enemies. While rationalistic enlightenment scientism should be an opponent of anything spiritual rather than of Monotheism alone, we see plainly that this is not the case. The same leftist partisans of "reason" who invoke stale mechanistic science against Genesis champion the superstitions, cults, irrationalities, and even the creation myths of "indigenous peoples." As this is a logical contradiction, their insincerity is laid plainly before us.
Everywhere the same "progressive" theologians who reject a supernatural "interference" in the world and argue for a rethinking of religion in terms of scientific mechanism simultaneously champion the oppressed "indigenous peoples." The controversial Catholic priest in Australia (I don't recall his name) is a perfect example of this, flouting Catholic dogma while praising aboriginal superstition (which apparently doesn't violate the conscience of the followers of Voltaire). But not only here, but also in all the usual "leftist" groups (Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics, moslems, "Native Americans," etc.). Note that Hispanic activists refuse to denounce abortion just as militant Black pastors refuse to denounce evolution or the documentary hypothesis. In fact, the entire spectrum of "activists" of all these "oppressed" groups embraces, not ancestral supernatural beliefs, but stale European materialism, making them in fact the true "uncle toms" they accuse everyone else of being. And yet, simultaneously with the promotion of Voltaire, Marx, and Darwin by these frauds, they go through the motion of decrying the influence of "dead white European males" in our thought, as if they got their materialism and scientism from Africa or Mesoamerica!
And the authoress touches on something else as well, which is the real heart of the situation: the spiritless, mechanistic atheism which these people purport to follow does not and cannot authorize the many crusades in which they are engaged. According to them, all our experience is confined to a tiny bubble of illusory meaning floating on a vast ocean of oblivion. And from this they relentless crusade for "social justice?" From this they derive their bizarre Hegelian teleological view of human history as moving in a certain "direction," which absolutely "must" include the creation of homosexual marriage, or else some great metaphyisical injustice will be done? How? How does one "offend" oblivion???
If I were in closer contact with our enemies, this is the question I would ask them: "If all is meaningless and oblivion, on what grounds do you crusade for A, B, and C?" I don't believe any of our enemies has ever adequately explained this to the rest of the world.
The authoress seems to completely miss the fact that G-d created the animals too. While they are not "people," neither are they mere machines (the latter a very materialistic idea).
You betcha.
Just watched a documentary called "The Horse Boy." Child was severely autistic but reacted well to horses.
Parents decided to take child on a journey where they could combine horses and shamanism to "heal" the child. So they went to Mongolia, with a film crew of course.
Parents typical post-Christian elites at a Texas University.
My point is that an unbiased observer, say an alien Mr. Spock type, would notice they had what was objectively very similar "healing" rituals available 5 or 10 miles down the road at their local faith healing charismatic church.
But I bet they never even considered that possibility. Too unscientific and anti-intellectual. But Mongolian shamanism, objectively even less scientific than charismatic Christianity, is for some reason perfectly compatible with their worldview.
ZC: It forgets that the Biblical G-d is not a creation of chrstianity or even “the West” but a true self-existent Person who is the Creator and rightful ruler of all nations and cultures, not just “Protestant America” or “the West” (west of what, exactly?).
Spirited: In the first place, nowhere in the essay does the author speak of the transcendent God as a “creation of christianity,” as if men decided to conjure up a ‘god’ to worship. This ugly charge arises from your own imagination which you have transferred onto the author.
Next, the author does not imply that God the Father is not the “rightful ruler of all nations and cultures,” as you imagine. Careful attention on your part to the fact that the essay is not about other nations and cultures but about Christendom and Protestant America would have kept you from rashly accusing the author as you have done.
ZC: By identifying G-d with a particular culture it commits the crime of henotheism. By conflating the Biblical G-d with the chrstian “gxd” that was created later it ignores history (as also its insistence on the “triune gxd,” as if this were how G-d had been understood from the very beginning rather than a chrstian innovation).
Spirit: That you have no liking for and perhaps even loathe Christianity is obvious and doubtless accounts for your attempts at tearing down the essay with your outrageous claims.
Your charge of henotheism is not only ridiculous but seethes with resentment. Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities, hence your charge amounts to saying that while Christians worship the Triune God they also accept the existence of Siva, Gaia, various goddesses, etc.
America was founded on Protestantism and not on Judaism, Islam, or pagan naturalism, a fact affirmed by Don Feder in his enormously researched book, “Back-Fired.”
Feder is a Jew who is grateful for Protestantism but as he makes clear, this truth rankles many who call themselves Americans. They want the fruits of the tree of liberty yet hate and despise the roots. Feder concludes that those who were allowed to come here and worship, such as Jews, Muslims, and other non-believers, have seized control of the ship of state and are pushing the Protestants out.
It appears that you are one of them.