PrintFebruary 28, 2010
Christian Nihilism
America is experiencing a spiritual renewal. This tent revival of American exceptionalism will define the upcoming electoral debate concerning the proper role of government regarding the separation of church and state. In preparation for that debate, we must school ourselves not only in constitutional issues, but also in the factual realities of Christianity and the Judeo-Christian foundation of what was originally deemed civic virtue. There is a competing, profane religion that can be termed Christian Nihilism that has skewed the true Judeo-Christian doctrine into a destructive force of "whatever."
Christian Nihilism is the Christian principle of non-judgment erased of all laws of God. It harms through injustice and terror. And even worse, it is used to enhance political power or to achieve the nihilist goal of destruction of our entire political system. Like a hostage held by the Symbionese Liberation Army, Christian Nihilism dictates that our culture be raped, beaten, stigmatized, intimidated, robbed, terrorized, marginalized, and silenced so that something better can be created.
How Did Christian Nihilism Begin?
When the '60s radicals demanded to choose their own course of study for university degree plans, most of the courses jettisoned were those involving deep-thinking, hard-reading books that comprise the foundation of Western civilization. What replaced study of The Great Books was shallow pop culture study in the social sciences.
Consider that pre-'60s slackers at least read the Cliffs Notes version of The Great Books, making them at least knowledgeable of the main idea and supporting arguments of deep thinkers. Today's slackers shun even the Cliffs Notes versions. They have been conditioned to accept that the thoughts of dead white guys or Biblical prophets are without merit and are dismissed prima facie. Such a culture is prime pickins for individuals with evil intent.
To explain this visually, consider the fine arts. In the art scene, volumes of religious literature combined with an earnest personal search for a relationship with God were synthesized into the sublime simplicity of Barnett Newman's Stations of the Cross. The majestic grandeur of hope and opportunity of the painted landscape was rendered down into navel-gazing eternity by Mark Rothko's landscapes of nothing. Without the background of the centuries of written word that these paintings have come to replace, our pop culture viewing the Western civilization Visual Cliffs Notes can imagine whatever meaning their shallow minds can conceive.
Witness the affair of a woman kissing the painting Phaedrus by Cy Twambly, leaving the canvas painted entirely white marked by her red lipstick. Without an understanding of who Phaedrus was (hence the empty suit of a painted image), an art expert can explain how nothing can mean everything and everything can mean nothing.
In this case, the canvas itself is an expression: An empty space says a lot, and it says something different to almost every person who looks at it. It represents limitless possibility and beginnings. Place a single black dot in the center of that canvas, and you suddenly have a dialogue about racial inequality. Divide it in half with another swatch of color, and the meaning changes again. Most importantly, the meaning and the emotion is going to be unique to every individual who stands in front of the canvas.By choosing to present a blank canvas, Twombly is at once saying nothing, while at the same time saying everything. The power of doing so is evidenced by the fact that this woman, so overtaken by the infinite number of possible interpretations, was moved to kiss the canvas, instantly altering the meaning of the piece. At that point, it became her painting, and Twombly's vision became secondary. His exploration of infinite possibility became her expression of lust and desire.
(I guess this explains why a vandal was moved to spray-paint a peace sign on an artfully decorated tile mosaic wall in my town.)
The Results of Christian Nihilism
The above-quoted high-toned twaddle is evidence enough that a culture steeped in generations of dismissal of the Great Books of Western Civilization has now accepted reeducation, with the ability to defend graffiti and defamation as reasoned thought. Christian Nihilism explains how the academic intelligentsia, mainstream media, and political hacks can be so certain of their spiritual superiority with no practicable evidence, while so equally convinced that their customers and fellow citizens are immoral idiots. This, combined with a Mao-esque sense of nihilistic benevolence, underscores their conviction that the state collection plate is never full enough to show their compassionate nature.
Read the transcript of this Democrat strategy session to understand how Christian Nihilism is practiced for political opportunism. Christian Nihilists show their piety by ensuring that others give accordingly by requiring more sacrifice from the American taxpayers while excusing themselves through tax-avoidance chicanery.
The Christian Nihilism pop culture mistakes cunning for intelligence and savvy for integrity. Severe personal development flaws are flippantly described as character. As Algore in Wonderland said, "Everything that should be up, is down, and everything that should be down, is up." Stir in a few Alinsky/Luciferian ideas concerning the separation of church and state, and morality is turned on its head. The religious nature of morality now means that the state must support through law and funding that which is inherently immoral. The result is a conveyor belt of disenfranchised citizens easily manipulated by the nihilist Cloward/Piven Strategy that teaches that the government owes you something -- especially an income. Government, not God, is now the Prime Mover, and it is moving contrary to previously held standards of conduct. Wicked is now good, and what's bad is cool. What's unjust is promoted as just and vice-versa...and OMG, I just sounded like an Old Testament prophet.
However, there is a problem in Neverland. America's counterrevolutionary spiritual reawakening is exerting its power. Man is a spiritual being, and therefore universal truths exist. The more unjust a system, the more obvious it becomes that there is a different way. A culture in search of real truth must open those hard books of our forefathers and delve into the difficult questions about the complexities of life. It is the struggle to come to terms with Truth that determines real character, not a willingness to be a flawed but glibly complacent Christian Nihilist.
Nancy Coppock is the Bryan/College Station Texas Tea Party Organizer.
