Redemption

            Old Gadfly:  Gentlemen, it has been awhile since we have had a conversation; but, on this day, I want to greet you with the hope and joy that comes with recognizing what Easter is all about:  redemption.

            IM:  Thank you, Gadfly.  But not all people are Christian and may believe a risen Christ is mere superstition.

            Old Gadfly:  I agree.  Yet, even an atheist can appreciate the liberating effect of redemption from a secular humanist perspective.  The key is that humans must have the capacity to repent their evil doing and to seek forgiveness.  Christian Picciolini, a former neo-Nazi, is an excellent example (see his presentation here).  Nowhere in his talk does he mention religion.

            AM:  I watched Picciolini”s presentation and was struck by the conditions that enabled his attraction to the neo-Nazi movement:  a need for identity, isolation, loneliness.  This may explain why there is so much division in America today, especially the emphasis by some Americans on identity politics and diversity.

            Old Gadfly:  There is a lot to unpack in what you just said, AM.  Identity politics is a way to celebrate diversity, but this approach labels people as members of distinct classes (not unsimilar with the need to place people in racial or ethnic classes that fueled hate groups such as the white supremacist movement or even the Black Lives Matter Movement, Antifa, and so forth).  The notion of diversity has been politicized by progressive political elite who want to exercise power over others, in creating utopia this side of the grave.  For example, proponents of the Dewey educational philosophy support education as a means of creating instruments for social and political change.  I am not one of them because the justification for change is chosen by someone other than the individual--typically ruling elite.  We see this in the recent youth anti-gun movement following the Parkland shooting.  Think about it.  What fuels their anger?  It is the collective feeling that they are isolated from a system that will protect them against harm.  Where are the parents?  Rather, I believe education should be based on the simple meaning of its Latin root, educare, which means to draw out.  To me, this is what the power of diversity is all about--"drawing out" each individual's understanding and meaning of their respective living environments in order to contribute to progress of the human condition.  This is the "novelty" that can keep an environment dynamic and adaptive as it continues to emerge.  This is more of a natural science understanding of diversity that is mostly devoid of any political characteristics.

            “Drawing out” one’s capacity to understand and to discover meaning is very difficult when one is isolated and lonely.  Mass isolation and loneliness are conditions that lead to totalitarianism (as in Nazism and Communism).  Jon Miltimore provides an excellent explanation in his article, “How Totalitarians Weaponize Loneliness.”

            My good friend, John, who presents a formidable opposing view in our conversations, is a devout Catholic (and mentor).  In his compassion for Muslim neighbors who may feel isolated in our community, he has reached out to them by attending some of their prayer gatherings, meeting them where they are and respecting their God-given human dignity.  This is the type of redeeming behavior that Easter is all about.