Theological Soapbox - Overdosing on the Bible: A Response

by Arthur Menu, Sidney, BC

   Reading the article “Overdosing on the Bible” by Claudia and Maurice Sullivan that appeared in the previous issue of The Journal (summer 2002), I found myself having all sorts of feelings. I was impressed by the article because some articles I read, whether in The Journal or elsewhere, fail to arouse much feeling in me at all. Finding myself engaged, I silently hurrahed: Good on you, Claudia and Maurice, for writing something interesting and provocative! I admired how you took a distinct point of view and presented clear reasons for it. No fudging, no compromise, no “but on the other hand” qualifications that writers sometimes include so as to offend no one.
At the same time I felt myself disagreeing with you when you say there is too much Scripture in our liturgies, and in turn that led to a feeling of excitement at the possibility of starting a dialogue between you and me and Journal readers about an important aspect of how we do liturgy, something that is fundamental and relevant to all of us in Corpus. So it is my hope that this Theological Soapbox will continue the discussion and lead others to contribute articles in future issues of The Journal.
You present four examples of topics not directly addressed in the Bible but important for our time: the destruction of water, soil, species and genes. You say, “Without fresh water, soil, animal species and DNA there will be no spirituality and no scriptures whatsoever. We will all be dead and the scriptures will have turned to ashes. Perhaps we will have died with the consolation that we were ever faithful to reading and discussing our beloved scriptures.”
In all this you are assuming that the destruction of species and of humanity itself would be a bad thing. But the history of life on earth tells us that there have been more than one mass extinction since life appeared on earth. The mass extinction people are most familiar with is that of the dinosaurs and many other species of animals and plants that took place some sixty million years ago. The most popular theory these days is that the earth was hit by one or more large meteorites that resulted in an eruption of material into the atmosphere that cut the level of solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface and led to many years of very cold weather.
So it appears that Nature, if I may speak anthropomorphically for a moment, does not care whether species go extinct. The extinction of species would seem to be no less a natural phenomenon than the creation of species. If humanity managed to wipe out most species, including itself, we can be fairly sure that perhaps a few hundred million years down the road the earth would be filled with plenty of new species, including at least one intelligent one. Or maybe not. In any case in some billions of years the earth itself will be destroyed by an expanding sun.
My point is: where do we get the idea that the extinction of the species that now inhabit the earth is either not a natural development, or a natural development that should be prevented? Why do we think that we and our fellow existing species are worth preserving?
Of course, I instinctively want to preserve my own individual life. But in all likelihood any efforts I make during my all-too-short life to preserve species or humanity will not significantly affect my individual survival. In fact, I would be better off, from a self-interested point of view, accumulating as much wealth as possible to ensure that my individual circumstances will be as comfortable as possible while things deteriorate around me.
Now neither you nor I hold this selfish point of view (although we all act selfishly from time to time despite our intellectual commitment to the welfare of others). I will not speak for you, but I am committed to the preservation of species and humanity because of my Christian faith. I believe that God is the Absolute Value and the source of all value, and that created things have value because they are part of God’s self-expression. I am speaking here in philosophical language.
If I speak in Biblical language, I put it this way: God is love. God created all things out of love. God loves all things. God loves species. God loves each individual thing. God loves me. Because the Holy Spirit of God has been poured into me, I love God and all that God has created. Because I love species and humanity and the individuals that make them up, I seek their preservation and well-being.
What good does it do us to gather information about the destruction of water, soil, species and DNA, if we are not motivated to do something about it? Look around you and you will see that this motivation does not come naturally to human beings. Care for the cosmos is a supernatural gift. For me and for many that gift is born of our Christian faith. If I would save the soil and plants and animals, I must nurture my Christian faith, for it is there that I find the desire to save them and the grace to persevere in the often thankless task of conservation.
What nurtures my faith? Many things, but few more important than the Bible. When I look at the universe and the history of life on earth with the eyes of science and not faith, I see no conclusive evidence that there is a God whose attitude toward species and humanity is more favourable than unfavourable. “Nature, red in tooth and claw,” to quote Alfred Lord Tennyson, gives us no assurance of a benevolent God who looks kindly on our efforts to preserve what we consider good in the world.
On the other hand, when I hear the words the Bible places in the mouth of God, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16), or the words of Jesus, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29, I am strengthened in my faith that all people and all living things have value and are loved by God.
And so I argue that rather than distracting us from the work of preserving life, readings from the Bible motivate, encourage and strengthen us to preserve life. If we wish to find inspiration to do what you are calling us to do, Claudia and Maurice, then let us keep Scripture at the heart of our liturgies.