Religion And The Desire To Be A Slave

John Paul II was apparently into some kinky shit.

According to a new book, Why A Saint, written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the late Pope John Paul II would routinely engage in self-flagellation in order to “bring him closer to Christian perfection.”

According to Oder,

In his closet, among his vestments, there was hung on a clothes hanger a particular kind of belt for pants, which he used as a whip…

When he was bishop in Poland, he often slept on the bare floor so he could practice self-denial and asceticism.

Wow. I’ve heard of Catholic guilt before, but this is ridiculous. If the Pope—supposedly god’s mouthpiece for million’s of Catholics—thought he was worthy of whipping, I can only imagine what he thought of the laymen and what their penance should be for having committed sin.

This episode highlights the incredibly neurotic nature of Catholicism, which like virtually every other sect of Christianity, teaches that humans are born wicked. In truth, it is Catholicism—and religion in general—that is inherently wicked, not humans.

In religion, especially the monotheistic faiths, we see a classic slave mentality at work in the minds of the faithful. It is appropriate that one of the most famous Christians in history whipped himself regularly; much like Southern plantation owners would whip their chattel slaves for having committed some transgression against the master.

Psalm 23:

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

In the context of slavery, this last line may resonate especially with those who are familiar with Malcolm X’s description of “house negroes”—slaves that the masters found agreeable and obedient enough to be treated in a more decent manner than the “field negroes.”

Of course, whether a person was a house slave or a field slave, the servitude was quite obviously involuntary. The same cannot be said, however, for metaphysical slavery, which is a self-imposed bondage to a vague and intangible “being” who also demands obedience; and his rules are kindly relayed by his earthly representatives who often call themselves “god’s humble servants.” Indeed, we often hear pastors refer to their “flock,” as in a herd of sheep needing direction.

If you really need convincing of this, look no further than this not uncommon rhetoric from a popular evangelical Christian website:

All men and women are either slaves of Satan or slaves of Jesus Christ, there is no in between. When one comes to Christ in faith, one ceases to be a slave of Satan and becomes a slave of Jesus Christ, his or her Lord. Jesus calls his people out of the darkness of slavery under Satan and out of the bondage power of sins to “marvelous light” and to a whole new relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thus, if you are alive, you are slave. On this matter you have no choice. The only “choice” you have comes in deciding whether to follow Jesus or Satan. I should hardly have to tell you that as far as Christianity is concerned, to reject the premises altogether is tantamount to deciding to be a slave of Satan.

Whence came this demented mentality? I suspect it has something to do with the desire of many to believe that someone is minding the store (or plantation), even if they can’t actually see the owner. Take the owner out of the mix, and the slaves cease to be slaves. But the prospect of freedom is daunting because with freedom comes responsibility. Consequently, humans would be responsible for themselves and answerable to each other. No one else.

This is the antithesis of Christianity, which teaches that Jesus assumed responsibility for the actions of mankind. In turn, humans are answerable to him. Thus, the revealed “wisdom” of the gospels provides a meaning of life and a set of (not always clearly) promulgated rules for living. To reject god is to reject morality handed down from on high. As a consequence, humans would have to construct their own morality from the ground up.

Just as Camus said that committing suicide is an admission that life is too much, believing in god makes a similar confession. Belief declares that one is incapable of living for living’s sake. Bare existence is too much and freedom is too formidable to endure. So enter the manmade master. He provides moral guidance. He provides a feeling of transcendence. And all he asks is your undying obedience to his immutable and timeless laws. He will take away the burdens of freedom and a happy slave you shall be.

- Max