The Bearable Lightness of Divine Totalitarianism
The bulk of what constitutes traditional/classical Christian theology amounts to little more than an apologia and justification for divine totalitarianism—a centralized, dictatorial God requiring nothing more than subservience to his divine will.
How could it be otherwise? Once God is defined as an Abolute, omni-everything being who creates ex nihilo, the apologia and justification for divine totalitarianism are understandable and vital.
The Westminster Confession of Faith provides a vivid example of God as totalitarian.
God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself allsufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: he is the alone foundation of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth.
In his sight all things are open and manifest; his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature; so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, he is pleased to require of them.
The passages above are not unique. Similar tracts exist in the creeds and doctrines of most denominations. All assert the same thing. God is completed and fulfilled.
His Creation is also completed and fulfilled (we are not privy to the details). Hence, Christianity is, by default, a completed and fulfilled religion with but one requirement for its adherents—worship.
Some philosophical humming and hawing over matters like freedom are permitted as long as they do not encroach upon God as Absolute.
Questions concerning God’s motive for Creation are regarded as nonsensical because they contradict God’s eternally fulfilled and completed state of being.
God lacks nothing, possesses everything; has no needs, no wants, and no desires. In a nutshell, God does not and cannot experience motivation. God has done, is doing, and will eternally do everything he does, all at the same time.
Creeds like the Westminster Confession of Faith reflect a mode of consciousness that regards totalitarianism as a positive ordering force. On top of that, totalitarianism completes and fulfills.
If Christianity is a completed and fulfilled religion, then it is a religion of divine totalitarianism, very much like Islam.
On the other hand, if Christianity is incomplete and unfulfilled, then Christians may have more to do in mortal life than worship. Moreover, the Christian God may not be as totalitarian as earlier Christianity assumed.
And let’s not kid ourselves; creeds like the Westminster Confession are, ultimately, assumptions.
Still, the prospect of incomplete, unfulfilled Christianity strikes most as unbearable.
There’s an inherent, bearable lightness in divine totalitarianism.
Undeniably so.
How could it be otherwise? Once God is defined as an Abolute, omni-everything being who creates ex nihilo, the apologia and justification for divine totalitarianism are understandable and vital.
The Westminster Confession of Faith provides a vivid example of God as totalitarian.
God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself allsufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them: he is the alone foundation of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth.
In his sight all things are open and manifest; his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature; so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, he is pleased to require of them.
The passages above are not unique. Similar tracts exist in the creeds and doctrines of most denominations. All assert the same thing. God is completed and fulfilled.
His Creation is also completed and fulfilled (we are not privy to the details). Hence, Christianity is, by default, a completed and fulfilled religion with but one requirement for its adherents—worship.
Some philosophical humming and hawing over matters like freedom are permitted as long as they do not encroach upon God as Absolute.
Questions concerning God’s motive for Creation are regarded as nonsensical because they contradict God’s eternally fulfilled and completed state of being.
God lacks nothing, possesses everything; has no needs, no wants, and no desires. In a nutshell, God does not and cannot experience motivation. God has done, is doing, and will eternally do everything he does, all at the same time.
Creeds like the Westminster Confession of Faith reflect a mode of consciousness that regards totalitarianism as a positive ordering force. On top of that, totalitarianism completes and fulfills.
If Christianity is a completed and fulfilled religion, then it is a religion of divine totalitarianism, very much like Islam.
On the other hand, if Christianity is incomplete and unfulfilled, then Christians may have more to do in mortal life than worship. Moreover, the Christian God may not be as totalitarian as earlier Christianity assumed.
And let’s not kid ourselves; creeds like the Westminster Confession are, ultimately, assumptions.
Still, the prospect of incomplete, unfulfilled Christianity strikes most as unbearable.
There’s an inherent, bearable lightness in divine totalitarianism.
Undeniably so.
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