I've long been embarrassed by the willful innocence pose held by a huge segment of the US population. Yes, we're a relatively young nation, but that's no excuse for the naivete we display in world and worldly matters. Lately, I've something new to be red-faced about, something that has been creeping into the national psyche (if there is such a thing), but I've been hard pressed to come up with just the right term for it. I was coming around to designating the source of the discomfort as intentional ignorance, but an interesting essay by Jeffrey D. Sachs (professor of economics and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University) and published in the Jordan Times suggests a more proper name: anti-intellectualism. I think he's on to something.[Emphasis added]Such a stance has turned out to have rather dire consequences. Prof. Sachs points to several areas where anti-intellectualism has had a potentially murderous effect, including global warming, a subject obviously near to his heart:The war in Iraq provides yet another example for Prof. Sachs, although I think my "intentional ignorance" might be a better term than mere anti-intellectualism. Either way, however, Prof. Sachs really nail the convictions behind the active expression:The irony is that such a stance works only if its holder believes that God actually might have made some mistakes when it came to creation. Instead of viewing the marvelous design of the brain as a way for humans to appreciate the intricacies and grandeur of the universe, the fundamentalists see it as the source for sinful pride and subsequent error. Instead of being grateful for the unique design of sexual organs which make physical intimacy enjoyable, thereby ensuring the continuation of the species, the fundamentalists see the act of sex as disgusting and perverted and insist on insane limitations, even to the point (in some cultures) of encouraging mutilation.The theological inconsistencies aside, however, the stance is profoundly dangerous, especially at this time when the fate of the entire creation, of which we are supposed to be stewards, hangs in the balance. I wish God would just slap some sense into those people, but I suspect God expects the rest of us to bring those people around.

Labels: Religion, Separation of Church and State