July 6, 2002, by Lee Joramo
SERMON: American Mythology Worship
An Introduction
America, as I believe all functional societies, has a rich and wonderful mythology. I have constructed a personal myth based in large part on American Mythology. I am going to describe the basic concepts of our mythology, how our current political institutions are not using our mythology properly, and why our mythology is perhaps our most valuable resource when we engage the world.
I suppose that some of you may have the preconception that this will be a service that "exposes" the lies of the American Way. That I will be stripping away the American Mythos and displaying the ugly reality. The Truth is, that I will be celebrating of our American Mythology. As I discuss mythology, lets be absolutely clear. I am not talking about reality. Nor am I talking about a tool to allow spin doctors to whitewash history, and to cover over acts of wrong doing with the stars and strips. While our myths are largely based on documented history, it is not correct to believe our myths are factual, or to require myths to be historically accurate. Myth and history serve different purposes.
In my service on mythology last winter, I explained that I am not a spiritual person. I am an intellectual person, I want to describe the world in terms of the scientific method. Yet, I realized this path has significant flaws. How do I make decisions in the absence of a data or a good theory? Since I am not omniscience I continually face this situation. I realized that I need something to help me when I am not in procession of all the required data and I do not have the time or resources to make an informed decision. I define a mythology as a story that harmonizes our life's experience with reality. I use mythology whenever I need to fill in the large gaps in my knowledge. I use mythology to tie myself to a reality that is more large and complex than I can humanly understand.
Our Mythology is broad and encompasses both our nation's Left and Right wing in one pantheon of Stories. From the Erza Pounds "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free" to Horatio Alger's "Ragged Dick" self made man stories, ours is NOT a mythos of the gods, the God, the hero, or the King. Ours is distinctly a mytho of the greatness to be found in the common man. Ours is the Mythology of the enlightened individual.
Bicentennial Impact
Early in my life I was attracted to American Mythology. My foundation of American Myth was the Bicentennial Year of 1976. As a 9 year old, I was witness to a great deal of historic stories related to the American Revolution. Most of these were fairy tales. Tales for children. Fairy Tails delineate good and bad with crystal clarity, and provide an absolute lesson. I would make the analogy that Fairy Tales are to Mythology as Counting is to Differential Equations. Fairy tales provide the basic symbols for Myths, but lack the depth and complexity of a Myth. The Fairy Tale of Thomas Jefferson, is that he was a great President and wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Myth of Thomas Jefferson is much more complex. He is a man who is in deep conflict with his ideals of freedom and slave ownership. Yet this teaches the adult mind that even one who is imperfect, flawed even hypocritical can contribute to the advancement of the world.
Being nine in the Bicentennial year was perhaps a unique experience. A year or two younger, I would only have been impressed by the bright colors. A year or two older, I would have been tainted by Vietnam, Watergate and the Cold War. Instead, I understood that America has a wonderful set of fairy tales that distinguished us from the rest of the world, a nation great enough to dedicate the historic Landing on the Moon to "All of Mankind". Yet I could sense that my parents who loved this country were also frightened by the course of real world events. While I had been told that George Washington could tell no lie, it was obvious that not all Presidents were held in such high esteem.
The Key phrase in American Mythology.
When I look at the entirety of American Mythology, I believe it is all encompassed in the opening words of our constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..."
Let me say these words again. "We the PEOPLE of the united states, in order to form a MORE PERFECT UNION...". No god or divine right is being invoked. The People are being invoked as the source of power. And what is the nature of this power? Unlike the power bestowed by a god, this is a very human power for it is not perfect. It is a power that is inherently not perfectible. Instead it is an attempt to create a more perfect power than has existed before, this is the best that people are capable of. This opening line acknowledges the imperfection inherent in the Constitution itself and to challenge the coming generations to continue to perfect this living document.
This acceptance of our imperfection and our desire to strive for perfection is the very core to my personal mythology. When ever I look at governmental actions, business plans, organizational activities, and individual problems, I do not ask why the actors are failing to act in a perfect manner. It is self evident that they can not act in a perfect manner. Instead, I ask if they are acting in a more perfect manner. Are they trying to legitimately act as perfectly as humans can? Or are they regressing and becoming more imperfect. And when people fail to act perfectly, does the system deal in an efficient manner to improve the situation?
I point the lens of more perfection on myself. Accept myself for not being perfect, while at the same time challenge myself to become more prefect.
The Uniqueness of the Founding Fathers
I have read a great deal of what I consider political misinformation about our Fathers. On the Left, they are vilified for being the White Male Slave Owning Pro-Business Self- Interested Power Elite. On the Right, they are simplistic Fairly Tail Figures who would have fine white marble for excrement.
I am fascinated, by the Founding Fathers. Yes, they were the Power Elite of their Generation. But for their time they were an amazingly diverse group. Urban and Rural, institutionally educated and self-taught, self made and inheritor, religious and profane, well traveled and parochial, native and immigrant.
Not only did they have problems with the current Power structure, but they envisioned a more perfect replacement for the current power structure. Look at the world history of revolutions, and American's is distinctive. The Found Father's did not simply wish to change the names in the current power structure, they wanted a new power structure. And once having created a new state, they agreed to live under the rules of law that they had created. The list of failed revolutions is lengthy: Germany, Argentina, Russian, Mexico, China, France, and on and on. American is one of the few revolutions that was not only an initial militarily successful, but also sustained its ideals and improved the lives of its citizens. Some might call me to task for the fact that many revolutions have been subverted from external forces. In fact, to our shame our own nation has been responsible for such acts. However, it is also true that the Founders of our nation had to deal with such external nasty manipulations from Great Britain and France who where the super powers of the time.
These men are well documented historic figures who were no more perfect than any of us, yet became mythic figures. The Founding Father's provide us with our beliefs of what good leaders should be.
Created Mythology
America was the first nation with a manufactured Mythology. The Founding Fathers understood the value of creating a Mythology, and unlike previous nations who inherited an evolving Myth, the Founding Fathers realized that they could create a new national mythos. Take a look at the Dollar Bill that is included in your Order of Service.
I am sure that you are aware of many of the basic symbols to be found on our basic unit of currency, but you may not be aware of how complex the mythology is here, in fact, I do not have the time to fully explore all of the details that exist. Much of this analysis I have learned from my readings of Professor of Mythology Joseph Campbell.
I am going to focus on the The Great Seal of the United States which is found on the reverse side of the bill and consists of the two circles with the pyramid and eagle.
The founding Fathers were men of the enlightenment. As a general rule, they did not believe in a God that is separate from us, but a knowable God of Reason that allowed self- discovery. This God of enlightenment is at the top of the pyramid. From the top of the pyramid you can view all sides, from the ground you can only ever see two sides at once. The eye looks forward into the future, and sees the bounty of a New Land. Behind the pyramid is the desolate desert of the Old World. While the Eye of God is at the top of the pyramid, notice this: The foundation is built by the works of men as indicated by the Roman Numeral inscription for 1776.
There are three statements written in Latin. Latin is the international language, the language of science, the language of the Roman Republic. The inscription over the eagle reads E Pluribus Unum, From The Many One. We have united together not by conquest, but by peaceful agreement. Annuit Coeptis, "He has smiled on Us". Novus Ordo Seclorum, "A New Order of the World". We are engaged in a great new experiment in human history unlike what went before.
In many of the worlds mythologies, The eagle is the symbol of the chief god. The eagle is also the symbol of the Roman Republic. But this American Eagle is different from the War Eagles of the past. Our eagle is caped in white the color of purity and enlightenment. Our eagle is prepared for the arrows of war, but our eagle first looks to the laurel branch of peace. In fact, our eagle is the is both the Eagle of war and Dove of peace. Such Dualities are fundamental to American Mythology.
I could continue on and on, about the layers of mythology in the Seal, such as the numerology associated with the number 13 and 1776, or the Star of David.
Right Wing Miss Use, Left Wing Neglect
I believe that we face an increasing misuse of American Mythology. This problem stems from the fact that our Left wing as abandoned usage of the symbols and stories of American Mythology, while the Right has continued to manipulate and distort our myths. I strongly feel that our nations Left must return to using the language of American Myth.
Homeland Security
The most blatant example of this abandonment of the American Myth by the Left is the complete lack of challenge to the term "Homeland". We are not a "Homeland". Myths tell us that we are a nation of immigrants, who are happy to have left their homelands behind them. The term "homeland", or "motherland" or "fatherland" are terms that tie a people to a place. We are not a nation that is founded on place, but a nation founded on ideas.
The Paradox of the American Flag
The Flag of the United States is one of the symbols of the American mythos. It is a physical representation of our myths. Those Americans who wish to burn the flag in protest are simply hurting their cause. They do not understand the American mythos. The act of burning a symbol of American mythology implies a distain for American mythology. Ah, I hear a certain discomfort in the air here. That's right I think that Americans who burn the flag are flat wrong. However, those who wish to protect the flag from burning are equally wrong. People who wish to protect the flag, do not understand our American values of free speech. The act of protecting the flag is just as disrespectful as the act of burning it. The American flag needs no protection, it is a symbol that is self protecting as long as we practice the values it symbolizes.
So how would I think that protesters should deal with the flag? If they fighting for what they believe are the elements of American mythology, they should proudly bare the flag as their claim to freedom. Perhaps my favorite usage of this symbolism was by the 60's radical Abby Hoffman. Hoffman had a sweater made with the pattern of the flag on it. He was vilified by many for disgracing the flag. But what I believe that he was really saying is that he loved the American ideal so much he was willing to wear it.
UU's
As I prepared for this service and and looked for appropriate music to sing, I was amazed that I could not find any songs that would be appropriate to sing. Our hymnal has a topical index in the back with sections such as: The Bible, Earth, Love, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Rosh Hashanah, United Nations Sunday, even Hiroshima Day. I wonder why are we so accepting of the great wide world but not of our own country? I believe that American Mythology is largely the same as UU mythology. We should embrace it.
The Role of American Mythology in World Mythology
Joseph Campbell did extensive studies on the breakdown of Mythological systems. What happens to societies when their myths no longer connect them to the real world. This often occurs when a culture under goes the rapid change associated with modernization or contact with other societies . Of course, Campbell wanted to preserve the old myths for history, but he did not believe that a society should be trapped by old myths that no longer fit the changed world. Campbell saw the need for creating a new world wide mythology. A new myth that would supplement a cultures existing myths.
Joseph Campbell said, "We need a Mythology that will identify the individual not with his local group, but with the planet. A model for that is the United States. Here were 13 different colony nations that decided to act in the mutual interest, without disregarding the individual interests of anyone."
I believe that America is most successful in engaging the world, when we do so by applying our national mythology, and not when we work from simply political calculation. From the seed of "The Marshal Plan" grew the French German Steel Agreement then the European Community and now the European Union. America has been a huge player in building the European Union, even though, it has long been realized that the EU would become the most powerful competitor to the US. But we saw the far greater benefit in building powerful allies who share I fundamental ideals.
America was also the driving force behind the founding of the United Nations, another institution that was founded by extending the American Myth to the rest of the world.
McCarthyism Mythology
Finally, Let me cast an old story in a new light. A story that I feel is a very powerful positive Myth for American. A myth that teaches us valuable lessons. And this should be a powerful Myth for the American Left to proudly bear.
No doubt, the name of Senator McCarthy will be greatly hated in this community. But I come not to bury McCarthyism as a low point in American history. Instead, I come to praise the Mythology of McCarthism. Do I need to recap the damage done by one lone drunk who had a secret list of names? I think not, I am sure that you are all well versed in factual American History. The damage that he did was very real and wide spread.
Other countries have figures like McCarthy in their national mythos. They have names like Stalin, Hitler, and Peron. I believe that McCarthy was personally as dangerous has Hitler. If given unlimited tools of power McCarthy's character could quite easily have led him to build gulags and death camps. However, the American system prevented him from achieving International name recognition. Accepting that we are imperfect beings with an imperfect system, the question should not be one of shock that a figure such as McCarthy existed. The fact is that there are bad people. Instead, the question should be how did our system deal with it? With time our system of formal and informal checks and balances worked to stop McCarthy. The branches of government, the news media, the professional military and non-profit organizations all worked toward the destruction of the McCarthy personality cult.
The Myth of McCarthyism is a warning to us to be forever vigilant, but also that we are strong enough to face such a threat and prevail.
