"THIS IS IT"
Our Bountiful Continent
CONVENTIONS
Chapter 6
After a leisurely breakfast, with lots of chatter (much of which I couldn't understand), we gathered in the rotunda of the Capitol Building. After waiting for some time, and watching people file by, a young lady approached the group and stood for some time gazing at the Delegates. Her expression indicated that she wanted to address someone but couldn't decide just who. Eventually she said, "Who among you is Mr. Thorp?" When I stepped forward she extended her hand and said, "Mr. Thorp, I am pleased to meet you. I am Evelyn Driscall, chairwoman of this convention." She then looked over the group and said, "Mr. Thorp, will you seat the Delegates in the balcony of the chamber?"
After we had taken seats in the balcony, and the conventioneers had taken seats, and the noise had abated, Miss Driscall walked to the podium and stood for several seconds. Eventually she cleared her throat and said, "We will now open this convention meeting of the ecclesiastic branch of the Educational Sequence. Since every religious denomination is represented here today, it seems in the order of things that someone will want to open the meeting with prayer. Who among you wishes to give the opening prayer?"
The whole chamber became exceedingly quiet. Eventually a hand was raised and a tall, handsome man (garbed in the cloth) walked to the podium and conducted a whispering conversation with Miss Driscall. After some time had elapsed, Miss Driscall said, "We will have His Eminence, Father Phelps, Bishop of the Diocese of Boston, lead us in prayer."
After Bishop Phelps had crossed himself and bowed his head, he said, "Oh Lord God of the Universe, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I want to thank thee for the privilege of serving our beloved people in a society wherein human beings can, for the first time in history, be their brother's keeper, without having to think of others in a financial way. "Oh Lord God, forgive us for our sins of hypocrisy in the past, when we were forced to be one leg of the tripartite pact of business, state, and organized religion. We ask your forgiveness for so many things-for having been a part of inequity, wherein poor and hungry people of this continent were producing goods and services in abundance, but were induced by those of the tripartite pact to maintain an artificial scarcity, in order that the price system could function for just a while longer. "Forgive us for publicly sanctioning war as a means of staving off business stagnation. Forgive us for the many lies we told. "We thank thee that, for the first time in history, we can be Christians in deeds, as well as in words." "Amen."
As Bishop Phelps walked from the podium, several hands were raised. As I remember, hand raising became so rapid that Miss Driscall looked rather startled. Then, pointing her finger at a very eager-looking middle-aged man, she said, "I think your hand was raised first. Please give your name and denomination." He said, "I am Reverend Brown, of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles."
Arriving at the podium Reverend Brown stood for some time, his face becoming quite red, then spoke with emotion, saying, "My God people, if there is a God in heaven (of which I am sometimes in doubt), we of the clergy are facing eternal damnation. It just now dawns on me, why in God's name am I here? "Good God, I sometimes wonder why in God's world we didn't come to our senses long ago. The very idea of teaching people something that deep in our hearts we didn't really believe! To think of some of the horrifying things that we have done in the name of Jesus Christ is enough to make me shudder. "I am of the opinion that there lived a good man by the name of Jesus who became a martyr for human principles and dignity. He must have been a rebel of the first order, who had enough courage and conviction to defy the corrupt status quo of his time, which cost him his life."
The Reverend stood in silence for some time, then said, "We all know, or should know, that, for quite some time after the death of Christ, the Christians were hunted like jackals, and harassed no end. It is evident that they had strong convictions, and, as a harassed people for such a long time, some of them became belligerent. "When Constantine became interested in their faith, he, being a military man, favored the belligerent Christian faction, and set about with his soldiers to convince people to embrace the Christian faith by force of arms. For us, the clergy, to declare that such action was the will of God is the most shameful thing I can think of, and one that causes me to shudder, if, however, there is a God in heaven. "It causes my heart to bleed to think that such a fine man as Christ (whether or not he was divine) would be misused as an intermediary between man and his God, to be pulled, shoved, and jostled around for man's own selfish interest, both in business and in battle. "It also causes me embarrassment to think that, for over two thousand years, men like ourselves have been attempting to civilize people through the teaching of Christianity, and have failed for the lack of a social order that was compatible with
Christianity. "Thanks to the men of science for bringing about a social order that is compatible with Christianity. "We have found that when man is in an environment where there is no monetary consideration, and where he has no feeling of insecurity, he arrives and conducts himself in a manner embracing Christian principles.
It was Christ who drove the money changers from the temple. "It was Christ who said, 'As God in heaven provides for the birds, he will also provide for you.' "It was Christ who plucked corn from the field, and informed his disciples that it was his Father's corn, and that he was his Father's son. "If there is a God in heaven I pray to him to bless the scientist and technician, for it is they who brought the millennium to the world, not we. "I hope I haven't frightened you people by letting my hair down; it causes me to feel as clean as a baptism."
I have never seen people so anxious to give a report, or should I say a testimonial or a confession, as were the ecclesiastics at that convention, because as soon as one stepped from the podium, it seemed that every hand went up to be heard.
The next person on the podium was Reverend Williams, of the Fourth Methodist Church of Oklahoma City. Speaking very slowly with a slight mid-continent accent, he said, "In my tenure as pastor of the Methodist Church, I was, during the era prior to the new social order, sorely embarrassed on numerous occasions by the pressure of businessmen who were in my congregation. The businessmen in my congregation turned the church into a business organization. When I rebuked them, they let me know, in a very diplomatic manner, that I could be replaced if I persisted in my nonconformity. "My church, like many others (I have been told), was made use of by American business interests in the guise of missionary activity to form a wedge in all countries of the world, as an opening to make way for American business activity. To accomplish this we sent missionary workers to the most backward places of the world to teach the natives Christianity, and to assist in setting up puppet government rulers, who were most advantageous to American business. You realize, of course, that some of the countries we attempted to Christianize were rich in undeveloped resources. On occasion when the natives didn't conform, we, like Constantine, sent military forces in as a means of force majeure. Yet we wonder why Americans became so hated. This kind of activity seemed to become a way of life, from the time the Spanish Conquistadors set foot in the western hemisphere, and all in the name of Christianity. American business, in the guise of Christianity, has been a bloody march of destruction for so long that it causes one to bow one's head in shame. "It seems that the two most horrible things that were perpetrated by the tripartite pact of business, state, and organized religion were the decimation of the American Indian and the enslavement of the black man of Africa. I ask you in all sincerity, would a just and heavenly Father tolerate such a thing, especially if it were perpetrated in the name of his son Jesus Christ? I think the things that were perpetrated by the tripartite pact are sufficient evidence to indicate that the agnostic was more of a Christian than the Christian. "I was, before the inception of our new social order, seriously contemplating leaving the Church, in order to become a Christian. As much as I love the principles taught by Christ, I wonder if the past deception, of which we are guilty, is so repugnant to the people of this continent that the clergy will never be completely forgiven, and that we should give the whole thing UP, and teach the people of this continent just to be good people, just for the sake of goodness, and let all faiths die a natural death. "It is evident that the people of this continent, in the environment of the new social order, have become quite successful at being their brother's keeper, just by virtue of their being in a more favorable social environment. The next person on the podium was the Reverend Mrs. Sarah Perkins, of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, of Tulsa.
The Reverend Sarah Perkins was so possessed of anger on hearing the things she had heard that for some time all she could do was sputter incoherently. When eventually she acquired some degree of composure, she shouted in the microphone so loud as almost to break eardrums. "May the Good Lord have mercy on us in this gathering!" she said. "The sacrilegious statements I have heard coming from representatives of the Christian faith are enough to cause God to crash the roof in and consume us with fire, for all eternity. The way all of you talk, and especially Reverend Williams, is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. "Now that we have a social system," she said, "that is conducive to Christianity, there is all the more reason why Christianity should be taught. Don't you people realize that without Christianity this country would revert back to the law of the jungle, and it is possible that people would eventually become cannibals?" "Oh, Lord God! have mercy on us," she shouted. "I am so thankful that we have God to guide us. Praise the Lord! "Why, little children would be without mothers, and sons would have no respect for their fathers. Why, this country would become lawless, and it wouldn't be safe to walk out of your house," she said. "My God, without Christianity people's morals would become corrupt, and families would be torn asunder. Men would walk away from their social responsibility, and women would leave their children to walk the streets. Why, men would become philanderers, and the women would become harlots. My God, can you imagine a country without Christianity? I pray to God it never happens. Praise the Lord!"
The Reverend Perkins worked herself into such a state that she became incoherent, and was jabbering things that caused one to think that one was experiencing the day of Pentecost. She became so wrought up that Miss Driscall had to rap the gavel a number of times to bring her gibbering to a stop.
The whole morning was taken up with representatives, of various faiths and denominations, giving their appraisal of Christianity and other faiths, concerning their history, and the possibility of their usefulness in the future. A motion was made that all religious faiths should be taught so long as the citizens desired to have them taught. The motion was approved by a great majority, only after a Mormon bishop declared that it would be cruel to suddenly jerk the religious rug, so to speak, from under people, and leave them as though they were standing nude in a snowstorm. The motion being approved, and the time being close to twelve hours, Miss Driscall announced that at thirteen hours there would be held in the chamber a convention of psychologists and psychiatrists, discussing the folkways and ethics of North America as a means of developing tranquility and a healthy frame of mind in the citizens.
After we had taken seats in the dining hall, everyone became so quiet as to forebode tragedy. Reflecting on the event, it now comes to my mind that the Delegates had never in their lives entertained the thought that ecclesiastics representing their respective religious faiths would put religious teachings before a "firing squad, so to speak. Having seen and heard what transpired in the Chamber of Congress put them in a state of shock, to the extent that they were sitting before good food, but neither eating nor talking. It took several minutes after the impact of such an event for them to handle it philosophically. They had me worried when I saw them just staring straight ahead with blank expressions.
From somewhere in the group I heard a muffled twitter. Looking around, I saw Mr. Proulx with a handkerchief over his mouth and tears running down his face. Suddenly hilarity became spontaneous almost to the degree of hysteria. After several minutes the laughter abated, and people with tear-stained faces began eating their lunch, only to have Miss Vollnogle say in a high-pitched voice, and with her hands raised in supplication, "Oh God, have mercy on us.” The men will become philanderers and the women will become harlots!"
The dramatization of the various characters at the con- vention seemed to catch on, to the extent that everyone was attempting to get in the act. Hilarity reached such a degree of magnitude that I became worried, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Now, damn it, people, bring this thing to a stop, or we won't have time to eat and get back to the folkway convention."
On our arrival, Miss Driscall. was waiting in the rotunda, with a worried expression. When she saw me she said, in a stern voice, "Mr. Thorp, please get the Delegates seated in the balcony before the meeting starts, because as chairwoman I am responsible for a smooth-running meeting."
When all were seated and quiet pervaded in the chamber, the meeting was called to order. "This meeting," Miss Driscall said, "is a momentous event to the well-being of our people on this continent. We are meeting here to attempt to set patterns of modes of behavior, as regards morals, mores, and ethics. "We have with us today people who have spent many years in the study and research of human behavior," she said. "It is fitting that we call on a gentleman who has distinguished himself in the field of psychiatry and in the psychiatric ward of a hospital that has been for many years, and of course is today, well known for its wonderful staff, to give us some opening comments. Dr. Jack Smith, will you please step to the podium?
"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Jack Smith." Dr. Smith's face turned slightly red, on his being placed in a position of eminence. After some time had elapsed he said, "Good God, after that kind of sendoff I feel really on the spot, and I can hardly think of what to say. However, in my experience over the years, and especially during the price system era, I have come to the conclusion that there are three major types of mental functions in our people, varying in degree of intensity, of course, depending greatly on environment from childhood and throughout their lives. "There are two types of people who have a feeling of being inferior, taking on different outward characteristics, to varying degrees of course. One type of person who feels inferior takes the outward appearance of being timid and rather shy at times. This type of person is the more fortunate of the two, because as he grows into maturity he becomes fairly well adjusted, and becomes, for the most part, a happy person. The one to be pitied and sometimes frightened of is the person who can't seem to tolerate his feeling of being inferior, and in some instances becomes what is defined as an egocentric. In the past, more than at present, we recognized the egocentric in so many ways and places.
In the past we recognized him as the avid social climber and status seeker. He seemed to live solely for recognition, and his intimate goal was a position of social grandeur. He constantly drove himself to achieve, not only fortune, but fame. When carried to the extreme, he can become a dangerous person, as were Napoleon Bonaparte and Benito Mussolini. "In a static society, such as was the price system, he was ofttimes found in a position of leadership, without the ability to lead, resulting in confusion and animosity. "Finally, there is the person who is on an even keel, so to speak, who seems to have no complex feeling, but goes through life doing the things he enjoys doing, for the sake of self-satisfaction. When he is complimented he appears to be surprised. For the most part, he is the innovator and the accomplisher. When placed in a dynamic situation he is the natural leader. "As a closing remark," he said, "I want to bring something to your attention. There is a physical law that also applies socially. That law is known as the law of 'proportional aggregate.' To elucidate, I give you the classical example of varied-size stones or potatoes or whatever, which, when loaded into any vehicle of conveyance, remain mixed, both large and small together, so long as the vehicle is not moved or is in a static state. When the vehicle is moved or caused to be in a dynamic state the large ones of the
aggregate don't move to the top; rather, the small ones push them to the top. The law of proportional aggregate when applied socially attests that, for the most part, men don't make events; rather, events make men. "It is gratifying to live in a dynamic society, where natural laws seem, for the most part, to take precedence. "Thank you."
Next to the podium was Dr. Bohnet, psychologist from Montreal. After being introduced he said, "To my knowledge, this is the first meeting of this kind since the inception of our new social order. I don't know precisely what its purpose is, but I assume it is for the purpose of attempting to improve, if possible, healthy minds and morals, and to promote tranquility in human intercourse. I want to say at the outset that surface appearances do not indicate that there need be improvements. However, I suppose anything bears improvement in spite of its appearance. I assume we are here to establish, if you will, a set of folkways and ethics; in short, a moral code. "Witness the awful moral code," he said, "during a decade or so prior to the collapse of the price system, when it seemed that sex had become an obsession to the extent that many people took advantage of it as a means of commerce, including many publishing houses, and of course motion picture studios. Yes, it seemed that everyone jumped on the bandwagon, including advertising firms. It was a period when husbands and wives learned to love their neighbors' husbands and wives, at the risk of losing the respect of their progeny. Taking into consideration the psyche of the human animal causes me to approach this with caution and kid gloves. "I think the most amazing thing about the human animal," he said, "is that he tends to move from one extreme to the other, and for him to strike a happy medium is something very rare. "I think anyone," he said, "who witnessed the puritanical Victorian period, which, for the most part, lasted over into the period just prior to World War II, knew that it was equally as putrid as the period just prior to North America's economic collapse, not to mention its hypocrisy. You people may not agree with me," he said, "but I tend to think that when conditions and environment are conducive to healthy minds, those things will improve with time. "I once heard a United States senator, who was visiting Montreal, say, 'You can set an example for people, but you can no more legislate their morals than you can force a horse to drink, after you have led him to the watering trough.' "There is another trait of the human animal that I have observed: He is very wary and can smell a cooked-up deal two miles up the road. I assume that this meeting has to do with, among other things, the sexual promiscuity of the human animal. I again say that if such things are socially objectionable, they cannot be dealt with head-on. If change in human behavior is desired, it will best be accomplished by bringing to light and to the fore a more desirable behavior pattern. "Now, I haven't dealt in depth with human behavior patterns," he said, "but have only generalized and touched on the psychological aspect of things. I would like now to hear some suggestions or rebuttals. "Thank you for listening to my discourse, for what it is worth, if anything." The next person at the podium was Dr. Jereldine Billings, psychiatrist and marriage counselor from Edmonton. Dr. Billings agreed that what the gentleman had said was enlightening and true. However, she said, "If we are to be successful in our new social order, we have to consider the young above all else. "In my experience as marriage counselor," she said, "I have found that most broken homes have been caused by sexual promiscuity, resulting in very unhappy parents, and mentally damaged children where children were involved. "I am convinced that a successful society hinges on family life. Children's mental and physical health depends both on the mother and father who display love for each other, as well as love for the children, because the requisite of a child's security is a close family bond," she said.
Dr. Billings looked thoughtful for a spell, then said, "It is gratifying to realize that, in our new society, where there is no monetary consideration, we no longer have to deal with financial insecurity, which caused most crimes and many broken homes during the price system era. I once heard a gentleman define a criminal as 'a human being with predatory instincts, who doesn't have sufficient capital to start a corporation! "
A number of people from different parts of the continent had ideas to offer on the furtherance of a healthy society. It was eventually concluded among the conventioneers that marriage is a good and useful institution, and that, if any changes were to be made, regarding people's morals, mores, and ethics, it could best be done, not by condemnation of undesirable conduct, but by offering better alternatives.
The last person to walk to the podium was Dr. Raymond Morales, psychologist from Mexico City. Dr. Morales stood for some time with a look that indicated he very much wanted to laugh, but decided it wouldn't be fitting in such a meeting.
Eventually he said, "Well, you other North Americanos amaze me with your wisdom. It seems you have covered everything on the subject of human behavior. However, I might shed some light on, what you say, the critter's behavior. His behavior reminds me of the swine, which, when said swine is being attempted to be loaded into a vehicle of conveyance, must, to accomplish the feat, walk up said ramp. Anyone who has attempted to cause said swine to walk up said ramp has learned, the hard way, that you don't use force. The only way to accomplish that feat is by persuasion."
The meeting had progressed in a serious vein up to the time that Dr. Morales drew an analogy between loading the swine and human behavior, after which everyone wanted to offer an anecdote having to do with human behavior. Miss Driscall rapped the gavel and said, "The meeting is adjourned. Now have fun, if you will." After the Delegates had left the chambers, and were gathered in the rotunda, I could sense a hesitancy in their attitude toward leaving.
When I informed them that transportation was waiting to take them to the hotel, Mr. Murikomi, of Japan, rather timidly touched my arm and said, "Mr. Thorp, please, could we have the pleasure of meeting some of the conventioneers? I would especially like to meet and talk with Dr. Jack Smith." When I informed Dr. Smith of the Delegate's desire to meet him, he informed me that the pleasure was all his.
After an introduction, Mr. Murikomi said, "Dr. Smith, it is gratifying to hear one speak possessing such wisdom as yourself. Excuse please for mentioning it, but I must inform you that you made no mention in your talk about rights or wrongs, or that which is good or bad in people's behavior. Could we have some answers to that please?"
Dr. Smith's reply was: "Inasmuch as customs and modes of behavior vary widely in various parts of the world, it is difficult to say what is good or what is bad, or what is a good person or a bad person. However, there are people who are basically good and people who are basically bad, to varying degrees, of course. Inasmuch as no one knows everything or has the aptitude to do everything, it is evident that everyone has someone who is his superior. Therefore, my definition of a good person is one who never browbeats his inferior, or cringes in the presence of his superior. That type of person is not only good, but is on an even keel, which causes him to be dependable and consistent." When the conventioneers had conversed with the Delegates for a time, we departed for the hotel. I said, "Good night and sleep well, because tomorrow we will be leaving early."
This was chapter 6 On to chapter 7