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Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Opus Dei & "No Pain, No Gain"
The other night CBC ran a special about Opus Dei, the Catholic organization that is now famous due to the role attributed to it in the Da Vinci Code. I have not read the book and will probably not see the movie, even though intimates inform me it is a rousing tale of the potboiler type. The CBC was making an effort to appear understanding, but the simple fact of presenting such a topic on national television presupposes criticism. We saw and heard a pleasant member of Opus Dei explain how he wears an uncomfortable spiked chain around his leg for two hours a week, and periodically whips himself on the bare butt with a toy whip – all this in the hope of sharing the suffering and pain of his hero and saviour, Jesus Christ. Indeed, he is hoping that in imitating Christ, some of the spiritual closeness will rub off. He believes his hero must have felt just like this, so this is what it feels like to be Him!
Is this weird? Well, I am pretty sure that despite its strained neutrality on this topic, our national network once again saw itself as playing a crucial role in showing us that religion, especially Catholicism is, um, very retro. The message was that self-inflicted pain, or so-called “self-mortification,” is weird (and so religion is weird). Now I am not certain of the meaning of the phrase, but I suspect it has something to do with dying to yourself, or making your own physical “self”die, so to speak, so that your spirit can be free from the bonds, allurements, pleasures, and deceptions of the flesh. The underlying notion is that the spirit is always threatened with enslavement to the body.
This reminds me that most of the key writings in our tradition document a continuous struggle in which central figures attempt either to lose the self through immersion in bodily pleasure, or to escape the body and its appetites altogether in search of a purely spiritual experience. For the former type, intense pleasure is the road to ecstasy. There is even a drug called “ecstasy” that serves this purpose. I believe this word is rooted in “ex-stasis” – to exit from the static, or from what is, or from ordinary bodily life and awareness. At any rate, this type escapes the self through physical enjoyment. The latter type exits, or escapes the self through mortification, or physical pain.
How common are these two escape methods today, and is there a sense in which not just Opus Dei members, but our entire civilization is caught up in one or the other of these methods of escaping the self? For sure. It is quite possible the CBC interviewer, perhaps a confirmed secularist, left the studio feeling gratified that he had exposed religion as a weird self-punishment thing, happily strapped on his jogging shoes and ran a very painful 10K … to make himself feel purified and “fit,” or to get “an endorphin high.” There are millions of people, and I am one of them, who make a daily habit of this sort of self-mortification. And I am absolutely certain that two hours a week of whipping your butt with a toy whip to feel better spiritually is no match for a two hour ride over punishing hills with my son. I mean, we really grind it out. There is intense pain in the thighs, burning lungs, lactic acid in the mouth, and stiffness that can last for days. And for sure, sometimes we wear the yellow bracelet, or even a special Lance Armstrong biking shirt … and we imagine for a moment, on the crest of a hill, that we are feeling what Lance felt, that this is what it feels like to be him.
And when I go to the gym, I see hundreds of people pumping huge machines, blood vessels popping, carpets wet with sweat, wiping themselves off with towels, exiting painful “spinning” classes they brag about; assuming horribly twisted and painful poses in their Yoga classes; some even don boxing gloves and slug the hell out of each other, or suffer broken hands, ribs, or feet in smelly karate classes; or – I have seen it – lose an eye to a squash ball. Fitness and sport are popular forms of ecstasy we are convinced lift us above or out of ordinary life, and hundreds of millions of people daily drive themselves through this experience of reaching for the feeling of emotional or spiritual purity – even superiority to other human beings – through pain. We say “no pain, no gain,” and coaches tell their athletes, “Go hard, or go home,” meaning - if it doesn’t hurt, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough.
And on it goes. Afterward we often get into a popular form of ecstasy called beer, and many of us suffer the painful consequences after. Some people actually kill themselves this way. During the day, I see thousands of women suffering voluntarily for hours at a time in high heels for the pleasure of personal vanity. In my own case, all my physical pains – a broken and now disabled shoulder joint (three surgeries) and emergency back surgery ten years ago (from an old long-jumping injury) – both of these give me daily pain for a lot more than two hours a day, often even waking me at night. But I don’t regret a thing. It was all for the glory and the high of sports I have loved. So it’s not just Opus Dei. We are all doing it. And maybe the CBC should do a little corrective programming about how normal it all is.
Posted by williamgairdner on May 17, 2006 | Permalink
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Comments
Bravo Mr. Gairdner. You understand mortification perfectly.(It was a pleasure to see you last night on Michael Coren's show.) When you speak, I always listen for you are one of the great voices in our society. I follow your blog each day.
The only difference from the atheletes pain, or anyone elses pain, is that a member of Opus Dei, or any knowlegeable person, offers the pain to God. This is the meaning of the old Catholic saying "Offer it up".
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997)it states: “By uniting ourselves with his [Christ’s] sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God” (n. 2100). “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes” (n. 2015).
As a supernumerary member of Opus Dei I am one of the 70% of the members who do not use the discipline or the cilice. Instead I use the daily mortifications that come my way naturally each day just as Mr. Gairdner describes.
I work out at a exercise club and offer it to God, I wear high heels, pantyhose and a bra, as a way of practicing the virtue of charity. I will look nice as I can to those who see me, but I offer to God the pain they inflict.
I am the mother of 7 children. They give me great opportunities each day to sanctify myself, to make myself holy, by offering up all the pain they inflict upon me through our day to day encounters. Try living with a 14 year old daughter and the cilice and the discipline look great! For me they would only be an escape.
Learning to accept our sufferings in life are the greatest way to maturity and growth, and is something that is lacking in our "I got to take care of myself" society.
Learning to never give up, no matter what, to strive for the best, accepting the worst, is our only way to true happiness.
Learning to "roll with the punches" is what Opus Dei teaches me every day.
Opus Dei has provided me with a personal life coach, a personal trainer so to speak, for my spiritual life. My spiritual director, a numerary member of Opus Dei, is there for me 24/7, and she helps me to accept what life has to offer and to turn that all into the good.
Developing a spiritual life is our only way to true hapiness and Opus Dei knows the secret on how to do this.
Posted by: Dianne Wood | 2006-05-17 8:10:50 AM
I also saw a TV show with the Montreal Opus Dei guy.
There's an interesting string on www.bigpharaoh.org about how Christians and Muslims are getting together, mostly in underdeveloped countries, are calling for an outright ban on the movie.
In Egypt, where he blogs, nobody gets to see the movie because the government deemed it inappropriate.
One of the more interesting segments was when Mr. Opus Dei said he hit himself lightly on each bare-butt cheek once a week.
It sound a bit kinky but here in the west and be considered harmless fun.
In fact, I think the creatively brilliant way the Da Vinci B.S. has been handled should be an example of how to handle criticism by the legions of mindless activists.
Laughter is a great liberator. I find activists often portray their foes as ‘angry.' It's an interesting technique that I never allow to use against me ... because I laugh in their face.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-17 8:41:13 AM
No pain, no gain.
I once tried to explain, in theological terms to a secular humanist friend, how pain was a necessary process to go through on the road to maturity and mental toughness.
After getting the usual ‘oh, what a bunch of crap' and ‘you're living in a fantasy world, my buddy had to get going.
He was getting ready for his nightly run.
I laughed.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-17 9:09:05 AM
Maybe this line of reasoning will help overcome the taboos on S&M too. Reminds me of the recent S&M convention "Beat me in St. Louis."
As Nietzsche observed, people will suffer any pain if it has meaning for them. It appears the association is so strong in the minds of people, that many seek pain to gain a sense of meaning.
Posted by: murray | 2006-05-17 9:12:06 AM
The gain from pain is related to a joining with Christ in His suffering for our redemption. Through the Body of Christ we are able to suffer for the sins of ourselves and others - take part in our own redemption and the salvation of the world. Faithful people, as mentioned by Dianne, offer up the suffering of their day to day lives towards this cause. They are able to bring a good out of suffering. Many people suffer purposelessly. As suffering cannot be avoided (no matter how we try) the ability to 'offer it up' for eternal peace, is proof of God's great mercy and love.
Three of my cousins are Opus Dei in Ottawa. They are happy, peaceful and productive people.
Did anyone see the BBC 'HArdTAlk' Opus Dei interview? Now, that was a journalist with a mission! She could hardly let her guest answer, and seemingly had difficulty changing her questions to match the responses he was making. She seemed to have done a lot of research, but apparantly she couldn't find any legit Opus Dei info - just Hollywood and 'former members'. (journalistic deconstuctionism - not the facts please) The guest was very patient but direct and inflinching.
Posted by: lwestin | 2006-05-17 10:31:46 AM
The MSM is definitely losing the PR battle here.
Not only do they look absolutely silly by twisting the factual framework, but their hurry to present a ‘balanced' viewpoint in the moral equivalence sense clearly demonstrated their moral bankruptcy.
Like Captain Kirk did in one of Stephen Harper's favourite episodes of Star Trek (OK, I'm making this up. Someday, I could also become a respected journalist), set in a Gunfight at OK Corral theme.
Nothing quite depicts the fight between good and evil than an old duster and Star Trek was just a Western disguised in a palatable form to fit the times.
Anyway, the bad cowboys were having their way with the crew until Kirk figured out they were just inner fears manifesting themselves as something real.
When the showdown came and the threates started, Kirk had advised the crew to start laughing. They did ... and by doing so the bad cowboys disappeared.
There's got to be a lesson here somewhere. I know, treat everything you see on television as an apparition, something that's not real, just an entertainment.
Then, it will not be quite as frightening. Thing is, the MSM has to be frightened now because people are starting to laugh at them on this whole Da Vinci/Opus Dei question.
I say to Iwestin and all my Catholic friends out there ... good job in helping expose what by and large has been a fraud for years.
Just have a look at the young faces on your TV screen. Think back to when you were that young.
Compare what you know then to what you know now.
Scoff at their immaturity. Laugh at their earnest attempts as they miss the point completely.
Pity them for they know not what they do.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-17 11:47:53 AM
Opus Dei theme song according to the CBC:
"Who controls the British crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We do, we do
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do, we do
Who holds back the elctric car?
Who makes Steve Gutenberg a star?
We do, we do
Who robs gamefish of their site?
Who rigs every Oscar night?
We do, we do"
The CBC has less sense and is more dense than Homer Simpson.
Posted by: Fred Z | 2006-05-17 1:44:36 PM
I heard that CBC cracked the daVinci Code and revealed that it says "Vote Liberal"
Posted by: ProudtobeaRedneck | 2006-05-17 9:37:56 PM
Would that be the nightmare version of the da Vinci Code?
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-17 10:47:21 PM
Would that be the nightmare version of the da Vinci Code?
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-17 10:47:37 PM
You know what would have helped, if you had actually read the novel.
CBC isn't creating the story here. People are taking this novel as real, and seem to believe that Opus Dei are power mongering, murderous, self-mutilating zealots.
If anything, the CBC went completely the other direction by giving Opus Dei members a chance to rebut the prevailing notion that they are "freaks."
I can understand your concern if, out of the blue, CBC suddenly broadcast a story like this. But the fact is, it's already out there.
It is one thing to hate the CBC; it is quite another to hate it so blindly that you can't even see when it is doing good.
I, for one, am thankful that the CBC aired that documentary, as it gave people a chance to see and hear from real Opus Dei members, not the kind that live in novels.
And then to equate self-mortification with bike riding and exercise? Come on.
It is always amazing to see conservatives who, under most circumstances deplore the idea of relativism, come out and ask that unusual religious practices (and make no mistake, self-mortification is unusual) should be regarded as "normal." Especially when they decry other religious practices as barbaric themselves (wearing burkhas, as only one example).
Posted by: bob | 2006-05-18 2:34:21 PM
Jesus, this thread is GOLD.
Thank you all for being so f'ing crazy. It's like the Shotdumb blog is a TV show and this thread is the Season Finale.
Dianne, you're great for ratings!
HBO should cancel their polygamy show 'Big Love' and do an Opus Dei show called 'Hurt Me' or 'Ouch - I mean - Amen!' or 'Glory to God, is my 'safe word'' or 'If It Feels Good - STOP - And Do The Opposite' or 'We Make The Islamofascists Look Sane' or 'I'll Take Your Burka and Raise You One Cilice' or 'We Take All Major Credit Cards' or just 'Wacko Dei'.
Posted by: Justin | 2006-05-18 6:39:34 PM
Jesus Christ opposed sufferring. He heald, feed people food, gave encouragement, forgave people of terrible guilt, gave hope and love too, taught people to help each other also to be kind and morrally rightieous, to do a stand too for what is right and the big plus gave salvation as a free gift for those who accept Him. He sufferred to free humans. He also rid of tough demanding religious laws upon humans. Sufferring is the result of the fall of man and sins either ones own or others.
Posted by: Larry | 2006-05-19 5:11:55 AM
Suffering is neither here nor there: the point is sacrifice. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice without some cost, whether in material or in comfort or whatever. In this respect, self-mortification seems to me analogous to sacrificing animals, being a sacrifice for the sake of being a sacrifice (as opposed, for example, to sacrificing a year of one's life to help third world peasants, where the sacrifice is the cost or side-effect of performing a deed of social value that is rewarded by the religion).
Posted by: murray | 2006-05-19 6:56:50 AM
Jesus Christ already did the sacrifice.
Posted by: Larry | 2006-05-19 7:37:44 AM
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