Race, Culture, and Religion

Yup, the big three. I've been meaning to do a post such as this for a while now. The thought intensified in my mind as I drove through Tennessee last month, and finally I realized I had to write this post today after seeing a few entries in various Christian communities which are related to these concepts.

First, though, an introduction. I am a Celt. I am descended from the Clan Ó Siadhail, via the Appalachians of Virginia where my ancestors found themselves after escaping slavery (oh, I'm sorry, [involuntary] "indentured servitude") at the hands of the English in or around colonial Williamsburg. We retained our Celtic traditions in the Appalachian hills for about two centuries.

We also retained our Christian religion in those hills in that time; and no, the two were not incompatible. Indeed, the Celts have been practicing Christianity for about 1500 years. Christianity is not a betrayal of the Celtic people, nor should any Celt deny his people by adopting another culture for the sake of religion.

Thus, this is the crux (pun intended) of the problem: There are a number of schools of thought in the modern West regarding race, culture, and religion; none of which seem advantageous to folks such as me. The first school of thought was an overwhelmingly popular one throughout the 20th century: Celts (and other ethnic groups) must assimilate into the prevailing (usually American) culture. This attitude, more than any other, has been responsible for the destruction and near-destruction of cultures in the 20th century. It has also, in the case of the United States, forged an artificial culture, devoid of history or character.

Related to this, but perhaps a distinct idea in its own right, is the thought that Culture doesn't matter; we are a human race who will never know peace until we abandon our distinctions. The end result of this idea is virtually the same as the first: A plastic culture, full of what the Pagans might call "fluff". While the idea is enticing, it does not allow room for cultures to grow and ideas to be shared. Rather, it tends to be stifling, and it tends to ignore the basic human condition that we naturally form into communities. Man is a pack animal, much like dogs and wolves.

So much for the notion of universal culture. But what about the other extreme? Since shortly before World War II, we've had the idea that Christianity (or Islam, in the case of some Middle Eastern cultures) ought to be the exclusive domain of one particular ethnic group. This has led to such foolishness as the idea that the Celts are one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. I shouldn't have to spend time addressing this one, but unfortunately the increasing popularity of certain groups makes it a necessity. Or maybe it just seems to me to be increasing in popularity: I confess that I have relatives for whom this is becoming an appealing idea. Frankly, it's a stupid idea. It obliterates the Celtic culture (or any culture whose members are foolish enough to adopt it), AND it takes down another culture-- namely the Jewish culture-- along with it.

Another idea takes the culture's identity, and magnifies its importance to the point that those holding the idea will not abide by other cultures. This avoids the pitfalls of the other ideas, but there's just one problem: It's pure, unmitigated racism. It's also no way to survive in a modern world, where international cooperation is essential.

To my mind, this leaves one option: Go forward, but remember. The culture survives best if it's allowed to evolve. Not change into something it never was, with a history it never had. Not locked in a box, nor forgotten, nor surrendered to someone else. And above all, not used as a weapon, but a tool.

That's what it means to me.