Posted by Helen on: 02.13.2007 /
I found out about this from Rachel’s blog:
Paying Respects to Anna Nicole Smith by Diana Butler-Bass
As we recited the baptism liturgy, I was struck by the final promise. The minister asks, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” The parents (or the candidates in the case of adult baptism) respond, “I will, with God’s help.”
Christian tradition connects justice and peace with the practice of respecting the dignity of every person. The idea that every creature is dignified, related to God, formed in love, and connected to the whole of the universe forms the center point of Christian theology and ethics. Respect for each person in the web of creation supports the work of justice and peacemaking. Without a profound spirituality of human dignity, practices of justice and peacemaking may slide into the realm of power politics. The baptism liturgy strongly implies that without respect for human dignity, there exists no motive to strive for God’s justice and peace.
Anna Nicole Smith’s life serves as a kind of reverse parable of baptism vows — what happens to a person with little respect or dignity.
Diana Butler-Bass will be one of the speakers at Off The Map’s 2007 conference (in November).
Comment by: Rachel
1 02/13/07 1:27 PM | Comment Link |I’m excited about hearing her speak. Great choice, Jim!
Comment by: Laura M.
2 02/13/07 3:03 PM | Comment Link |The title of this entry is Paying Respects to Anna Nicole Smith, and I think it’s a great idea to point out the innate human dignity and worth of every human being- even those who are apparantly less than as perfect as the rest of us are- but this piece seemed a little over-focused on pointing out her flaws rather than her human worth.
Comment by: NCxian
3 02/13/07 3:10 PM | Comment Link |Thanks for this commentary, Helen. It is so easy to de-personalize people who are tabloid fodder. Of course it is not healthy for them. I don’t think it is healthy for us either.
It’s a little bit like murder, isn’t it, to turn a person into a non-person? I understand that is the way you make soldiers fight–convince them that the enemy is not a person.
Comment by: Eliza
4 02/13/07 8:05 PM | Comment Link |I hope her child ends up in a stable, loving home. She has enough strikes against her already.
Comment by: Helen
5 02/14/07 2:15 PM | Comment Link |Rachel - I was pleased when I read this commentary, after seeing your link to it, and remembered that Diana is going to be at this year’s conference. (Jim mentioned that in 2006 - The year of the atheist)
Laura - I read Diana’s comments not so much as pointing out flaws but saying, it was at least partly the world’s lack of respect which drove Anna Nicole to lead the sort of life she did. I take your point though since Diana didn’t say anything specifically good about Anna Nicole.
NCxian - really the credit goes to Rachel: she was the one who found it! In a way turning someone into a non-person is worse than murder, even, because a non-person is still alive and so has feelings and can feel all the pain of being a non-person.
Eliza - yes, I feel sorry for that poor baby. As you say I hope she does end up in a situation where she is well cared for.
Comment by: Eliza
6 02/14/07 11:54 PM | Comment Link |“There is That of God in every person.” My dad taught me that. It’s a centering thought, useful to repeat periodically - even for deists (like him) and agnostic atheists (like me).