Sunday, February 9th, 2014

Religion and Poverty

Today we are going to discuss the thin correlation between poverty and religion, focusing largely on the ancient text of the Babylonian Theocracy. I say “thin” because we can’t really blame destitution on spiritual circumstances. Other factors are more tangible and they play a more significant role in poverty but they will probably not be part of this discussion.

Misery Loves Company: A Comparative Analysis of Theodicy Literature in Ancient Mesopotamia and Israel is a journal entry by Benjamin Clarke, who is a Literary Studies scholar. In a summary of the Babylonian Theodicy, he says the Sufferer ultimately wins the debate with his friend, showing the injustice of the gods towards mankind. In a way he’s right because, like the sufferer mentions, a lot of bad people are living decent lives. Some even enjoy the luxuries a poor man can’t even imagine. But the friend makes a critical point in his argument. He says we don’t know what the gods know so we can’t really know why we suffer. The reasons for the destitution and all the suffering is out there with the knowledge people can’t conceive.

The Sufferer in the Babylonian Theocracy talks to his friend about being fed up with the wise (I think he is talking about the gods). His feelings can be described as gloomy, hopeless, and desperate. These feelings are an appropriate reaction to the things he’s dealt with in his life; he says,

“I am finished. Anguish has come upon me.

When I was a child, fate took my father;

My mother who bore me went to the Land of No Return.

My father and mother left me without anyone to be my guardian.” (p. 140)

 

His friend expresses sympathy for the hard life the Sufferer has lived. But he also tells him that he shouldn’t focus so much on the bad things that has happened to him in his life. This kind of thinking turns the mind “evil” and it can cause you to put the blame on the gods, which is extremely bad for the eternal soul. He also lets him know that human knowledge is nothing compared to the knowledge of a god. He says the mind of a god is remote and like the center of the heavens. Its knowledge is complicated and people can’t know it. If this is true, the gods may let suffering occur for justifiable reasons, and we just can’t know why we suffer the way we do. People have to live with the will of the gods no matter how unfair it seems. But then the Sufferer goes on to make a bold claim. He says,

“Those who do not seek the god go the way of prosperity,

While those who pray to the goddess become destitute and impoverished.” (p. 141)

He’s saying if you follow the path of righteousness, you will live a poor life. But if you do the opposite, your life will be great and you will experience minimal suffering. No one can blame him for thinking this way because the less pious people in his society are doing pretty well for themselves. According to the sufferer, people praise the strong man who has learned to kill. They condone abominations that are considered wicked. And they supply the oppressor with gold. The Friend says mankind is “endowed” with the ability to lie and give twisted speeches and this contributes to the sinner’s success in the world. In addition to this, he says people who are well off, whether they are good are bad, treat poor men as thieves and cast them aside as if they are of no significance. This stereotype portrays the poor man as an outcast to society and adds fuel to their skepticism towards their gods.

Although the Sufferer displays some contempt towards his gods, at the end of the ancient text, he asks them to help him and show mercy, “For the shepherd Shamash (sun god) guides the peoples as a god should.” The Sufferer believes his suffering is unfair, but he stops his blasphemous talk and looks to his Faith to restore his hope.

 

1)      If you were in the same situation as the Sufferer, would you believe your friend’s words or would you debate them? What if you were just an observer of the debate; who would you side with? Why?

 

References

1) Clarke, Benjamin. “Misery Loves Company: A Comparative Analysis of Theodicy Literature in Ancient Mesopotamia and Israel.” Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies. 2.1 (2010): 79-81.

 

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=imwjournal