Tag Archives: Dr. Ben Carson

Language is Nuanced and Contextual

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Ben Carson is now on stage with Trump, playing his part in the daily clown show.  He almost immediately made a splash when in his first speech after taking office as Housing and Urban Development Secretary described slaves on slave ships as “immigrants.”   When he was immediately criticized over this statement, he responded with, “Look up the definition of immigrants.”

Carson is another demonstration of the Trump administration’s lack of appreciation of nuance in language, reminding me of the former Supreme Court jurist, Antonin Scalia who argued, “The constitution means just what it says.”  Conservative politicians, and theologians, are literalists and do not consider the contextual dimension of words.  Though these very same persons will readily argue that one who cries “Fire” in a theater does not have the right to do so, that venue being one one “context” which is relevant to the use of words.

Carson replied in response to critics of his observation, “Look it up in the dictionary!.”  He is right, “immigrant” means someone moving to another country.  However, the notion that a black person in the bowels of an 18th century slave ship was an “immigrant” is just absolutely ridiculous.  And, though this is only obliquely related, let me show you a photo of Ben Carson and Jesus in his household, the nuances of which are highly comical.

If only I was skilled with photo-shop, you would soon see a picture of myself with Jesus and Buddha on either side of me, arms around me and myself with a beatific smile.  This photo is such a stunning example of how Ben Carson, and so many of the Republican Party, have no idea of how they are coming across to the onlooker.

ADDENDUM—This is one of three blogs that I now have up and running.  Please check the other two out sometime.  The three are: 

https://wordpress.com/stats/day/literarylew.wordpress.com

https://wordpress.com/posts/anerrantbaptistpreacher.wordpress.com

https://wordpress.com/posts/theonlytruthinpolitics.wordpress.com

The “God Complex” and Dr. Ben Carson

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When a young man, I stumbled across an evangelical self-help book about “the god-complex” and recognized then that it pertained to me.  To summarize, this term refers to someone who responds to deep-seated feelings of being out of control with the over-compensation of trying to control his world, sometimes by defining his world so narrowly that the remaining tiny fiefdom is easily manageable.. And though I am now four decades further in my life’s journey, that complex remains with me in some residual form.  Without it I must fear the primordial chaos which teases all human hearts would be overwhelming.

This term “god complex” is merely a version of what clinical jargon labels “ego structure.”  And all of us have an ego structure without which chaos would ensue and we would be non-functional, or our functional ability would be marred by glaring demonstrations of subtle pathology.  And, if you happen to be religious and cursed with what neurologists might call an hyper-active “god-spot,” the “god complex” will  be present in you for others to see, though the arrogance that this complex affords you will not allow you to see it yourself.  But the resulting “bad faith” is exquisitely delightful!

And that brings me to Dr. Ben Carson, who is currently in 2nd place in the polls for the Republican nomination for President in my country.  And though he is an accomplished neurosurgeon and, I think,  a very nice human being, he has a history of saying things that demonstrate a radical lack of self-reflection.  And his “flaws” could be described more harshly but I’m going to let someone who went to medical school with him do that:

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/21/ben_carsons_dangerous_god_complex_the_commencement_speech_i_wont_soon_forget_partner/

Now as customary, my “tee-hee” muscle wants to get flexed here!  But really, my first response is sadness to see how that such an intelligent and accomplished man can be so hampered by background, cultural influences that he would deign to take some of the stances he has taken.  And though he is responsible for himself, I want to blame his ultra-conservative religion (Seventh Day Adventist) for his radical inability to use this brilliant mind of his to utilize the self-reflective skill that lies dormant in that neo-cortex that he “knows” so much about.  But the real culprit is even deeper for ideology which threatens all religion often tyrannizes many conservative Christians.