Neihardt Was Ahead of His Time

I once read this clever piece:

“The Life Cycle of an Idea” by David A. Roach

1. The ignorant superstition of naked unwashed savages.

2. Outrageous blasphemy, and an affront to all which is right and holy.

3. Dangerously reckless speculation, but there may be a grain of fact in it somewhere.

4. Well, the obvious truth: so transparently self-evident, even a child could see it!

5. The commonly accepted explanation, true in most situations, but on very close inspection there are some serious loopholes.

6. Traditional and conventional lore, but to be honest about it, we just stick with it because nothing better has been formulated.

7. Obsolete thinking, pretty much discredited in enlightened circles, although a few die-hard supporters of the notion can be found.

8. Hilarious hokum, but the imbecilic delusions of by-gone days teach a broader
lesson: it is unwise to accept anything, no matter how plausible, at face value.

9. The ignorant superstition of naked unwashed savages.

Why does one have to be stupid to believe in something that is not commonly accepted? These days it is our faith. Yet there is much commonly accepted that is less credible to reality than a bush which burns but is not consumed.

John G. Neihardt has a short story entitled “The Last Thunder Song.” I highly recommend reading it. Published in 1904, this story was prophetic inasmuch as the author penned some statements regarding the characters’ views of religion which are parallel to modern times.

The whole premise of the story is that the Omahas are having a rain dance to end a drought. The narrator makes the two following statements to set the reader up: “. . .the old men carried with them long memories and an implicit faith. The young men. . .carried with them curiosity and doubt, which, if properly united, beget derision,” and “The old men went to a shrine; the young men went to a show. When a shrine becomes a show, they say the world advances a step.” At the rain dance a preacher and a newspaper man have the following conversation:
“Lamentable, isn’t it [said the reporter], that such institutions as rain prayers should exist on the very threshold of the twentieth century?”
“I think, returned the minister, “that the twentieth century has no intention of eliminating God!”

The ironic part, of course is that our culture looks upon Christianity as the newspaper man looked at the Omahas. Many of those who were raised in the church look upon religion as the young Omahas looked at the old Omahas. Not that I am equating true Christianity with a false religion, but let the reader be aware. There is little sacred.