Thanks to the 82nd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, and especially to its champion, Kavya Shivashankar, an eight-grader from Olathe, Kansas, I can stop pretending to be an atheist. In a flash, her spelling of Laodicean freed me of further discussions that begin typically with the question "Do you believe in God?" Ordinarily, I would reply that I believe in a secret ballot. But if the questioner persists, or deserves better of me, I would answer as best I could.
"Define your terms, especially the term God."
"Well, do you believe in a God?"
"That's not much help."
"Well, do you believe in a Supreme Being?"
"Supreme, in what sense, and to whom or what?"
These discussions seldom get very far and degenerate soon into a discussion of whether you call yourself an agnostic or an atheist. No one likes to be typecast by others, no matter how benevolently. So that Ms. Shivashankar's triumph after 15 rounds awakened in me a new possibility accompanied by visions appropriate to the Shakespearean [Flourish exeunt].
As it happens, the word Laodicean refers, as every eighth grader knows, to a Christian community established in the ancient city of Laodicea on the river Lycus in the Roman province of Asia minor. I shall skip over a lot of the, although fascinating, stuff known about this community I go directly to this passage from Wikipedia:
John's vision, recorded in the book of Revelation, Christ instructs John to write a message to seven named churches in Asia Minor. The message to Laodicea is one of judgement with a call to repentance. The oracle contains a number of striking metaphors.
"I wish that you were cold or hot" (3:15–16)
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth" .
It is thought that the Laodiceans were being criticized for their neutrality or lack of zeal (hence "lukewarm"). Based on this understanding, the pejorative term Laodicean is used in the English language to refer to those neutral or indifferent in matters of faith.
A slightly milder version:
Revelation 3:15-16 (New Living Translation)
"I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
No matter: from this time on, shall be known as an indifferentist. (It's tough to raise a banner for "lukewarmism."; besides, one is recognized as a word in English,the other is not,)
Still, if you adopt this new tag, don't count on its getting you off the hook entirely. The Catholic Encyclopedia is downright combative, as if it can deal with atheism, but not su much "Indifferentism".
The term given, in general, to all those theories, which, for one reason or another, deny that it is the duty of man to worship God by believing and practicing the one true religion. This religious Indifferentism is to be distinguished from political indifferentism, which is applied to the policy of a state that treats all the religions within its borders as being on an equal footing before the law of the country. Indifferentism is not to be confounded with religious indifference. The former is primarily a theory disparaging the value of religion; the latter term designates the conduct of those who, whether they do or do not believe in the necessity and utility of religion, do in fact neglect to fulfil its duties.
So that I can imagine a future discussion going:
"Do you believe in God?"
"I'm an indifferentist"
"What the hell is that?"
I shrug, pointedly.
"No seriously. . ."
CNN says that "Shivashankar attends California Trail Junior High school. Her hobbies include swimming, cycling and traditional Indian dance,, according to the contest's Web site. She plans to become a neurosurgeon"
God bless you, Kavya.
