winterbadger | Nov. 7th, 2007

I know that several of my friends dislike Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, or at least some of Pullman's philosophy as described there.

I found this article in Wikipedia interesting, as I was not aware that Pullman was referencing, in referring to the Republic of Heaven, a 17th century thinker (I remember reading about the Diggers when I was studying the religious settlement in Stuart England).

I have a great deal of sympathy with this passage, quoted there, from Pullman. It exhibits an attitude much similar to my own.

The kingdom of heaven promised us certain things: it promised us happiness and a sense of purpose and a sense of having a place in the universe, of having a role and a destiny that were noble and splendid; and so we were connected to things. We were not alienated. But now that, for me anyway, the King is dead, I find that I still need these things that heaven promised, and I’m not willing to live without them. I don’t think I will continue to live after I’m dead, so if I am to achieve these things I must try to bring them about – and encourage other people to bring them about – on earth, in a republic in which we are all free and equal – and responsible – citizens.

I find myself less and less willing to believe in the sort of God conceived of and preached by most religions--a powerful, wise God who sees into our hearts and rewards good and punished evil. That is so clearly *not* present in the world we see that I cannot accept or give credence to a faith that proclaims such a deity and bases its teachings on him. But, like Pullman, I do still believe that humans need (and for the most part deserve) happiness, a sense of connection, a basis for society and shared goals and visions. So I think I am inclined to endorse his conception of a Republic of Heaven, where we all labour to create happiness and those things that are necessary for it.

Maybe I should go hang out with the UUS after all...