Examining Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan, MFT
MIT 6
Media in Transition International Conference
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stone and Papyrus
Storage and Transmission
April 24-26, 2009
EXAMINING SACRED TEXTS
Bette U. Kiernan
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Bible and Koran creation stories for
modern civilization
Most influential texts portray models
for brutality
Both also contain messages of peace
Sacred texts lend themselves to new
compassionate interpretation
A “New Story” will emphasize conjoint
lineage of Moslems, Christians, Jews
Ancient roots of family tree begin in
Garden of Eden and unfold to the
present
Broken families can realign
Examining Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan, MFT
*If God’s actions portrayed through contemporary
psychological lens—disordered being
portrayed
*Characteristics of DSM IV Narcissistic
Personality Disorder:
-grandiose, requires excessive admiration, lacks
empathy, envious, raging, arrogant, haughty,
interpersonally exploitive
*Patterns in ancient texts mirror disturbed families
and nations
*Biblical and Koranic images of God and Allah
may originate from “compromised”
projections
*God introduced pain in creation when he
abandoned Adam and Eve; Their wound
went through the families that followed
*Formed pattern for the development of violent
civilizations
EXAMINING SACRED TEXTS
Bette U. Kiernan
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God’s rages, jealousy, lack of empathy lay
groundwork for progressive pattern of family
violence
Brutal treatment begins with Adam and Eve
Core theme of abandonment and rejection
Follows Cain, Abel, Jacob, Esau and Moses
onto outcast society of the Jews
Similar rejection of Hagar by Abraham
initiates Moslem Culture
Both cultures major sacred events,Yom
Kippur and The Hajj center around projection
Moslems, Christians and Jews are all
subjected to ostracism and abuse
Holocaust climax of centuries of wounding
interactions
Exploring Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan
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Biblical tales culminate in story of Abraham
God’s demand that Abraham sacrifice Isaac
considered child abuse in our times
Intention to harm a child psychologically
disturbing
God set Jews scapegoat role in stone by
commanding a covenant that marked them
Ancient threat to wound Isaac continues
through circumcision
Deviance attracts cruelty
Family system continues into Islam when
Abraham rejects Hagar and Ishmael.
Continues as Mohammed goes to heaven
with Moses and Abraham to receive the
Koran from Angel Gabriel
Examining Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan
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An integration of cultural stories and
personal histories creates identities
of individuals and societies
Considering contributions of religion
to violence essential
Worshipping texts that accept
violence nurtures war-like mentality
and significant in the creation of
terrorists
Attention to difference fosters
hostility
Magnifying points of agreement
yields harmony
Exploring Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan
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A new story can emphasize conjoint family
lineage of Moslems, Christians and Jews
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All can proudly claim mutual family history
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The family tree: One branch hold Sunni,
Shiite and Sufi Moslems; another branch
carries Jewish, Mormon, Christian and
Catholic groupings
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Myriad offshoots expand from each
denomination
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Christianity, Islam and Judaism remain
essentially linked through mutual scriptural
heritage
Examining Sacred Texts
Bette U. Kiernan
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Many pathways to common ground
Feature shared prophets and heroes in the
Bible and the Koran that honor shared
respectful relationships, reverence for the
earth, and compassionate care for less
fortunate others
Mutual heroes transform the pain of abuse to
creative leadership and a higher social order
Psychological means of positive coping
rather than projection can be encouraged
Media processes of all kinds that are
available in our times can be applied to
ancient scriptures that are still worshipped
Media can shift emphasis in sacred texts and
thereby influence the creation of a more
peaceable world
THE NEW STORY
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Biblical and Koranic Heroes transform emotional pain into creative
leadership
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Attention on shared wisdom teachings in sacred texts
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Conjoint family history for Moslems, Christians and Jews evokes
mutual pride
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New sacred rituals revolve around acts of compassion
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A sustainable vision of a peaceful and united humanity needs to be
shared among people, across time and generations
The Old Story
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Biblical God and Koranic Allah model destruction of others for
emotional management
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Scapegoating acceptable means for problem solving
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Enemies used as receptacles for projection of unwanted feelings
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Most solemn sacred holidays for Jews and Moslems, Yom Kippur and
The Hajj, emerged from ritualized projection
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Underlying character disordered behaviors in Genesis families
A Message From the Angel Gabriel
In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. He
separated light from darkness and made day and
night. The land he split from seas. Plants and trees
grew seeds, flowers and fruits. He positioned the
sun, moon and stars in the heavens. Next he
generated sea creatures, birds and animals. But he
created Man and Woman in his own image. After
his creation, God rested and blessed and hallowed
that day.
The first man he named Adam, and his wife called Eve.
God made them good and commanded them to
obey his rules and let them live in the Garden of
Eden.
But Adam and Eve broke God’s commandment and ate
forbidden fruit. God shamed then and cast them
out of the Garden.
Adam and Eve’s tears carried to their children and to
their children’s children. When God separated
their actions into good and bad, he created a
problem. Men and women have light and dark
sides, so they were not able to live up to God’s
expectations.
A Message from the Angel Gabriel
Thus their families carried the wound that that came
from God’s rejection of Adam and Eve. Rage and
sadness followed Cain, Abel, Jacob, Esau, Sarah,
Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ishmael, Mohammed,
Jesus and others across ages.
The Islamic peoples began when Abraham rejected
Hagar, the mother of his first son, Ishmael, and
sent her away. Just as when God banished Adam
and Eve, she grieved in the wilderness until Angel
Gabriel comforted her.
Abraham lasts. We carry Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
within us.
Mohammed went to heaven with Moses and Abraham
and received the Koran, the word of Allah, from
Angel Gabriel. Gabriel was always with the
peoples of God and Allah and brought them the
important messages. The great angel helped
Daniel interpret dreams. Mohammed learned that
Allah, like God, gave severe punishments.
Rage and hurt are in the peoples of Abraham. Across
eons, into our times, wounds from the beginning
in the Garden of Eden, erupted into into discord
and wars and climaxed in The Holocaust.
Germans murdered millions of Jews and others
who did not match their expectations.
Now peoples of Israel and Palestine direct their ancient
pain against each other. Like the Biblical siblings
who fought over blessings and birthrights, they
fight over lands. As they do, their violence adds
new scars to those who dwell in troubled regions
and it spreads across the world.
Gabriel, the mediator between heaven and earth, is
bringing new messages that it is time to reconcile.
He is whispering into the ears of Israelis,
Palestinians and others to make music together in
orchestras, play together in camps, and meet to
discuss visions for peace.
Gabriel points that apparent differences between the
peoples of Abraham, upon a closer look, reveals
their likeness. All revere teachings of Moses,
David, Joseph and other prophets. They realize
that just as Joseph fostered healing in his family,
his story still teaches us a pathway to
compassionate relationship. Discordant
relationships can realign.
Their holidays of Christmas, Chanukah, and Islamic
New Year are in the month of December.
They show reverence for God and Allah by keeping
their heads covered.
Now our ways of life are changing. Angel Gabriel
enfolds all peoples in the warmth and comfort of
giant wings to comfort them.
He warns that the world is threatened, and that the
families must join together. Through mutual
compassion for their shared wounds, the time is
here to create a newer, gentler world.
Gabriel announces, “Collect the kindest words of God
and Allah and focus upon the peace bearer’s
actions. Combine them into a book that guides
and heals.”
BETTE U. KIERNAN, MFT
366 South California Avenue #8
Palo Alto, California 94306
betteuk@aol.com
(650) 324-3639
(650) 251-9224