Danes MUST “Believe”… Oprah Demands It!

I caught a glimpse of Oprah’s show the other evening while waiting for the early news to come on. Let me be clear: I never watch Oprah or her spawn Dr. Phil. I’ll leave it at that, lest I inadvertently insult some of my beloved readers.

It seems Oprah was in Denmark for reasons I didn’t catch. The first thing I heard was her observation that practically everyone on the street was blond. Blond!?!? In Denmark?!?!? Sheesh … imagine that. [Aside: imagine going to Botswana and commenting on how there were an abundance of people with black hair.]

As she chatted with two tall, 30ish+, attractive and definitely blond women who seemed to be her unofficial tour guides, the subject turned to religion. The conversation went something like this [paraphrasing]:

Oprah: “What about religion? Are you religious, do you attend church?”
Blond A: “No, I am not religious. The churches around here are usually empty.”
Blond B: “I do not believe in God. Many here are non-believers.”
Oprah: “Well, maybe you believe in God but just don’t realize it?”
Blonds A&B: [Blank stare; awkward hesitation]
Blond A: [Feeling the need to throw Oprah a bone and trying not to cause her unnecessary embarrassment] “Maybe there is a higher power of some kind, who is to know.”
Oprah: “Maybe you are not religious but just spiritual?”
Blonds A&B: [ Blank Stare]
Blond B: “Maybe.”
Oprah: [Nods approvingly]

“Spiritual !?” Oh shit!

Mrs. Hump and I looked at each other with incredulity at this peculiar line of questioning. What exactly was that all about? Why was Oprah so insistent that two Danes (who openly reject religious superstition, as do the majority of the European Union most notably Denmark which is among the least religious countries on the planet) … must believe or may believe in God but are evidently too damn stupid to realize it?

Why was this so important to her that she twice attempted to eke out some confirmation of belief; contrive a convoluted connection to, or validation of, her own enslavement to superstition? I found this bizarre and yet so typical of the pomposity of Americans of faith. I’m sure the blond Danes found it quite strange. I just wish it had been me she was sermonizing to about believing: "No , you ignorant half-witted theist refugee from reality --- what part of 'I'm an ATHEIST' don't you understand!?"

It seems American Christians just can’t come to terms with the fact that the strangle hold that religion held on Europe for a thousand years has been broken. They don’t want to acknowledge it. Perhaps it’s because that reality looms like a specter of the inevitable they’d prefer not acknowledge. Perhaps it’s because delusion loves company.