Read on about religion's true purpose, Christianity's sophistry or pseudo-philosophy, and the neo-Nietzschean search for respectable modern religious faith.
I think that the challenge is that even the secular religions have lost credibility at this point. Humanism is as farfetched as Raelianism in a world where Donald Trump can be president of the most powerful country in recorded history. It would be even easier to deconstruct Extropianism, Communism, Nazism, etc.
The only viable choice I see is to practice whatever religion you like -- but ironically. Irreligions like Discordianism & The Church of the Subgenius are perfect for that approach because they never took themselves seriously to begin with, but I think even some of the traditional religions could be practiced in this way. Judaism comes to mind. If Jews can practice their faith with a healthy sense of irony, why not Christians, Muslims, & Buddhists? Once one acknowledges the absurdity of one's convictions in the face of an indifferent (but equally absurd) kaosmos, they are no longer such embarrassment because they no longer need defending.
I agree. That wise attitude of humility and respect for irony should be cultivated. Yuval Harari points out that secular liberalism faces challenges also from technological progress. Certainly, Trumpism is consistent with postmodern incredulity towards all myths and elitist authorities.
The global backlash against democracy and neoliberalism may represent also hostility towards the elites (the economists, politicians, and centrist pundits) that pushed for runaway capitalism, which has evidently had its disadvantages as well as its advantages. But authoritarianism won't be a panacea. And the angry masses in free countries should be blaming themselves too, for their consumerism.
Religion on its original purpose is to seek for the truths by an existential perspective and to live throught them. The current religions are significant distortions of this original purpose.
I also think there's at least important overlap between authentic religion and existentialism, although I'm not sure the two are identical or that the old religions did little more than posit an existential dimension to our decisions and practices. There was also a dubious political component in polytheistic religions which were the norm in most civilizations. Shamanism was another matter, closely tied to entheogens and thus to breaking open the conventional perspective on the mundane world. Existentialism does that too, but there are differences as well (animism vs atheistic cosmicism).
I think that the challenge is that even the secular religions have lost credibility at this point. Humanism is as farfetched as Raelianism in a world where Donald Trump can be president of the most powerful country in recorded history. It would be even easier to deconstruct Extropianism, Communism, Nazism, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe only viable choice I see is to practice whatever religion you like -- but ironically. Irreligions like Discordianism & The Church of the Subgenius are perfect for that approach because they never took themselves seriously to begin with, but I think even some of the traditional religions could be practiced in this way. Judaism comes to mind. If Jews can practice their faith with a healthy sense of irony, why not Christians, Muslims, & Buddhists? Once one acknowledges the absurdity of one's convictions in the face of an indifferent (but equally absurd) kaosmos, they are no longer such embarrassment because they no longer need defending.
I agree. That wise attitude of humility and respect for irony should be cultivated. Yuval Harari points out that secular liberalism faces challenges also from technological progress. Certainly, Trumpism is consistent with postmodern incredulity towards all myths and elitist authorities.
DeleteThe global backlash against democracy and neoliberalism may represent also hostility towards the elites (the economists, politicians, and centrist pundits) that pushed for runaway capitalism, which has evidently had its disadvantages as well as its advantages. But authoritarianism won't be a panacea. And the angry masses in free countries should be blaming themselves too, for their consumerism.
Religion on its original purpose is to seek for the truths by an existential perspective and to live throught them. The current religions are significant distortions of this original purpose.
ReplyDeleteI also think there's at least important overlap between authentic religion and existentialism, although I'm not sure the two are identical or that the old religions did little more than posit an existential dimension to our decisions and practices. There was also a dubious political component in polytheistic religions which were the norm in most civilizations. Shamanism was another matter, closely tied to entheogens and thus to breaking open the conventional perspective on the mundane world. Existentialism does that too, but there are differences as well (animism vs atheistic cosmicism).
Delete