Charlie, religious people will never accept logic. If they do, their institutions will cease to exist. History shows that thousands of different religions were doomed by those who think and influence others to think.
Fading Faith: The Rise of the Secular Age By James A. Haught Correspondence of Interest: Dear Toronto Humanists: Here's my latest book, about the retreat of religion, and my newspaper column drawn from it. If you can use the column in any way, I'll be delighted. from James A. Haught, editor The Charleston Gazette
Fading Faith: The Rise of the Secular Age By James A. Haught Gustav Broukal Press 2010
Philosopher-historian Will Durant called it "the basic event of modern times." He didn't mean the world wars, or the end of colonialism, or the rise of electronics. He was talking about the decline of religion in Western democracies. The great mentor saw subsiding faith as the most profound occurrence of the past century -- a shift of Western civilization, rather like former transitions away from the age of kings, the era of slavery and such epochs.
Since World War II, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly.
Pope Benedict XVI protested: "Europe has developed a culture that, in a manner unknown before now to humanity, excludes God from the public conscience." Columnist George Will called the Vatican "109 acres of faith in a European sea of unbelief."
But on the other hand, "America seems an exception. This country has 350,000 churches whose members donate $100 billion per year. The United States teems with booming megachurches, gigantic sales of "Rapture" books, fundamentalist attacks on evolution, hundred-million-dollar TV ministries, talking-in-tongues Pentecostals, the white evangelical "religious right" attached to the Republican Party, and the like.
But quietly, under the radar, much of America slowly is following the path previously taken by Europe. Little noticed, secularism keeps climbing in the United States."
Reason and critical thinking are slowly winning the war by attrition. As the older generation of "believers" dies out, they are being replaced by those who prefer to think for themselves. At least here in the U.S.
In predominantly Muslim countries, I am afraid not so much.
Perhaps this current political struggle wedding politics and religion is about religion's struggle to stay alive here. Anybody else hear of the Dominionists? Perry is one, if I remember correctly. Maybe Michelle too.
BTW, the Iranian youth a few years back, were migrating to American lifestyle, then the Bush recreated the hostility against us that gave the religious radicals their power back. It is possible to even win over Muslims.
Charlie, religious people will never accept logic. If they do, their institutions will cease to exist. History shows that thousands of different religions were doomed by those who think and influence others to think.
ReplyDeleteJim
This book illustrates my point.
ReplyDeleteFading Faith: The Rise of the Secular Age By James A. Haught
Correspondence of Interest: Dear Toronto Humanists:
Here's my latest book, about the retreat of religion, and my newspaper column drawn from it. If you can use the column in any way, I'll be delighted. from James A. Haught, editor The Charleston Gazette
Fading Faith: The Rise of the Secular Age By James A. Haught Gustav Broukal Press 2010
Philosopher-historian Will Durant called it "the basic event of modern times." He didn't mean the world wars, or the end of colonialism, or the rise of electronics. He was talking about the decline of religion in Western democracies. The great mentor saw subsiding faith as the most profound occurrence of the past century -- a shift of Western civilization, rather like former transitions away from the age of kings, the era of slavery and such epochs.
Since World War II, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly.
Pope Benedict XVI protested: "Europe has developed a culture that, in a manner unknown before now to humanity, excludes God from the public conscience." Columnist George Will called the Vatican "109 acres of faith in a European sea of unbelief."
Jim
But on the other hand, "America seems an exception. This country has 350,000 churches whose members donate $100 billion per year. The United States teems with booming megachurches, gigantic sales of "Rapture" books, fundamentalist attacks on evolution, hundred-million-dollar TV ministries, talking-in-tongues Pentecostals, the white evangelical "religious right" attached to the Republican Party, and the like.
ReplyDeleteBut quietly, under the radar, much of America slowly is following the path previously taken by Europe. Little noticed, secularism keeps climbing in the United States."
Jim
Thanks for those comments Jim.
ReplyDeleteReason and critical thinking are slowly winning the war by attrition. As the older generation of "believers" dies out, they are being replaced by those who prefer to think for themselves. At least here in the U.S.
In predominantly Muslim countries, I am afraid not so much.
Perhaps this current political struggle wedding politics and religion is about religion's struggle to stay alive here. Anybody else hear of the Dominionists? Perry is one, if I remember correctly. Maybe Michelle too.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the Iranian youth a few years back, were migrating to American lifestyle, then the Bush recreated the hostility against us that gave the religious radicals their power back. It is possible to even win over Muslims.
It's good to share thoughts with you guys again!
CA gal