On 14 Jan, 16:58, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Makes a lot of sense Pat. ;-] >
Cheers, mate! I do try. But it's my "life's work", as it were; so I want it to be as sound as possible. Although, I know that, even though I speak the truth, many people will be VERY upset by that. But, that, I'm afraid, goes with the role. ;-) > On Jan 14, 7:21 am, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 14 Jan, 08:42, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The world seems more religious than ever these days. > > > > Across the Middle East, fervent forms of Islam are growing more > > > popular and more politically active. Muslim nations that were somewhat > > > secularized 40 years ago - like Lebanon and Iran - are now teeming > > > with fundamentalism. In Turkey and Egypt, increasing numbers of women > > > are turning to the veil as an overt manifestation of reinvigorated > > > religious commitment. But it isn't just in the Muslim world that > > > religion is thriving. From Brazil to El Salvador, Protestant > > > evangelicalism is spreading with great success, instilling a spirited, > > > holy zeal throughout Latin America. Pentecostalism is proliferating, > > > too - vigorously - and not only throughout Latin America, but in > > > Africa and even, to a lesser extent, China. And many nations of the > > > former Soviet Union, which had atheism imposed upon them for decades, > > > have emerged from the communist era with their faith not only intact, > > > but strong and vibrant. Here in the United States, religion is > > > definitely alive and well. In terms of church attendance and belief in > > > God, Jesus, and the Bible, religion in the United States is stronger > > > and more robust than in most other developed democracies. > > > > In sum, from Nebraska to Nepal, from Georgia to Guatemala, and from > > > Utah to Uganda, humans all over the globe are vigorously praising > > > various deities; regularly attending services at churches, temples, > > > and mosques; persistently studying sacred texts; dutifully performing > > > holy rites; energetically carrying out spiritual rituals; soberly > > > defending the world from sin; piously fasting; and enthusiastically > > > praying and then praying some more, singing, praising, and loving this > > > or that savior, prophet, or God. > > > > But that is not occurring everywhere. I am referring to two nations in > > > particular, Denmark and Sweden, which are probably the least religious > > > countries in the world, and possibly in the history of the world. > > > Amidst all this vibrant global piety - atop the vast swelling sea of > > > sacredness - Denmark and Sweden float along like small, content, > > > durable dinghies of secular life, where most people are nonreligious > > > and don't worship Jesus or Vishnu, don't revere sacred texts, don't > > > pray, and don't give much credence to the essential dogmas of the > > > world's great faiths. > > > > In clean and green Scandinavia, few people speak of God, few people > > > spend much time thinking about theological matters, and although their > > > media in recent years has done an unusually large amount of reporting > > > on religion, even that is offered as an attempt to grapple with and > > > make sense of a strange foreign phenomenon out there in the wider > > > world that refuses to disappear, a phenomenon that takes on such dire > > > significance for everyone - except, well, for Danes and Swedes. > > > > What are societies like when faith in God is minimal, church > > > attendance is drastically low, and religion is a distinctly muted and > > > marginal aspect of everyday life? > > > > Many people assume that religion is what keeps people moral, that a > > > society without God would be hell on earth: rampant with immorality, > > > full of evil, and teeming with depravity. But that doesn't seem to be > > > the case for Scandinavians in those two countries. Although they may > > > have relatively high rates of petty crime and burglary, and although > > > these crime rates have been on the rise in recent decades, their > > > overall rates of violent crime - including murder, aggravated assault, > > > and rape - are among the lowest on earth. Yet the majority of Danes > > > and Swedes do not believe that God is "up there," keeping diligent > > > tabs on their behavior, slating the good for heaven and the wicked for > > > hell. Most Danes and Swedes don't believe that sin permeates the > > > world, and that only Jesus, the Son of God, who died for their sins, > > > can serve as a remedy. In fact, most Danes and Swedes don't even > > > believe in the notion of "sin." > > > > So the typical Dane or Swede doesn't believe all that much in God. And > > > simultaneously, they don't commit much murder. But aren't they a dour, > > > depressed lot, all the same? Not according to Ruut Veenhoven, > > > professor emeritus of social conditions for human happiness at Erasmus > > > University Rotterdam. Veenhoven is a leading authority on worldwide > > > levels of happiness from country to country. He recently ranked 91 > > > nations on an international happiness scale, basing his research on > > > cumulative scores from numerous worldwide surveys. According to his > > > calculations, the country that leads the globe - ranking No. 1 in > > > terms of its residents' overall level of happiness - is little, > > > peaceful, and relatively godless Denmark. > > > > The connection between religion - or the lack thereof - and societal > > > health is admittedly complex. It is difficult to definitively > > > establish that secularism is always good for society and religion > > > always bad. However, the often posited opposite claim is equally > > > difficult to substantiate: that secularism is always bad for a society > > > and religion always good. To be sure, in some instances, religion can > > > be a strong and positive ingredient in establishing societal health, > > > prosperity, and well-being. And when considering what factors > > > contribute to the making of a good society, religion can be a positive > > > force. > > > > Here in the United States, for example, religious ideals often serve > > > as a beneficial counterbalance against the cutthroat brand of > > > individualism that can be so rampant and dominating. Religious > > > congregations in America serve as community centers, counseling > > > providers, and day-care sites. And a significant amount of research > > > has shown that moderately religious Americans report greater > > > subjective well-being and life satisfaction, greater marital > > > satisfaction, better family cohesion, and fewer symptoms of depression > > > than the nonreligious. Historically, a proliferation of religious > > > devotion, faith in God, and reliance on the Bible has sometimes been a > > > determining factor in establishing schools for children, creating > > > universities, building hospitals for the sick and homes for the > > > homeless, taking care of orphans and the elderly, resisting > > > oppression, establishing law and order, and developing democracy. > > > > In other instances, however, religion may not have such positive > > > societal effects. It can often be one of the main sources of tension, > > > violence, poverty, oppression, inequality, and disorder in a given > > > society. A quick perusal of the state of the world will reveal that > > > widespread faith in God or strong religious sentiment in a given > > > country does not necessarily ensure societal health. After all, many > > > of the most religious and faithful nations on earth are simultaneously > > > among the most dangerous and destitute. Conversely, a widespread lack > > > of faith in God or very low levels of religiosity in a given country > > > does not necessarily spell societal ruin. The fact is, the majority of > > > the most irreligious democracies are among the most prosperous and > > > successful nations on earth. > > > > Just to be perfectly clear here: I am not arguing that the admirably > > > high level of societal health in Scandinavia is directly caused by the > > > low levels of religiosity. Although one could certainly make such a > > > case - arguing that a minimal focus on God and the afterlife, and a > > > stronger focus on solving problems of daily life in a rational, > > > secular manner have led to positive, successful societal outcomes in > > > Scandinavia - that is not the argument I wish to develop here. Rather, > > > I simply wish to soberly counter the widely touted assertion that > > > without religion, society is doomed. > > > > If you can smell my ax starting to grind here, your nostrils are in > > > good working order. The claim that without religion, society is doomed > > > deserves to be challenged because, aside from being poor social > > > science, it is a highly political claim that is regularly promulgated > > > by some of America's most popular and most influential Christian > > > conservatives. Those individuals do not represent or speak for the > > > majority of believers in America, but together they do constitute a > > > formidable and uniquely zealous chorus that reaches the hearts and > > > minds of millions of people on a regular basis. > > > > I am referring, for instance, to Pat Robertson, the successful > > > televangelist and founder of the Christian Coalition, who regularly > > > condemns secularism. And Ann Coulter, the Christian conservative media > > > pundit, who has written in one of her best-selling books that > > > societies that fail to grasp God's significance are headed toward > > > slavery, genocide, and bestiality, and that when Darwinian/ > > > evolutionary theory is widely accepted in a given society, all > > > morality is abandoned. Conservative pundit William J. Bennett has > > > argued that "the only reliable answer" for combating societal ills is > > > widespread religious faith, and that without religion, a society is > > > without "the best and most reliable means to reinforce the good" in > > > social life and human relations. > > > > Conservative Christian Americans aren't the only ones who broadcast > > > this perspective. Keith Ward, a professor of theology at the > > > University of Oxford, has recently argued that societies that lack > > > strong religious beliefs are essentially immoral, unfree, and > > > irrational. He claims that any nonreligious society without a strong > > > belief in God is a society "beyond morality ... and freedom" and > > > ultimately predicated upon "the denial of human dignity." John D. > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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