Dogma on the ropes?

[E_Pluribus_Unitarian]

Lately I've been one of those who subscribes to the "dogma's on the ropes" premise...to the belief that much of the weirdness and loudness and "pushiness" that we are seeing these days from "religion" (in the USA) is more of a defensive response to the increasingly evident trend/reality that dogma is losing its grasp on society, and a need to double-down on their efforts to keep it from slipping away completely. They're trying hard to impose it officially, in our government and schools. Especially now, in this election year, we're also seeing a well-coordinated attempt to fix the blame for all of this on anybody and everybody except the systemic disease of divisive, authoritarian dogma itself. They blame the colleges, blame the media, blame the liberals, blame the false prophets...on and on...so as to distract public attention (and their own) away from the real "tectonic paradigm-shifts" that are unmistakably taking place underneath them, shifts that are pointing toward the need for new ways of thinking and acting in this enormously diverse, ever-changing, ever-shrinking world.

I originally shared this thought on a Unitarian Universalist Facebook page, but regardless of the extent to which this shift in consciousness might eventually favor the "UU and free-religious movement", do you agree with me that the obnoxiousness of fundamentalist religion these days can be directly attributed to this extreme uneasiness they are feeling, that something that they have so long clung to as so reliable and impenetrable, is beginning to slip away? And, if dogmatic religion is indeed "on the ropes," do we just stand back now and let the process work itself out, or are there ways to help it along?

[dmallind]

1. I wish I could, but no I don't agree

While some specific measures of fundy opinion hegemony in society are waning such as antipathy to gay marriage, the actual beliefs of Americans remain stubbornly primitive for the vast majority, with a 2/3 minimum believing in a literal Hell and Devil, angels active in human lives, etc. Pluralities or even majorities (depending on parsing) believe in even wackier ideas like creationism, Adam and Eve, and the like. Even where we are seeing that waning, religion remains the biggest driver for keeping alive and retarded the "controversies" over things like abortion and stem cell research that raise no more controversy in most wealthy industrialized democracies than tosillectomies.

Yes I'm sure the academic theologians and even many clergy in the true seminary-fed denominations are past literalism and rigid sociological dogma, but they are doing a piss-poor job so far of moving the mass of adherents past it.

[longship]

2. It is ALL about religion, not politics

I mean... Just listen to them, all of them. One can almost here the sota voce "bless me, Jesus" in all the Repugs' pronouncements. It's gotta f*cking stop.

The only way that's gonna happen is if like minded people --- not necessarily all atheists --- who see the man behind the curtain to expose him (and let's be clear, it's almost inevitably a him --- if you doubt that just ask Ms Fluke.)

I was brought up in the United Church of Christ (aka the Congregationalists) and since my early teens I've thought this god stuff was a load of malarkey. I am generally tolerant of others' beliefs except when it impedes my own. This, the Republican party has done in spades and I'm fed up with the whole business.

To hell with all of them.

...so to speak.

[safeinOhio]

3. Good question.

I don't know if it is increasing or has always been this way. All I can do is give a Humanistic reply to those that confront me with fundamentalist arguments. The key for me is to do that with a polite smile.

[FarCenter]

4. The power of religious authority and the level of religious fervor appear to have diminished

At least when looked at globally and relative to 100 years ago. Church attendance and religious committment seem to be down fairly dramatically in Europe, for example. The lands of the Russian Empire and the Chinese Empire are less religious than they were then. And levels of education, literacy and scientific knowledge have increased globally.

However, the Internet is creating a new situation where religion is no longer propagated via the official channels of clergy. Now the religious crank is no longer confined to preaching on the streetcorner or in the park, but can broadcast his thoughts to the world.

The Internet is providing humanity with a new global nevous system, but it is not clear whether humanity is sane.

[deacon_sephiroth]

5. I agree, but with cautious reservation

1. Do I agree that dogmatic ancient religions from far away places are losing thier grip / popularity / relevance in Western civilization? - Yes

2. Do I think that is the cause of some of the fervent, mouth frothing, hand waving, over dramatizations we're seeing in the primaries? - Perhaps

3. Is this a good sign? - Well, shaking loose the shackles of ancient palastinian goat herder superstitions is always good, but in it's death throws the main stream religions are growing smaller, but more zealous, violent, loud, and worst of all insistant. More and more every day the pieces of legislation on the state level that march through to subvert the supreme court and the constitution, multiply. The effort to transform the US into a theocracy is on the move, and the outward contempt for institutions that foster free thought, critical thought, or hell, THOUGHT is becoming less veilled. Keep them stupid, keep them faithful, keep them home.

No secularist can possibly afford to just watch it all die and expect it to go without a fight. The main stream religions are not going to get better, only worse, and only more pushy and insistant. They'll need to be watched carefully in thier death throws, and thier actions met swiftly and firmly.