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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   30397 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 21, 2023

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I honestly don't know about that. Neither of us are probably going to be alive to witness the birth of a modern industrial religion. Hell, I'd argue that modernity is barely a hundred years old or so, for what it's worth. Before then there was a LOT of infant and youth mortality, and I think that that changed things quite a bit. Germ theory was a game changer: African peasants have better health outcomes than Roman emperors and their children.

Before then there was a LOT of infant and youth mortality, and I think that that changed things quite a bit. Germ theory was a game changer: African peasants have better health outcomes than Roman emperors and their children.

This seems to be saying that religion was basically just a way of giving people comfort and making people feel better because life sucked in the past. I strongly disagree with that framing, if that's what you mean.

Religion has always been about acquiring wisdom, understanding humans and our relationship to the world and each other.

No, I mean that the environmental context that made traditional religions well-adapted to their environment didn't change all that long ago.

Ahh I see. Yeah I agree with that.

Realistically religious traditions essentially went through centuries and centuries of cultural evolution before they became as dense and full of wisdom as they are today. I'd be surprised if we can accomplish creating a new religion that has actual wisdom before we destroy ourselves with our hubris. Alas.

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