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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



Registered: 10/30/09
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Religious "moderates"
#23361916 - 06/19/16 08:37 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I think moderate religion involves a special kind of cognitive dissonance that actually is actually more extreme than what's present in fundamentalist religion. Fundamentalists read their religious texts, believe what they say, develop their ideologies around them and shun conflicting ideologies, and put the principles set forth in the text into practice. As archaic as these ideologies and principles may seem to us, at the very least there is a consistency to the mindset of a fundamentalist.
Religious moderates are the product of the Enlightenment, the age of reason, the industrial revolution, and the scientific worldview. They are not "Baffled and Awestruck by the Mystery" of the world, as people were in the bronze and iron ages, because they grew up in a society wherein the mysteries had largely been demystified by experts. They cling to the idea that their religion offers something not available elsewhere.
A defining characteristic of religious moderation is the individual variability of that something. Most fundamentalists belonging to the same religion will give you pretty specific and consistent answers- crazy as they may be- about what their religion has to offer, but a survey of moderates will give you a range of different answers, many of which seem obtainable without the religion. Despite this, they maintain that there is something exclusive about belonging to the religion that makes it possible for them do whatever they do. The principal problem that arises out of this is that credit does not go where credit is due. For example, a moderate American Muslim may give credit to Allah for his success in obtaining an MD, becoming a doctor, becoming wealthy, and maintaining a safe and healthy family unit, when the credit should actually go to capitalism, the American government for allowing him to emigrate, the field of medicine, and the executive branch for making it possible to raise a family relatively free from danger.
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DividedQuantum
Outer Head


Registered: 12/06/13
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Indeed. Archaic religious scriptures do not juxtapose well with the modern, essentially secular world.
-------------------- Vi Veri Universum Vivus Vici
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HardTrippin
The Ambivalent



Registered: 11/05/09
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I just wish there were more psychologically healthy people among the secular world. It's sad that it's starting to look like most people actually need some sort of spirituality in order to be fulfilled, but that people don't address that side of themselves. As if science has discovered everything. There is still mystery and the universe is awesome enough to merit our reverence.
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"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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morrowasted
Worldwide Stepper



Registered: 10/30/09
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There is definitely still mystery. Science doesn't have all of the answers. Experts can't explain everything. But there are enough answers to cause us to doubt that any of the mythologies associated with the major religions are true. Having said that, I personally consider the possibility of Creationism and a personal divinity to be likely in a certain sense, and act accordingly, and I believe that doing so has helped me improve my character. I don't think it's necessary to invoke divine providence to bring about character change, though.
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