Religion
Related: About this forumReligion, Secularism, and Xenophobia
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201807/religion-secularism-and-xenophobiaPut another way: In the surveys, tribalism and ethnocentrism were strongly correlated with being religious, while exhibiting a more universalistic, cosmopolitan embracing of all of humanity was strongly correlated with being secular.
...These two studies are not outliers. Social psychological studies, over many decades, have found the same thing: The more religious people are, the more likely they are to manifest an us vs. them orientation. As leading Canadian social-psychologist Bob Altemeyer has observed, most relevant studies illustrate that the more one goes to church, the more likely one will be prejudiced against a variety of others. Or as American psychologist of religion Ralph Wood similarly echoes, based on his assessment of existing research, as a broad generalization, the more religious an individual is, the more prejudiced that person is. Indeed, as a massive meta-analysis conducted in 2009 by Duke University professor Deborah Hallwho analyzed 55 separate studies teasing out at the relationship between religion and racismfound, strongly religious Americans exhibit the highest levels of racism, while atheist and agnostics exhibit the lowest levels.
...Thus, in these days of growing nationalism and xenophobia, the humanistic and universalistic values more closely linked to secular culture are truly needed. After all, we are all humans and we want the same things: life, liberty, and freedom from fear and oppression.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)I think most of us have noticed that phenomenon, but it's good to get a research-based confirmation.
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)But that person doesn't understand statistics and should be ignored.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)"ZOMG atheists aren't perfect either, so therefore that proves this is a HUMAN problem and has nothing to do with religion!"
Despite the studies showing that yeah, while people with any kind of belief or non-belief can be intolerant, there clearly is a strong relationship to religion.
Iggo
(47,577 posts)Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)It was easily the most overtly racist state I've ever lived in.
Iggo
(47,577 posts)We're almost guaranteed to have more racists than some states have people.
Karadeniz
(22,587 posts)I remember a college professor pointing out to our class that in all antiquity, there was never a war waged over religion. How things have changed!
The ancients had a more realistic approach to spirituality. The temples and religious festivals were part of "religio," the "ties that bind" people together. All outward and superficial. If one nation conquered another with different gods, fine...just add them to the existing pot. On the other hand, "philosophia" was what we think religion should be, "the way, the truth, the light." Philosophy dealt with souls, god/s, how the soul reaches god, the nature of creation, god/s nature/s, the soul's role in creation, all the things that really matter. Didn't Socrates say that when he went to the temple of Apollo (?) and saw the inscription, "Know Thyself," it changed his life? And then there were the Mysteries to be experienced.
If the ancients had despised all the people who outwardly worshipped in a different way, imagine the chaos and constant riots! But not one Marcus going into Jupiter's temple and seeing Livia going into Venus' would have thought of creating a smear campaign against her. Unfortunately, a pagan emperor decided that one dogma would be the only right one, so Christianity became a religion of intolerance to other thoughts or beliefs, its followers' brains paralyzed by dogma, its followers ultimately unwilling to question the interpretation of its writings by the Church.
If Christians could understand their own pesky parables, here's what they would find:
Karma
Reincarnation
A God System
God's role towards planet earth
Why most people just don't get it
The soul's general role/purpose
The soul's specific role/purpose
The life review
The soul vs. the world
The brotherhood of souls
Thoughts are things
God's nature
Forget God's forgiveness
Christianity started out as a philosophy, not a religion; it was turned into a religion. Philosophy welcomes everyone.
icymist
(15,888 posts)I have questions. What is meant when he said he was Son of God? Was that not a claim to divinity?
uriel1972
(4,261 posts)The glorious knower of all things... or maybe not
trotsky
(49,533 posts)gtar100
(4,192 posts)Clearly then we are still suffering the consequences of the Roman Empire through the echoes of the decisions made at that time. I imagine it was a very small group of people who decided on making Christianity an instrument of control not aware how, in its institutional form, it would become such an intolerant, twisted, maniacal religion. Most people who take it up are looking for something good in their lives not knowing or even looking at the motivations of the church leaders. Just look at all the twists and turns it has gone through since then and the impact it has had throughout the world. The dichotomy between the teachings of Jesus and the practices of the church is astounding.
uriel1972
(4,261 posts)Since apart from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the vast majority of non-canonical texts seems to have disappeared, we only have the lens of the canonical bible to view those "teachings" through.
Although in the name of transparency, I don't believe in a historical Jesus as portrayed in the Bible.
gtar100
(4,192 posts)And those additional texts have a lot of the more interesting stuff that could put the remaining books into a clearer perspective or at least provide fodder for more interesting discussions. But the orthodox churches would probably raise a fuss...they've put so much effort into suppressing them after all.
Permanut
(5,658 posts)to understanding the bigotry of the MAGATS.
Great post, trotsky!
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Do assholes gravitate toward religion, or does religion produce more assholes?