The greatest threat today is fundamentalism and materialism

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

These words were spoken by Pia Zia Inayat Khan in his webcast March 18, 2007. http://sufiorder.org/live/webcast.html

I really think this is true. What do you think?

[acmavm]

1. Truer words were never spoken. What ever happened to the

realization that if you have enough to get by, to make it through your days without going hungry and having shelter, you've really got it made? And that you don't have the right to cause harm to anyone else. The answer to that age old question "am I my brothers keeper" was YES.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. With the earth changes coming

from global warming and who knows what else (I'm thinking earthquakes and volcanoes that are due or overdue)it might behoove us to get back into that mode of thinking if we are to survive as a species. Otherwise, it will be a war between those who hoard and those who don't have as much but want more, too.

[HereSince1628]

2. Seems to me to have a problem. 2 things can't be the one greatest thing

But maybe there is some philosophy called fundamentalist materialism I've never heard about.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Ok, the two greatest things

I was writing fast and was half asleep.

[trotsky]

3. Depends on what he means by materialism, I guess.

Fundamentalism is the literal adherence to a religious text. Not much wiggle room.

But materialism has a range of meanings - it can simply mean that you don't believe spirits or gods exist; that the material world is all there is. Is that threatening?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. If you listen to the podcast

you find that he is talking about reliance upon material goods to establish status and to define a person--you aren't your character or your ideas, you are your possessions.

[trotsky]

12. I really have no interest in listening to an entire sermon.

But what you describe sounds more like commercialism or consumerism anyway. Interesting nonetheless that the fundamentalists and "materialists" are pretty much the same people here in America.

[bananas]

4. March 18, 2007?

Billy Pilgrim was unstuck in time.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I was sleepy

that is when the next pod cast will occur.

[Goblinmonger]

11. Awesome book.

Absolutely awesome. You have climbed high on my list of cool people with that reference (not that it means anything or that you even care).

Do you watch LOST? I think they are doing their own Billy Pilgrim.

[bananas]

19. Thanks, that means a lot to me

Sometimes I think my snarky comments have put me in people's "hate forever" list :)

I never got into LOST because when it started I thought it was just another "Survivor" type show,
so I missed a lot of it.

My main tv shows are 24 and Battlestar Galactica.

edit to add: "Galapagos" is probably more likely than "Galactica"...

[cosmik debris]

9. Threat to whom?

If you were in Alabama or Georgia yesterday, tornadoes are the greatest threat. If you are a Polar Bear, global warming is the greatest threat. If you live in South Africa, HIV/AIDS is the greatest threat. But if you are living the life of middle class ease in America, you have the opportunity and luxury to ruminate about things that might kill off all that survive the more immediate plagues that take their daily toll on our fellow humans.

For my money, the greatest threat is overlooking the immediate threats in favor of long term philosophies. Philosophies don't kill people. Sure, we should worry about long term problems, but the children who are dieing of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa don't give a tinker's dam about materialism.

[Odin2005]

10. Philosophical materialism (physicalism) and economic materialism (consumerism)...

...Have no relationship to each other besides just happening to use the same word. New Age woo woos who thinks a physicalist metaphysics leads to consumerism are morons.

[trotsky]

13. Thank you.

Said perfectly.

[skepticscott]

14. Which is why I hate the first use of that word

When speaking in the scientific or philosophical sense, I much prefer the word naturalism. Religious Reichers and other religionists like to paint scientists with the term "materialists" rather than naturalists precisely because that word carries the negative connotations of greed and selfishness. Even though they don't apply in this sense, they count on their flocks to be too dense to make the distinction.

[More Than A Feeling]

15. Whereas naturalism makes them sound like they are John Muir

or Henry David Thoreau. You're right, it's a much more positive connotation.

[skepticscott]

16. Either that

or nudists...

[toddaa]

17. That's rather ironic

I can't think of a group who spends more disposable income on worthless crap than New Agers.

[Evoman]

18. Lol...for sure.

I would never fit the role of an economic materialist (consumer). The ironic thing is that I am basically an atheist who lives as a monk (of course, its easy because as a student I never have money!). I also bike/walk everywhere, don't have a car, and have no interest is accumulating stuff (other than video games...I like video games). I hate clutter.

I can't even tell you the last time I bought healing crystals, blessed water, or naturopathic doodads.

[Odin2005]

21. Exactly. They are a bunch of yuppie hypocrites.

[bananas]

20. I think it's fundamentalism and technical analysis. nt