Human beings have never lacked for things to fight over, but for the last two millennia, they have fought the most over ideas involving the divine. Politics, technology, military capacity, and diseases have all played decisive roles in shaping history, yet it is impossible to understand the rise and fall of empires, the clash of civilizations, and the evolving balance of power without appreciating the unique fervor that religion inspires, and the speed with which new religions can spread.
And The Winner Is…
But will this ever be the case? Are believers destined to devour each other like the Killkenny Cats? Alan Wolfe thinks not.
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The cat is still using my name!
I could make many comments on that article, but then I’d be sitting here writing all day. What I believe the author missed is that religiosity, especially fundamentalism, is often/usually related to the perceived threats a society faces. The more threatened folks feel, the more they turn to fundamentalist religion.
BTW, by the comment I see Alex wrote to your previous post, I see that my cat has been on my computer again.
Yes, I just sent him an invitation to Gmail.
You’re absolutely right about the threats. See my article here: http://digitalzen.wordpress.com/clear-thinking/open-and-closed-minds/