Religion isn't growing, it is becoming vigorous in its demise, says philosopher AC Grayling

[Surya Gayatri]

It often seems as though religion is bigger than ever, being at the root of so many of the world's conflicts, but philosopher and author of Against All Gods Anthony Grayling thinks this is paradoxically a sign that it is in its 'death throes'.


The volume and the irritation and the frustration has ratcheted up'

Discussing the apparent growth of both atheism and religion in an old episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, still poignant today, he said: "I don't think myself that we're seeing a resurgence of religion, I think we're seeing a turning up of the volume mightily by the religious, which is something different.

"It may very well be a sympton of the fact that religion feels so under pressure that it's doing what it did back in the 16th century at the time of the Reformation when Catholicism, which had been the single dominent outlook, became very vigorous in its demise. These were death throes that caused those awful wars in the 16th and 17th centuries because they were losing their power and struggling to keep it."

"It may very well be that now with globalisation and the fact that the Islamic parts of the world felt very under pressure, very threatened by the rapid sense of what must seem to them awful morality off the back of western style globalisation, that the volume and the irritation and the frustration has ratcheted up."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/religion-isnt-growing-it-is-becoming-vigorous-in-its-demise-says-philosopher-ac-grayling-10178317.html

______________________
In the throes of 16th-century style Reformation and religious wars?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_wars_of_religion

The European wars of religion were a series of religious wars waged in Europe from ca. 1524 to 1648, following the onset of the Protestant Reformation in Western and Northern Europe. Although sometimes unconnected, all of these wars were strongly influenced by the religious change of the period, and the conflict and rivalry that it produced.

[Iliyah]

1. Ya think since many of their of forefathers

were kicked out of Europe because of their religious beliefs that these crazy so called "Christians" here in the USA would been more Christ like huh.

[Surya Gayatri]

2. They were the extreme fringe back then, and their

descendents are carrying on.

Puritan - sort of says it all.

[jberryhill]

15. If you buy the "kicked out" business

The Pilgrims were doing perfectly fine in Holland. The problem was that they felt the Dutch tolerance was a bad influence on their children. And at that time, we're talking about the Dutch Reformed being considered "too tolerant".

[msanthrope]

17. Our Puritans weren't kicked out....they left because they didn't like the

too-liberal influences of the Dutch on their children.....they wanted land to practice their intolerance freely.

[Demeter]

3. Catholicism in its death throes?

You wish. It's taken over Africa, the last place that needed it.

[bvf]

4. Indeed.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/17/pope-africa-condoms-aids

[LuvNewcastle]

7. And check out the Supreme Court.

[Demeter]

8. Don't remind me

One has to ask, what were the Presidents who appointed these clowns thinking? That they had some primary allegiance to the Constitution and the Rule of Law?

[merrily]

5. And more and more lucrative, so I doubt imminent demise

[Surya Gayatri]

6. But, we can hope for a radical make-over. Read reformation,

and return to true humanist values, whatever religious banner you march under.

[merrily]

13. Dunno. Evangelicals have been tarnishing the "secular humanism" brand for decades.

They way they raise money is telling their base (not in these words, obviously) God demands a fight against the "gay lifestyle" "murderbotion mills," and those in government who vote for/enable those things. Meanwhile, Democrats get more and more religion friendly. Apparently, their belief is, if they say "God Bless America" often enough and attend enough prayer breakfasts, the religious right is going to forgive them for choice, equal rights, the non-existent war on religion, etc. Never going to happen, but the dance goes on.

[Novara]

9. I see a parallel to the anti-women bullshit going on in the states

Established patriarchy knows it is losing the war so they're doubling down on the hate.

[Surya Gayatri]

10. ^^^This!^^^

They ain't goin' down without a fight to the death.

[hobbit709]

11. And in its death throes it's doing as much damage to everyone else it can.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. A cornered animal is the most dangerous...

[Novara]

14. I suppose we should take it as a positive that this demise is happening....

....but they can inflict a hell of a lot of damage before they go down. Look at the "religious freedom" bullshit. Hobby Lobby. Conscience clauses. The hate is neverending and it is virulent.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Deep and lasting damage to the social fabric and the body politic.

[DinahMoeHum]

18. A mad dog is at its worst just before it dies.

n/t