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News & ArtsMonday, August 27, 2012
Religion Manufacturing Existential Insecurity
Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 9:14 AM
One reason why a huge number of Americans believe an ape created the universe and that the earth was made only yesterday (in geological time), is existential insecurity. What does this mean? At 07:24 of the video "Evolution and Culture," the evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson (he is at the center of the group selection debate) offers a clear and precise explanation...
The citizens of a country (say New Zealand or Finland) that provides a high standard of living, strong social safety nets, and easy access to heath services will be more secular than those who live in countries (say Egypt or Somalia) that don't. If you feel safe in your society, you will not turn to God or religion for support.
But what about the US? It's the richest country in the world and yet has, when compared to other rich societies, "an incredibly high number of people who are religious."
The Gallup Poll has been tracking Americans' views on creation and evolution for the past 30 years. In June it released its latest findings, which showed 46% of Americans believed in creationism, 32% believed in evolution guided by God, and 15% believed in atheistic evolution.
Wilson's answer to the fact is not strong enough. Yes, it has to something to do with the US's Third World-like income disparity; but most poor Americans are practically millionaires when compared to, say, poor Africans. So, why is the percentage of religious people in this rich country incredibly high? Meaning, why do so many Americans feel existentially insecure. Meaning, why is there so much fear in a society that has so much wealth?
Let's turn to this report, which the Seattle Police Department posted a few hours ago...
Disturbance outside Hookah Bar leaves one man shot. Just shortly after 4 a.m. this morning two adult men got into a verbal altercation outside a Hookah Bar at 12th and Main. The altercation escalated and one man was shot. According to Security, the two men may have been shooting at each other – those details are still sketchy and no one at the scene would provide officers with information.
Following the shooting, the victim was driven to Swedish Hospital via a friend. He was later transported to Harborview where he is currently under going surgery for his injuries. The man was struck in the abdomen and the buttocks. His condition is unknown at this time.
Officers recovered over 20 shell casings at the scene. The shooter is still on the loose.
And this one, posted by the LA Times...
All nine people wounded during a dramatic confrontation between police and a gunman outside the Empire State Building were struck by bullets fired by the two officers, police said Saturday, citing ballistics evidence.
I hope you are getting the picture. However, it's not so much guns but the social production of fear and poverty that leaves millions of Americans with the feeling of existential exposure (this is my term). It's important to understand that the sources of the exposure will not be found in biology or nature but in politics. The number of believers in our society will remain high as long those who benefit politically from the production and reproduction of an environment of fear (fear of violence, fear of poverty) are in power.
1
Safety nets and access to medical care are exactly the things the religious/republican party is trying to terminate. I wonder if some of the party leaders recognize that this will bring more people into the flock and keep them gripping onto fear. The strategy is working.
2
Sometimes I think that Mudede's purpose on earth is to tell the American people what President Obama really thinks of them.
3
Ken -- What you've said has no meaning.
This is actually the best explanation I've seen yet of why the U.S. region that is the most devoutly religious also has the highest rate of firearms ownership.
This is actually the best explanation I've seen yet of why the U.S. region that is the most devoutly religious also has the highest rate of firearms ownership.
4
Its actually quite a classical stance on religion and often used as an example of how to deal with the religious people who move into secular societies.
Brilliant, thanks Charles.
Brilliant, thanks Charles.
5
Great post. Great question: "Why is there so much fear in a society that has so much wealth?"
Sometimes I think it has to do with being the Alpha Nation-- when you are king of the hill, the only direction to go is down, so that's all you think about.
I recently took a defensive handgun course. The technical training was useful, but I was struck by how every lesson came with a sort of side-dish of paranoia. It wasn't enough to carry a gun. What if the other guy had a more powerful gun or more bullets? What if there were two guys with guns? What if your gun jammed-- maybe you should carry two guns? The more you strive for power the more obsessed you become with the power of others and the possibility of losing your power. I came away convinced that while it may be useful to have handgun training, actually carrying a gun created more problems than it solved.
Sometimes I think it has to do with being the Alpha Nation-- when you are king of the hill, the only direction to go is down, so that's all you think about.
I recently took a defensive handgun course. The technical training was useful, but I was struck by how every lesson came with a sort of side-dish of paranoia. It wasn't enough to carry a gun. What if the other guy had a more powerful gun or more bullets? What if there were two guys with guns? What if your gun jammed-- maybe you should carry two guns? The more you strive for power the more obsessed you become with the power of others and the possibility of losing your power. I came away convinced that while it may be useful to have handgun training, actually carrying a gun created more problems than it solved.
7
It might also have to do with the foundation of the United States.
The American continents were settled primarily by highly religious people who fled their own countries because they felt persecuted. Those feelings lingered and wove themselves into the religious teachings of the day. The feelings of persecution and fear just kept shifting to the next closest scapegoat.
This country is founded on fear and feelings of persecution and victimization. Those feelings have remained in school and religious teachings.
Just my two cents...
The American continents were settled primarily by highly religious people who fled their own countries because they felt persecuted. Those feelings lingered and wove themselves into the religious teachings of the day. The feelings of persecution and fear just kept shifting to the next closest scapegoat.
This country is founded on fear and feelings of persecution and victimization. Those feelings have remained in school and religious teachings.
Just my two cents...
8
Sorry, I just talked to God and she says that she meant to say was "The universe was created by an app", not an ape.
Bygones.
The patch will download in 2012 at some point. Might fix the magnetic Poles too. So, stay away from Poland if you have lots of iron.
Bygones.
The patch will download in 2012 at some point. Might fix the magnetic Poles too. So, stay away from Poland if you have lots of iron.
10
@7 True. Yes, there were a number of religious fanatics who came here. Many on the edge of being booted out of their respective home countries for... well... being annoying as shit (don't you wish we had a Mars colony we could boot those people to now?).
But it didn't take long for nuts like the puritans to be out numbered here and very quickly despised for being... well... annoying as shit.
Remember there were also lots of interests seeking economic colonial exploitation for one monarchy or another and with them people fleeing political persecution. Religious nuts get in the way of all that.
Not to mention we had LOTS of pirates, thieves, criminals and assorted other misfits.
Think Deadwood.
Ah. Good times.
But it didn't take long for nuts like the puritans to be out numbered here and very quickly despised for being... well... annoying as shit.
Remember there were also lots of interests seeking economic colonial exploitation for one monarchy or another and with them people fleeing political persecution. Religious nuts get in the way of all that.
Not to mention we had LOTS of pirates, thieves, criminals and assorted other misfits.
Think Deadwood.
Ah. Good times.
11
@10,
There were also religious nuts who emigrated here (think Quakers) because they were being legitimately persecuted back home. Unfortunately, many of them are now the religious blowhards trying to shove their religion down everyone else's throats.
For example, although they were homegrown, evangelicals were heavily invested in Virginia's freedom of religion act and in the First Amendment back in the day because they didn't want to be persecuted for their religion (or pay tithes to the government church or any of that shit). The Mormons, similarly, should know better than to support religious intolerance, but now those two groups are the vanguards of forcing everyone to live according to their values.
And so it goes.
There were also religious nuts who emigrated here (think Quakers) because they were being legitimately persecuted back home. Unfortunately, many of them are now the religious blowhards trying to shove their religion down everyone else's throats.
For example, although they were homegrown, evangelicals were heavily invested in Virginia's freedom of religion act and in the First Amendment back in the day because they didn't want to be persecuted for their religion (or pay tithes to the government church or any of that shit). The Mormons, similarly, should know better than to support religious intolerance, but now those two groups are the vanguards of forcing everyone to live according to their values.
And so it goes.
12
Dear Charles,
You did bring it with this post.
yours in Ape,
LaLa
(PS - have you finished reading all of Frans De Waal's books?{except The Ape and The Sushi Master, no need})
You did bring it with this post.
yours in Ape,
LaLa
(PS - have you finished reading all of Frans De Waal's books?{except The Ape and The Sushi Master, no need})
16
@13
BZZZZT. False.
FI: My father served three combat tours in Vietnam. He is an Atheist. In fact his combat tours only reinforced his secular humanistic views.
Just as there are no atheists in foxholes...
BZZZZT. False.
FI: My father served three combat tours in Vietnam. He is an Atheist. In fact his combat tours only reinforced his secular humanistic views.
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