[lit-ideas] Re: Does the left need a spiritual dimension?
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 23:32:50 -0500
> [Original Message]
> From: Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2/10/2006 11:18:23 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Does the left need a spiritual dimension?
>
> >>>It is the search for meaning in a despiritualized world that leads
> > many people to right-wing religious communities because these groups
> > seem to be in touch with the sacred dimension of life.
>
> I think I know why Lerner thinks this, but I'm not so sure that he's
right.
> I'm not so sure I agree that right-wing religious communities appeal to
> these groups because they seem to be in touch with "the sacred dimension
of
> life", rather I suggest it's because they offer easily understandable and
> relatively easily achieved dicta about how to live one's life so that the
> angst of being a human being (knowing that one knows nothing for certain
> except coming death) is alleviated with little cost.
That's exactly what I said about why religion is so appealing, because it
tells people what to think, how to think, what to do, who to do it with.
That's all very comforting. It offers stability and a ready-made
fellowship as it were. I can't imagine why people can't have a ready made
fellowship bettering humanity and the earth instead of worshiping spirits,
but, obviously, they can't. Instead, they prefer nuclear weapons over
whose religion is best. Humans are weird animals.
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