I also don’t believe in the idea that because traditional institutionalised religions are losing their following and their popularity in some parts of the world, such as Ireland, that it is indicative of a way of life losing its spirituality and its sense of something greater than itself.
I think the relative decline in traditional values overall is something that will amount to a loss. But as far as specific religious values go, I believe it is more a case of people moving away from the rituals and the institution of the church in a world where the reality of our daily lives has move away from its basic teachings.
The point being, we are not all amoral, Godless heathens just because we don’t go to mass on Sunday or say the rosary at home every night. The human belief system encapsulates more than just that. The decline of certain rituals or practices does not spell the end of spirituality entire.
I don’t believe most religious folk from Western belief systems parade around campaigning for the ‘One True God’ camp, but they do come from that culture and it absolutely influences their thinking. This explains why those who decide to separate themselves from the institutions of the church for whatever reason have traditionally been seen as non-believers and atheists.
It also explains why many older people today fear the evolution of an amoral society with the decline in Mass attendance and the rise in the number of people who do not feel the need to involve themselves in the traditional rituals.
(Interestingly, most other religions I have researched over the years did not have the one true god thesis and naturally accepted that other cultures would have other Gods, in the same way that they would have different cultural practices.)
The sceptics always argue that people will return when they are in peril or when a friend or family member dies. This is a very relevant point. People have a basic need, a basic belief. The need for support, for community, for belief and for ritual at these times is a basic human need and in our culture, the church, as an institution, has traditionally provided for this.
I think the issue is not that people don’t believe anymore, but rather that whatever they believe in has yet to evolve its own solid rituals, institutions or spiritual leaders. Hence the return to the institution that does provide the necessary rituals and support structures.
The problem for the whole notion of belief in the first place now is that we have rituals, institutions and spiritual leaders that perform functions for society but do not actually ‘mean’ anything to society at large in a spiritual sense.
I will deal with this point more in the next post.
Filed under: Thoughts | Tagged: Christianity, religion, spirituality
I think the notion of unquestioned *belief* in a God or gods is becoming obsolete in this ‘western’ world.
In times gone by a quick and reasonable sounding answer to a mostly unanswerable question (”what’s all this about?”) would have no doubt been a useful and sought after thing. And to be the one to provide the answer would surely, and evidently, grant you great power and following.
But these days we’ve each got far greater freedoms and access to information on any number of subjects – such that we no longer need to rely on blind belief, we can actually figure things out for ourselves. Want to start unlocking the mysteries of the universe… here’s a good place to start : http://www.google.ie/search?q=universe (spoiler :: it turns out that God, more than likely, didn’t do it).
Of course – and as you point out – the church does still have a grasp on our minds, whether we actively attend the ceremonies or not. The /tradition/ is to believe. And when you believe something to be true it tends to overrule most rational thought or questioning of the matter.
So I’d hope that the “Decline in Western institutionalised religion” does indeed mean we don’t believe anymore. Instead of believing, we’ll explore some of the wondrous possibilities.
I also wonder if it’s simply a tradition of human culture to mourn the passing of more traditional times
. I’d wager that 100, 200, 300 and more years ago (i.e. when our current ‘traditions’ were being dreamt up) there was plenty of chat and talk about how things were better 50 years earlier.
Good points all round Mick. I particularly like the phrase ‘wondrous possibilities’. The response of some people would be ‘Well what is out there smart arse? What are you bringing to the table. Whats is real? Explain!’
The truth is I don’t know and neither does anyone else. Not knowing is not the point. The point is people, we are here to explore, discover and celebrate what’s there. It doesn’t get any more real than that.
I think it also has to do with distractions. We don’t live in a world where we’re surrounded by the milky way at night, where we sit outside and notice the changes in life that accompany the changes in season, and where mystery surrounds us.
Instead, we sit inside and watch TV for hours on end, most of us look up and only see a few pinpricks through all the light pollution at night, and science has taken away our sense of wonder.
And God forbid it should start to lightly rain. Have you seen how water-phobic ( i know there’s term for it!) people get if starts to drizzle? Let us stay in our nice little boxes feeding our brain sugar and letting evolution kick in and remove our ability to walk.
We have certainly separated ourselves from the earth Zacharias – check out the State of Separation category – currently working on a documentary on that exact point.
I don’t think science has taken away our wonder – science is discovery and discovery leads to wonder – and it will never take away from the great mystery that no scientist can ever explain – what happened before the big bang. Science can only explain what it sees, and everything that we will ever get to see was created in that moment. If its mystery you want, you wont get much more mysterious than that.
And I’ve always wondered how people will evolve if forced to live as we do now for generations. Moles did go blind after all….
Sorry guys.. I do love a good debate, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to debate with both of you on a couple of points
@thewrittenone — “Not knowing is not the point.”
Firstly — although this may be a simple case of semantics, rather than a difference of opinion — I think not knowing *is* the point. In more ‘traditional’ days gone past, the general population knew exactly where their lives were headed. Their priests and theologians answered that question quite conclusively for them. Live and die quiet and dignified and it’s off to beautiful heaven with you. Cause a fuss or a rawkess on the way, and you’ll be left burning in the fires. People believed that (i.e. they *knew* it to be true) and were thus too scared to question, for that would cause a fuss and anger Him.
I’d like to think the point we’re heading towards now is a time when people are more able and willing to stand up and declare “you know what? I really don’t know why we’re here, where we’re going or who’s behind any of it…. and neither do you!” And hopefully we can then all stop killing each other over it and start looking for answers — as well as experiencing a non-partisan spiritual side to life — with clear vision and an open mind.
But firstly comes the point that “not knowing” is a perfectly acceptable way to be.
@Zacharias — “We don’t live in a world where we’re surrounded by the milky way at night, where we sit outside and notice the changes in life that accompany the changes in season”
Maybe not, but did we ever? You may argue that we once lived off the land, in harmony with nature and in a better balance with the seasons… but do you think this was at the forefront of people minds? Or were they more concerned with the possibility of a failed harvest come Autumn, if they didn’t put the back work into in the Spring? How did the land-living farming family of centuries past ever dream of knowing what those twinkles in the sky represent?
Sure we might have more cause for sitting indoors these days, but when else in history could I do so and still debate theology with friends and strangers anywhere in the world?
When I look to the sky at night I might only see a few pin-pricks through the city lights.. but give me two minutes with an Internet connection and I’ll tell you what those few pin pricks are, how they formed, what significance they have, or once had, and any other known fact about them.
And while some of us might simply choose to sit and watch the rot-box for hours and days on end, I’ve got nothing but optimism for where the increased availability and accessibility of knowledge is taking us as a society.
Good times ahead.
@Michael Flanagan “you know what? I really don’t know why we’re here”
I do know why we are here. But I ain’t telling cause you don’t want to know.
Ah no! I don’t believe there is a why, there just ‘is’. Apologies for the simplicity of this, but why does there have to be a why. I know people are gonna wonder the point of their existence. Well here it is. Like all living organisms, you are a vessel evolved to your present state over time, designed to aid the continuance of Life itself. I can’t think of a grander purpose than that. That simple truth could very well form the basis for an entire belief system of all itself.
I agree with the point about the internet revolution allowing us access to more and more info and the ability to involve ourselves more in the information process. We aren’t just sucking up ads. My only worry is that some people wont jump at the opportunity.
They may not need to jump. It’ll just be common place.
And you’re right, maybe there isn’t a “why?”. Maybe
. We won’t know until we can look at the question without ‘belief’ getting in the way.
And even without “why”, there’s still plenty of other questions, like “how?” and “what should I have for dinner?”.
But that last one might be just me. Half past five… getting hungry
@ Michael Flanagan:
I didn’t fully develope my thought when I posted my response and I apologize!
Of course science doesn’t mean we don’t have any wonder anymore. I think what I was trying to say was that we’re not as easily confronted with the mystery of the universe anymore, and due to this, we don’t turn to religion as quickly to explain the mysteries.
I might not marvel at the milky-way everynight when I look up at the sky, but that doesn’t mean I don’t marvel at Hubble deep space pictures!
My comment was just to give one possible explanation for the decline in religious sentiments. While the wonder of the world might not have been at the forefront in the minds of people in the past, and like you said, they were probably more focused on getting a good harvest, it doesn’t change the fact they were much more integrated with the natural world than we are now.
Just some simple observations!