<underfire> Secularism and Religious Revivalism

[christopher.w.young at thomson.com]

Dear Harel,

To start off, perhaps it makes sense to define religion.  

Considering you cited Durkheim, perhaps it makes sense to utilize his
definition of religion:

 	"A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices
relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart 	and
forbidden -- beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral
community called a Church, all those who 	adhere to them." (taken
from The Elementary Forms of Religious Life")

The understaning of the distancing from religion can be many reasons,
two of which I will put forth here:

1.  In democratic capitalistic societies, such as the United States,
liberation from all authority structures is welcomed and applauded and
those people who are members of religious organizations are chastised as
the simple and perhaps intellectually inept.  

2.  The recent and continuous press showing the religious leaders in
positions which are contrary to their own moral laws are causing a great
deal of disdain and belief in such a system.  

The reason for being ok with 'spirituality' as you state, is because it
is an individualistic thing...ie, you worship when you like, you pray
when you like and you perform rites and rituals when you like.  It bodes
well with the system, because you are achieving what you want in the way
you want it and the time you want it.  In essence, you are becoming
close to being an individualist deity.

Perhaps the reason for moving away from religion is because we are
moving away from society -- 'Bowling Alone' if you will.

Cheers,

Christopher Young






-----Original Message-----
From: underfire-bounces at underfire.eyebeam.org
[mailto:underfire-bounces at underfire.eyebeam.org] On Behalf Of
hs2068 at columbia.edu
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 1:08 PM
To: underfire at underfire.eyebeam.org
Subject: <underfire> Secularism and Religious Revivalism


The heading for our current set of conversation 'Secularism and
Religious Revivalism' I think demands that we try and think about what,
if anything, is the difference between secularism and religion, and why,
in the current moment there is a large group of people (it seems mostly
liberal, mostly progressive) who criticize religion all the while
practicing religion by other means.

How for example, is "spirituality" en vogue in my two homes of New York
and Tel Aviv, any different than religion, and yet, it makes people feel
so much cleaner than practicing religion? Long ago Durkheim argued that
whenever a group of people get together you have religion, that society,
in fact, is religion.

Why the effort to distance ones self from the religious? How does
secularism function in the current political moment as a way to justify
disdain for the religious...is there a secular version of turning the
other cheek, might we want to develop one? Doesn't it have so much to do
with the current way we think about Islam as a religion?

I look forward very much to the coming conversation. Regards, Harel.
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