Religion. A Latter Day Politics?

Question

Religion. Wasn't/Isn't it an outdated form of control?

Cici, i agree, we do need some form of control, but governments and politics enforce this, so the question was........Religion. A Latter day Politics?

angk. Very true. I am somewhat puzzled though. What does one do with a degree in Mythology & Folk Lore? I feel another question coming on!

Answer 1

What else is there left to belief in if there is no religion?

Answer 2

Let me quantify this statement, before everyone jumps me, by saying that I'm currently working on my master's in folklore and mythology, and as such have studied much about religion, history, and anthropology.

That said, basically, yeah. When people lived in nomadic groups and small communities, they looked to the one who spoke to the gods as their leader--the shaman, the wise man/woman, whatever. This was well and good. As these small communities grew into cities and countries and the shamans were replaced with politicians, the politicians realized that people would still listen to the edicts of the gods. So, they used it as leverage.

Now, for the development of society, this was a very good thing. If God says everyone push in this direction, everyone did, and that's how cities were built, wars were won, and empires were built. In this day and age, in first-world countries (which likely everyone on this site is from, seeing as they have a computer) it's far less necessary--the individual has emerged as important over the group in Western society, and it's up to each person to determine their own way, not to be told by a leader speaking on behalf of God.

Answer 3

A damn good question. There is a fine line between religion and politics for they both rely on systems of control that each depend on creating a higher authority whether expressed as a canon or law or a divine being inspiring the canon or law. In each case the impetus is from within man to pursue salvatorial missions based on dreams of a better future. The problem is our perception of the future is based on words that have no authority per se other than the way we express them through embalming each other in our own systems of control.
I explore this in my book 'DNA of SIN' which, despite its religious title, deals mainly with the problem of choice and it's dependency on words that are given splendour and power by those who attain the master status in the master/slave pattern of world politics and who want to keep the top/down relationship as status quo for the benefit of their family, tribe, community, nation, culture who occupy the top position and who have privileges as a result!
Of course I argue that Christ exposes the ideological and philosphical foundation stones of both religion and politics as a complete sham. Others can't see the distinction between Christ and religion because they are used to seeing the traditional view of Jesus as a man retrofitted to a failed religion where His radical and outlandish teaching is muted by the tight orthodoxy of the Bible into which He has been quite wrongly subsumed.
I also argue that religion yesterday is the same today, politics yesterday is the same today, both are outdated by Christ who set up a new way of thinking well and truly outside of the norms and conventions of both religion and politics of His day.
A great topic. Fuel for a lively debate for centuries to come.

Answer 4

are u implying that control prevents freedom? because total freedom can be chaos. no one wants chaos. a bit of control is always good. it's the type of control that can cause problems which is not confined to religion (secular states control too) and can vary in degree.

If you're saying that religion is/was used by governments as a tool to abuse control on a global scale and also in the private sphere, then i think that it has and will always be tool of division and oppresion respectively.

if you're not saying any of the above then ive got no idea what you're talking about!

Answer 5

I wish it were outdated, but it still seems to work on the masses.

Unfortunately, American christians don't seek perfection in themselves, but they do want the law to demand it of everyone else.

Answer 6

Yes, but not all religions, but the one you mention yes.