Rational argument is not immune to religious manipulation

[rug]

Desmond Rutherford
Sunday, March 18, 2012

Understanding religion requires the setting aside of doctrine in favor of the investigation of anthropology. As you might imagine, this is not encouraged by any religion.

We come closest to such investigation when we study comparative religion with an open mind. This is not easy to achieve and even Kinsey, Darwin, Freud and Marx all had to face conflict with religious indoctrination in order to gain a sufficiently open mind that allowed them to realize their important contributions to human understanding.

(It is a test of objectivity to see if it is possible to mention Marx’s name without inciting a subjective personal riot in the reader’s mind. Despite Marxism being applied to societies that were totally unsuited to its precepts, Marx’s theories on social reforms and struggles are perhaps being mirrored by the Occupy Wall Street movement, even if they are unaware of the socialist, let alone the communistic implications inherent in the OWS objectives. As far as this article is concerned, we are only interested in Marx’s distinguishing between political and human emancipation, and in that regard, the role of religion in society and his statement describing religion as “the opiate of the people”.)

Just comparing religions is not enough. We must look deeper to discover the symbolic nature of religious myth as discussed by people like Jung and Fromm in their various articles on the psychology of human development; individually, and collectively as a society.

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/03/rational-argument-is-not-immune-to-religious-manipulation/

Interesting read.

[xchrom]

1. Just don't think the religious aren't aware of this.

I.e. Catholic Worker & other religious based social justice movements based in faith - have to draw from not just the religious but the secular to fill out their ideas & ideals.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. thanks for the link, bkmrkd.