Sigh.
Given the general trend, at least in the West, of increasing numbers of non-religious people, it’s kinda fascinatingly disturbing to see the opposite occurring. Really shows how these things are actually governed by measurable social and economic factors and can’t be explained by mere vibes-based explanations like “Well, as society is becoming more rational and scientific…” One wonders if we’ll see a resurgence in religiosity in the West as conditions deteriorate.
I could see it as lense people adopt to make sense of an awful world. As conditions deteriorate and revolutionary thought is suppressed, religion is the only thing people can grasp to as an explanation for why things are happening and death almost being something to look forward to because it’ll be better in the afterlife.
I don’t see it exactly the same as Hakim’s recent post about Islam and the people of Palestine, but I think it rhymes. People living in such awful conditions need something to grasp, especially when family and friends aren’t a certainty day to day
I think also in times of hardship joining a religion is an easy way to find community and mutual aid networks. Also a good way to avoid persecution and have an advantage if the state favours a certain religion.
Idk if you were referring to it but the first paragraph is essentially Marx’s intro to the critique of philosophy of right. The most thought provoking few paragraphs he ever wrote imo.
Oh interesting, I wasn’t aware and will check it out.
My first “This Marx guy is stealing my ideas”
Haha
Reminds me of an old friend who, when Hillary lost, went into a death spiral of first joining team MAGA because if you cant beat em join em, and later moving to Utah, converting to Mormonism, and praying the gay away. His current politics are kinda like Jackson Hinkle’s
Ive seen a lot of “the nazis were gay and trans” going around twitter recently but I havent asked this friend and I dont think he knows who Hinkle is because when I mentioned him I got no reaction? I’ll quote the PM where he described his current politics
"Oh no, not libertarian at all. I can’t stand libertarians. I’m an ultranationalist and a populist and an immigration-restrictionist. So we probably agree on issues such as Ukraine, single-payer health care, pro-labor unions…
But probably we disagree on social issues, which makes sense because we both want what would benefit our situations."
