Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id MAA21575 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 17 Nov 2000 12:41:54 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745B1B@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: religion/spirituality Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 12:39:55 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Derek:
>I've heard this argument before in memetic circles and it's a very
poor one
>indeed. Are you really suggesting that people are converted to
monotheism
>just because they prefer to learn one word rather than 20 or so???
Well, the question had been one of why is monotheism better, from a person
asking about reasons for believing. I was just suggesting a possible
matter-of-fact reason, but no I certainly wouldn't seriously suggest that
convenience was the main factor in conversion. I was possibly being
slightly facetious (I can't remember my mood at the time of posting) in my
militant atheism. After all, the only people I despair more about than true
believers, are those who can't make up their minds one way or the other.
>
>
>In any case, are you suggesting that devotees of polytheistic
religions actually
>know the names of all the gods and their concomitant purposes etc?
No, but that's part of the problem. This manifests itself in two ways.
First, people in polytheist religions don't follow all the gods, but tend to
follow particular ones (or groups of gods), and preferencing one god (or set
of gods) over another is a major factor in ancient social conflict. Second,
when there are many different gods and something happens, say a harvest
failure, how to alleviate that by performing the right ritual for the right
god is incredibly complex for ordinary people to get their heads round.
Sometimes these two things go together, and of course has been widely
utilised by the keepers of the sacred knowledge- the priests/shamen etc.,
who hold the power in such societies by knowing the entire pantheon, and in
any situation "knowing" which god, which ritual etc. etc. is needed.
>
>
>Most Christians can only with great difficulty explain matters of
theology, so
>why should the required knowledge base of a religion (at expert
theological
>level) be of any relevance to its spread???
Well I think this seems obvious to me. One, over-arching, all powerful god
to attribute everything good, bad and indifferent in the world to, is an
easy system for most people to use to deal with their questions/problems.
The less complex the basic elements of the religion the broader base it can
potentially reach. This doesn't mean it will though.
>The psychology of religious
>conversion and experience is far more complicated than some kind of
word
>memory game. People converting to a religion usually do so in a
kind of
>inexplicable mood shift ('the road to Damascus' experience), and
only later
>start to rationalise it, which might then include learning a little
theology
>(but not much in the case of most people).
Oh yeah, absolutely. But we're not talking so much about the experience of
religious conversion, but the convenience of particular systems for being
transmitted, and thus why some religions are more widespread than others.
I've said before, the judeo-christian-islamic body of religions all started
in particular socio-political circumstances that shaped their contents, and
their initial successes- but core to that success was undoubtedly the
unifying aspect of the monotheism, just as the 20th century saw political
ideologies of fascism and communism utilise similar appeals to unity through
a single 'correct' path.
Monotheism might thus been seen as a kind of 'class' struggle- between the
elite religious castes who have all the knowledge and power, and the new
believers with their more straight-forward, and inclusive belief systems.
For example evangelicals believe in a personal relationship with god, so
christenings are out until the person is old enough to make their own
decision to make that relationship with god, with the intended effect that
the belief is stronger as a result.
Vincent
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