James Madison told ya so
May. 4th, 2018 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lliiraWhen state and church blend, people become less likely to be religious. https://psmag.com/news/is-the-christian-right-driving-americans-away-from-religion
James Madison: "I cannot speak particularly of any of the cases excepting that of Virginia, where it is impossible to deny that religion prevails with more zeal and a more exemplary priesthood than it ever did when established and patronized by public authority. We are teaching the world the great truth, that Governments do better without kings and nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson: the Religion flourishes in greater purity without, than with the aid of Government."
Unlike Madison, I'm totally cool with more people losing their religion. The main problems are that people raised in these far-right fundie religions are 1) less likely to lose their religion than those raised in more moderate traditions and 2) when they do, they're likely to keep the authoritarian mindset they were raised with and apply it to things other than religion.
Mostly, however, non-religious people are far too quiet about it. When you grow up in an area with even a few loud right-wing religious people, it gets difficult to say "I don't believe that" and "here's why you're wrong." A mere handful of fundies can thus control the whole culture. However! One person who does stand up to it is usually followed pretty quickly by a lot of others supporting them. It's just tough to be that first person.
James Madison: "I cannot speak particularly of any of the cases excepting that of Virginia, where it is impossible to deny that religion prevails with more zeal and a more exemplary priesthood than it ever did when established and patronized by public authority. We are teaching the world the great truth, that Governments do better without kings and nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson: the Religion flourishes in greater purity without, than with the aid of Government."
Unlike Madison, I'm totally cool with more people losing their religion. The main problems are that people raised in these far-right fundie religions are 1) less likely to lose their religion than those raised in more moderate traditions and 2) when they do, they're likely to keep the authoritarian mindset they were raised with and apply it to things other than religion.
Mostly, however, non-religious people are far too quiet about it. When you grow up in an area with even a few loud right-wing religious people, it gets difficult to say "I don't believe that" and "here's why you're wrong." A mere handful of fundies can thus control the whole culture. However! One person who does stand up to it is usually followed pretty quickly by a lot of others supporting them. It's just tough to be that first person.
