Topic 11. Religion in the modern world

11.1. The processes of secularization of religion

The beginning of the process of secularization (removal of religion from public life) can be associated with the period of modern times, when not religion, but science became the dominant strategy for explaining the world around. But the peak of this process came in the XNUMXth century, when religion (at least, various directions of Christianity) was finally deprived of influence on political, economic and cultural life, becoming an isolated sphere of society's life and a matter of individual choice of a person, and not group self-identification.

In its original state, religion played a dual role: in fulfilling its social function, it ensured the unification of society around sacred values ​​and specially designated places of worship for these values. On a personal level, religion pointed to the supertemporal nature of the truths it proclaimed, not reducing human life to the process of its earthly existence, but giving it a sublime meaning. The secularization of religion is connected with the crisis of both of its functions. In social terms, religious communities are inferior in their integrating capabilities to other types of "interest-based" organizations (the only exceptions are Islamic religious organizations, but their focus on the religious component is explained by the desire to emphasize their own characteristics compared to Western countries). In the personal aspect, religious values, although outwardly they continue to retain their influence (people go to church, baptize children, identify themselves with one or another religion), but, in fact, are being replaced by other, more sought-after values, which include a focus on efficiency. and quick profit, pragmatism in actions and intentions, etc.

The result of secularization processes is the emergence of a situation of "spontaneous polytheism", when the boundaries of traditional confessions are blurred. A person gets the opportunity to consider himself a Christian, Buddhist or Muslim, based not on his cultural belonging to a community professing a particular religion, or on the observance of all religious rules and norms adopted in this religion, but solely on his own desire. Choosing for himself only the most convenient features of religion, the modern believer does not try to rise spiritually to the requirements of a particular religion, but "adjusts" it to suit himself. The value of convenience, comfort, even in relation to the chosen religious affiliation, destroys the very spirit of religion, making it not a bearer of patterns of behavior, but a fashion item, a bright sticker that is easy to change in case of inconvenience. Religion is deprived of its superhuman significance, the connection between man and God is broken, which even before not everyone who was suffering from gaining divine grace could correspond.

Traditional confessions are forced not only to take into account the changes taking place in the perception and attitude towards religion on the part of the mass population, but also to adapt to these changes. The path of reformation in any church is fraught with the fact that there is no single point of view about how deep the reforms can be, how much the cult and dogmatic aspects of religion can be changed in order to still consider this religion authentic to its original state. Such processes are always accompanied by the emergence of various sects and trends that are dissatisfied with official changes and therefore offer alternative paths - either more conservative (aiming to give religion the features of a truly timeless education, depriving it of any variability), or more radical (claiming to radically update religious dogmas). up to their substitution for directly opposite, but resonating in the hearts of contemporaries).

Another characteristic component of "spontaneous polytheism" is the fundamental pluralism proclaimed by the very social and political structure of modern society. If in previous eras a person belonged to a certain cultural and religious tradition, with which he could agree or disagree, which he could transform and remake, now the media provide him with access to many religious traditions at once. A modern Western businessman no longer has to adhere to the Protestant faith, more precisely, he can follow the precepts of Protestantism in his work, but for religious advice, turn to a practicing shaman, a Buddhist monk, a voodoo sorcerer, or even representatives of quasi-religious practices (fans of the American mystic Carlos Castaneda , Scientologist Ron Hubbard, followers of numerous sects, etc.). For example, the famous Hollywood actor Richard Gere positions himself as a convinced Buddhist, periodically visits Tibet, which does not prevent him from ignoring the cult component of this religion and doing things that are not permissible for a true Buddhist.

Modern Christianity demonstrates the impossibility of adequately responding to the spiritual demands of the current generation precisely because of its dogmatic emasculation, the absence of even a touch of mysticism. Trying to get away from the ordinary, to return to the world of mystery, a representative of modern Western civilization is forced to turn to those religious practices that provide him with such an opportunity. So the secularization of Western society turns into a process of resecularization - the return of religion, but in the form of syncretic (mixed) religious practices and mystical cults, which are gaining more and more fans and supporters.

11.2. Modern sectarianism: main features

The consequence of the processes taking place in modern religious consciousness is the emergence of a large number of sects that no longer claim to follow a certain religious tradition and the only true exposition of the teachings of Christ, Buddha or Muhammad, but deliberately disown all official religions, establishing new moral guidelines and proclaiming new values. However, the problem is not that traditional values ​​that do not resonate in the hearts of believers are being replaced by others, but that many emerging sects are destructive in nature, focusing not on the return of religiosity to the secularized world, but on deceiving people and using their trust. for their commercial interests.

The official definition of a destructive sect is as follows. A destructive sect is an organization (a person or a group of persons) that uses in its activities methods of controlling a person (by means of psycho-emotional change and creating addiction) in order to seize the property of a person and use it in the interests of the organization, accompanied by a violation of rights and freedoms, causing damage to physical and mental health of a person, economic and political life of society. It is simply impossible to compile a complete list of destructive sects, since some of them arise, while others cease to exist at the same moment, but the most significant and influential of them should be told.

Among the sects that are recognized as destructive not only in Russia, but also in Western Europe, is Scientology. Its founder is the American Ronald Lafayette Hubbard (1911-1986). Active in satanic sects as a young man, Hubbard later moved away from them, formulating his own doctrine, which turned out to be a commercially extremely profitable project: by the end of his life, Hubbard had amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune, although he was repeatedly sued on charges of financial fraud. Currently, the center of the "Church of Scientology" is located in Los Angeles (USA), but its branches operate around the world, including in Russia.

The very religious doctrine of Scientologists is a combination of various elements related to the field of science fiction, Satanism, the European theosophical tradition and the data of modern psychology. It is interesting that Hubbard initially tried to find an application of the Dianetics he was developing in the scientific field, but, being rejected by official scientists, he was forced to "retrain" as a religious prophet. Starting from the Christian idea of ​​the second coming of Jesus, Scientologists proclaim their main goal to ensure the existence of man even after this coming, for which they develop a pseudoscientific doctrine. According to their views, in addition to the body and mind, a person has another important element that affects the formation of a personality - the so-called thetan, which can leave the physical shell of a person. The purpose of its development and improvement is the emergence of an active thetan, which at the ordinary level is manifested by the lack of focus on everyday troubles and everyday problems, and at the cosmic level - control over energy flows. This circumstance makes it possible for the acting thetan to ignore physical laws, to go beyond space and time, etc., and therefore, the acting thetan is the only life form that can survive the Day of Judgment. Thus, the "Church of Scientology", revealing the methods of psychological transformation of a person, serves as the only means of ensuring immortality.

Despite several injunctions against the activities of the Church of Scientology, a large number of Americans remain followers of this sect, including the popular actor John Travolta.

Another sect that has become widely known precisely because of its destructive orientation is the Japanese sect “AUM Shinrikyo”. Founded in 1987 by the Japanese Shoko Asahara, this sect initially positioned itself as one of the directions of Japanese Buddhism, as its name should have indicated: aum is the beginning of the traditional Buddhist mantra, indicating the ways in which man relates to the Universe. From a religious point of view, this teaching is based on the Tibetan version of Buddhism, the fundamental features of which are the eschatological interpretation of the existence of the world and man. The official goal of AUM Shinrikyo is to save all humanity through the implementation of three basic principles: ridding humanity of diseases; ensuring that every person achieves happiness; enlightenment and liberation. The hidden task of the sect, to which only a few close associates of Asahara were initiated, was preparation for the end of the world, which should not consist of passive waiting, but in carrying out a whole series of events.

The administrative structure of the sect is strictly centralized and hierarchically built, each person takes his rightful place in it and must strictly perform his function in order to ensure the success of the entire organization. Unlike many other sects (in particular, the same Satanists), which are limited to putting forward destructive slogans or holding isolated actions of a ritual nature, the Japanese sect turned out to be based on large-scale actions of a destructive nature. This was manifested during the terrorist attacks in Japan (in 1994 and 1995), when the gas produced in the laboratories of the sect was sprayed into the ventilation system of the Tokyo subway. Several hundred people became victims of these actions, after which the activities of the sect were officially banned, and its leader was taken into custody, although secret divisions of AUM Shinrikyo still exist in Japan to this day.

11.3. ecumenism

The ecumenical movement (from the Greek Oikumene - the Universe) arose at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. among Protestant theologians who came up with a program to overcome the differences that exist between traditional religions and their numerous offshoots, on the basis of the Christian religion. Opposing the process of secularization, ecumenists sought to strengthen the role of religion in the life of modern society and each individual, for which it was supposed to develop a general Christian strategy suitable for the implementation of all believers living in countries with different political systems and cultural differences.

The prerequisites for the emergence and growth of popularity of this movement were the processes that unfolded in the middle of the 47th century. in Western Christian churches. After several centuries of mutual accusations and anathemas [1965], Catholics and Protestants took several significant steps towards rapprochement. At the Second Vatican Council in 1983, representatives of almost all world religions were present as observers, and 1970 was proclaimed by Pope John Paul II as the “year of tolerance.” It was in the XNUMXs. An agreement was signed between the Russian Orthodox Church and representatives of various Old Believer movements, which put an end to the struggle that had lasted between them for almost three centuries. All these steps were not ecumenistic in nature, but they demonstrated the possibility of eliminating religious differences within one religion, and also revealed the need to establish dialogue between religions, without which civilized coexistence of different faiths is impossible.

Supporters of ecumenism consider various religious associations as social organizations that exist according to their own natural laws (the main ones being emergence, division, unification and dying), from which they draw an optimistic conclusion regarding Christianity. If Christianity once managed to emerge, and then had to undergo fragmentation, then it is quite natural for a situation to arise in which the fragmentation of the church can be stopped, and its internal unity restored. This premise, which prefers to view the church as a social institution rather than as “the representative of God on earth,” ignores the dogmatic and cult differences that exist between representatives of various faiths, which is opposed by orthodox theologians from both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The famous Russian religious philosopher A.F. Losev (1893-1988) formulated his attitude towards ecumenism as follows: “The idea of ​​a synthesis of world religions is a consequence of a misunderstanding of religion as a unique spiritual phenomenon and is generated by the lack of true religious experience.” [48]

From the point of view of supporters of the separate existence of churches, ecumenists, in their desire to destroy all sorts of partitions between confessions, deprive each religion of its inherent unique nature, the unique character of the connection between God and man. This character is provided by each faith in its own way and, unlike the church organization, cannot be brought together, since it is based on fundamentally different spiritual foundations. From the point of view of each particular church, ecumenism deprives its claim to a special position in the world, considering it a human, but not a divine institution, which it, in essence, is.

This is precisely what determines the position of the Russian Orthodox Church, expressed by its leading theologians and consisting in emphasizing the anti-Christian position of this religious trend. Opposing the idea of ​​a meeting of the Council of All Churches, supported by Protestant theologians, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate rightly argue that holding this council would automatically mean the priority of the Protestant point of view, and this is unacceptable from the point of view of the Orthodox faith. The Russian Orthodox Church, like other Orthodox Churches, continues to defend its own doctrinal originality and the absolute truth of the religious axioms it proclaims. A truly believing person will never admit that the path of knowledge of God he has chosen can be modified without much damage in the spirit of completely different doctrinal requirements.

Despite the fact that the ecumenical ideology does not find sufficient support among representatives of traditional churches, some steps leading to a reduction in the distance between them and the establishment of a normal dialogue continue to be made, and more and more actively of late. In 2006, Moscow hosted a world summit of representatives of the main religious denominations, at which representatives of various denominations of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and other religions gathered at a round table. Within the framework of such an organization of religious life, we are not talking about the unification of churches, but emphasizes their equality and irreducibility to each other in the process of comprehending divine truth, which reduces the danger of religious extremism and fundamentalism.

<< Back: Islam (Muhammad, the main sources of Islam. Sacred texts and laws of Islam. Early history of Islam. Shiites and Sunnis. History of Islam in the 9th-19th centuries. Islamic sects (Ismailism, Sufism, Wahhabism, Bahaism). Modern Islam: paths of modernization and fundamentalism)

>> Forward: application

Author: Anikin D.A.

We recommend interesting articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets:

▪ History of the economy. Crib

▪ Roman law. Crib

▪ State and municipal administration. Lecture notes

See other articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

Random news from the Archive Thoughts are recognized and recorded 09.07.2012 A group of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson have learned to read the words that appear in the human brain by deciphering the electrical signals emanating from it. The scientists worked with volunteers with epilepsy who were waiting for brain surgery. Electrodes were implanted into the volunteers' brains, capable of receiving signals that cannot be felt from the outside. Volunteers were read 15 randomly selected words, after a minute they were asked to recall these words in the order in which they would remember them. It was found that a second before the volunteer remembered the next word, the brain gave out his electrical "signature". Since the patient did not read, hear, or speak any words at the time of "remembering," the researchers concluded that the specific signal corresponding to the word was the result of the inner workings of brain neurons. Surprisingly, the main point of this study was not only to "read" the words that arise in the volunteer's brain - the scientists wanted to understand by what principle he remembers them, in other words, how his associative memory is organized. That, the researchers say, will be the subject of their next experiments. They want to know what drives memory, what associations first of all cause the memory of a word - the size of an object, sound, color, taste, or some other quality. “Spontaneous verbal memory,” says Michael Kayhana, one of the leading participants in the study, “is a unique human property. However, this aspect of human memory is very poorly understood today. To understand the role that language plays in the formation of a person’s thought, in his communications with other people , to figure out the essence of neural signals that determine the meaning of a particular word, to understand the mechanism that spontaneously calls them from memory - all this will bring us closer to the ever-elusive goal, to understanding how thoughts are formed in the human brain.

Other interesting news:

▪ MG4200 GPS Receiver Chip

▪ Pollen batteries

▪ Samsung 845DC EVO Data Center Solid State Drives

▪ Bright colored LEDs from Cree

▪ New Panasonic IP Dome Cameras

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the Electrician website. Article selection

▪ article Serpent-tempter. Popular expression

▪ article For which film was the shortest film review written? Detailed answer

▪ article Dust storms. Travel Tips

▪ article Homemade long USB 2.0 cable. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article VHF FM radio station. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages ​​of this page

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bengali	Hindi	Portuguese
Chinese	Italian	Spanish
English	Japanese	Turkish
French	Korean	Ukrainian
German	Malay	Vietnamese

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews

www.diagram.com.ua
2000-2024