I am not a religious person, but I’ve been wondering about the practical use of Christianity as a cultural buffer. Does Christianity protect America from a cultural invasion of (fanatical or otherwise) Muslim beliefs? Should we care? The spread of Islam is much more forceful than Christianity as it is and there are a growing number within the Muslim faith that will go to far greater extremes than most Christians to spread their beliefs. What would happen if Christianity did not exist or was seriously marginalized in the United States? There are already claims that Christianity is being weakened (like the whole attack on Christmas issue).
I am not inquiring about the spiritual value of Christianity. I am asking if Christianity is useful for preventing a dominant Muslim influence within our culture. Is there even a danger? Would Atheism counter it just as effectively?
I would agree with Simone Weil as to the secular value of Christianity as a buffer:
On its secular level its concern is for what we do so can serve as a sort of policeman which includes a certain unified defense against such doctrinal invasions. Its deeper psychological levels instead concern themselves primarily with what we are in relation to our spiritual potential which is another matter entirely. I only mention it to draw the comparison and I do agree that secular Christianity or Christendom can be valuable as the buffer you describe
Are atheists being unrealistic when they push for a totally secular America? Could Atheism withstand the invasion of a spirtually guided, aggressively expanding faith like Islam?
Well, that is debatable. There’s a lot of “Truth” floating around out there. Christianity may be the Truth, but there’s no real way of currently knowing that. And that wasn’t my question, anyway.
I don’t believe a free society could ever continue to prosper based on humanistic atheistic perspectives. It is not in our nature to do so. Even Communism couldn’t make this work. Also it is unnatural IMO since I do believe in the needs of the spiritual essence or soul of man for which a real healthy society should encourage and be a reflection of. Yes, I know in this day and age it is virtually impossible but the question is interesting if for no other reason than to consider what is lost through modern ethical thought
You’ve just convinced me to do something. There is a Symposia section of ILP and when I get the time, I’m going to do a book review of Simone Weil’s book “The Need for Roots” she wrote as she was dying. She explains very well the need for spirituality in politics for a thriving meaningful culture. This is horribly politically incorrect which is all the more reason to go through the aggravation of writing this review. The question you raise deserves delving into in spite of all the righteous indignation her ideas are sure to inspire.
I am answering your question, the number of people who are Christians will remain and grow, so it will never be the case that Islam or any religion will “take over” secular America.
You made a statement about the “Truth” of Christianity. I wasn’t asking about the staying power of Christianity, I was asking if it serves a practical purpose in holding back a Muslim cultural invasion. My question has nothing to do with whether Christianity is eternal or not. Only if it has more than just a spiritual purpose in a culture.
How so? Is there an example of such a thing happening, where a strictly Rationalist culture was overrun by Muslims?
Liboral freedoms lead to the release of what might have been previously repressed or judged harshly. Freedom and tollerance leads to understanding, and this leads to unity.
I hope that moral absolutist groups will fall eventually. What ever works best socailly will win. The future of civilization is all a matter of natural tendancy and darwinism.
I like critisizing and speeking against Christendom. I would like if people preached against it, because Christendom preaches against the non-Christian, so the non-Christian should preach against the Christendom. It’s only fair. “Hey, repsect my beliefs.” is differnet then “Hey, don’t try to stop me from being an insane mental slave.”
Still, the damages that Christendom causes civilization are not civilization’s biggest problem. There are much worst things going on.