Fundamentalism Runs in the Family:

Fundamentalists often attack Catholics because they don't use the bible as their primary teaching resource. Of course, any objective examination of that “fact” proves that it is laughable. Although Catholics do not obsess over ancient irrelevant passages, Catholics lace all of their rituals with heavy doses of Biblical wisdom.

My fundamentalist friends have a very real sense of loyalty. They are loyal to their families. They are loyal to their tribe. Fundamentalist beliefs are tied in with familial love. They confuse their admiration for their parents or spouses with their faith. And their parents often make the acceptance of their faith a condition of their love. They make independent religious thought virtually impossible.

So how can a loyal child possibly spurn the faith of a beloved parent? That parent or spouse needs desperately to see their religious ideas confirmed by their family. It is a warm, safe cocoon for them. It is little wonder, therefore, that ancient beliefs survive beyond the logical confines of progress.

What ends up happening is an accidental partitioning of the brain. The religion centers are sequestered from the practical ones. This creates a tug of war between logic and fundamentalism.

Bright children will eventually realize that Santa Claus is a ruse. But they will also willingly participate in this deception because of the promise of reward. The same thing happens when logic tells them they are mortal but tribalism promises them immortality. Not only is it best not to make waves in the family, choosing fundamentalism promises a huge reward!

The bright child sees no future in straying from the belief system of the tribe, so sharing doubt with another family member becomes impossible. The very act of praying about this dilemma reinforces self delusion. The brain is seeking harmony so it settles back. The natural philosophical curiosity about immortality is thus suppressed.

There is no better example of this familial coercion than the yoking metaphor. Couples are warned that both must believe fully in the program so that they behave as a team, like evenly yoked oxen. In this way, they insure that the bloodline will remain inbred and free of “dangerous” ideas.

I am sure of how the future will unfold. I am impatient to see it happen. I will be long dead before it does. But I am no less sure of it.

The world will change and certain things will happen despite all efforts to stop them. Religious superstition will give way to spiritual enlightenment. Hell, heaven and salvation will be relics of ancient wilting texts. Logic, kindness and the search for truth will eventually subvert the sick minded ideas of our past.

Science and religion will complement each other. The tug of war will become an undulating tide of heart and reason.

Solar technology will eventually make all other power sources needlessly expensive and dangerous. We will learn to make our own electricity in our own homes without a need for centralized power systems. And it will be very very cheap.

Fossil fuels will be nearly eliminated and relegated exclusively for the manufacture of plastics.

Nuclear technology will be all but abandoned as the economic issues become better known.

Progressive politics will eventually be shown to make the most fiscally sound economic platform. Unions will be protected and reformed. Workers will be given wages that are fair and corporations will be forced to embrace an ethical existence. The gap between the rich and poor will shrink as more and more corporations become centers of interdependence. Capitalism and socialism will merge into a kinder, more ethical system of wealth accumulation.

Mass transit will replace automobiles as the dominant form of movement. Government will return to taxing the rich as disproportionately as the rich exploit their workers.

All of this will happen as sure as the sun rises every morning. But I wonder why it has to take so long. If only the people who cling to the past would just let go of their superstitions and prejudices, life would be so much easier so much sooner.

So as long as I live, I will rail against those who champion the rich, mock the poor and glorify capitalism in the name of a Nazarene who would be disgusted by their actions. I will always fight for the little guy. And I will do so without tolerance for backward thinking, avowedly ignorant people.