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Perhaps Religion is for Slower Times
Today's world has more people than yesterday's. It follows that personal transportation on donkeyback and transport of goods on camelback can not fulfill today’s lifestyle. Life moves more quickly today than when world religions began.
According to Wikipedia, Judaism is about 3000 years old. In those days transportation was by foot and ship. Jesus brought Christianity about 2000 years ago. Shipping was still done by sail while other transportation was by foot and beast. Islam began with Muhammad about 600 years ago. Again, transportation was by foot, beast, and sail. A person's communication could be written in those days, and was. But almost all communication was while looking at the person with whom you were conversing.
Living in those earlier times, there was ample opportunity for like-minded people to talk with each other. You got to know your neighbor - simply because there was no telephone, television, or other entertainment available. With such a lifestyle, a weekly gather for talk and song, to listen to a speaker, was an entertainment. To an extent, early churches in small communities offered a break from daily lifestyle that could not be found elsewhere.
Perhaps religion is for slower times.
But the opening of the Americas brought a new thing, a land of vast natural wealth and opportunity. Where people could settle amidst nature in a desirable way. And could hunt, plant, harvest and live alone, in families, or could form towns. Yet, many communities established a Church as an early community effort. The most well known example is the Mormon Church. The religion Brigham Young begin is but one example of Christianity, and stands today as central to Salt Lake City's politics.
The argument that religion is for slower times, begins to lose power with Mormonism. That Church's support for its members, combined with its members supporting each other, has flung it into the 21st century as a viable religion. Salt Lake City was built from the ground up with the Mormon Church as its focal point, according to Wikipedia. The Church has spread; its success based on strong ties with members and education of its young members.
And so, we still have religion, today.
In days gone by, communication was face to face. Today we can talk via phone or other means, almost anyplace, almost anytime. Yet the same problems that caused earlier societies, such as Babylonia, Greece, and Rome to fail, are close by us today. The same immorality we find in early history is present in recent history. Cheap transportation and travel, inexpensive long distance communication, and plentiful entertainment have not reduced this urge. Indeed, some would argue these things have increased the urge toward crime and harm. The problems religion confronted 3000 years ago are found today in more modern form. Some teens misbehave and cause problems; some adults covet their neighbor’s wives, some people steal and kill. Likewise, effort toward a common morality, toward what is good for everyone, are still espoused by today’s churches.
An overlooked argument about religion is its stance for morality and against immorality. Traditionally, religion has been a force for good and against evil. But population has increased and many churches have become less central to their communities. Their moral force has become less a force to obey, and more a force to rebel against.
Some of this effort toward common good, once filled by the Church, has fallen into the hands of elected officials and their hired employees. Today, much of that flag is carried by public tax money, rather than by common agreement and voluntary activity. Certainly this separates Church from State. But the desire of citizens to lead peaceful, prosperous lives continues, whether this common desire is served by badge or by holy symbol.
The need for a central symbol of morality is no different today than in times gone by, when civilizations failed for its lack. Whether this need is filled by church or by the elected official and his employees, it remains. And the opposing force, immorality, grows no weaker because religions disagree about who is the best moral authority.
Is religion for slower times?
When a teen can pick up a tool of civilization and, with a key press, create a denial of service attack, with a finger's twitch, can kill a human being, with a cordpull, can set off a vest bomb, the answer is no. The need for community spirit, for guidance and urge toward moral actions, grows stronger as the tools for immorality become cheap and available. Such community spirit can not be filled by law enforcement because law can only act after a crime is committed; it can only stand as a deterrent. Education can fill this need somewhat, but unless students live as one, there will be large gaps. Family can fill this need and religion can fill this need. But we can not look to slower times because technology has raced us forward. Our morality must keep stride. Religion is for modern times.