The New Politics / Religion

[Theland]

In my opinion, Theism, Atheism, Communism, Socialism, Conservatavism, etc etc are on the wane, and the new hybrid religion / politics is Consumerism.
Do you agree?

[woofgang]

ermmmmm......no.

[Calicogirl]

No can't say that I do tbh. I think there are people who like 'stuff'- there always has been- they think having a new whatever it is they want will make them happy, and indeed it might. There are also people who couldn't care less about stuff and hold other things more important- I don't care if I'm sitting on a $20k couch or an orange box, it's who I'm sitting with that's important. I don't think consumerism is any more prevalent today than it's ever been.

[Cloverjo]

They’re all -isms but that doesn’t mean you can lump them all together and say there’s a new ism to replace them

[vetuste_ennemi]

No, Theland, the new secular religion is Climate Change.

In the older version man is fallen, paradise is lost and the world turned into thorns and thistles.

St Paul: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.".

The Christian view promises salvation (and a "New Heaven and a New Earth") by God becoming man and sacrificing Himself on the cross. An extraordinary doctrine to an atheist like me. But, at least it has the plausible premise that there is something flawed, and maybe necessarily so about ourselves.

In the new religion it is Man who becomes the saviour and ultimately the creator of the the "new heaven and new earth". The method for achieving this begins with the renunciation of capitalism. The importance of this crusade and the need for chivalrous knights to fight on its behalf excites the moral zeal of the young (and many not so young) and gives them a sense of purpose in the spiritual vacuum created by the death of God (to quote Nietzsche). It also puts the paladins at centre stage: they and they alone can save the planet. The other appeal of the new religion is that it's a Manichaean view which reduces possibly complex arguments into simple right/wrong ones, and the supporters of each cause ino simple sheep anf goat categories. Which I think you may be familiar with.

PS: rant apart, I'm sorry to hear about your continuing ill-health, Theland. Please assume I'm doing whatever the atheist's equivalent of "praying for you" is.

[naomi24]

No. People in general have always aspired to more and better.

[Theland]

Aspire good. Grasping materialism bad.

[naomi24]

Grasping? How come? Unless aspiration had been fulfilled there would be nothing to grasp. Perhaps attainment is simply the successful result of aspiration.

[EDDIE51]

No! Consumerism can NOT be considered a 'Religion or a Political Position!

[mibn2cweus]

Seems to me there's a helofalot more available to consume then there was back when . . . which admittedly is not always necessarily a blessing. I try to be selective as much as I'm able choosing quality over quantity although if the maxim "You are what you eat" bears any credence then I'd be a clown by now.

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/01/17/14/mcjesus-1.jpg?w968h681

[Theland]

Consuming more and more is encouraged by the advertising industry, and we fall for it.
Result is gobbling up the earths resources for fashion and the next must have. That is not aspiration. That is the politics of the many and the religion too. To whom are sacrifices made if not to globalism?

[naomi24]

Theland, You want more than you have. You're always complaining.

[Theland]

That must be true.
Because you said it.

[Canary42]

It's amazing how even this obvious truism from Ab's favourite evangelist brings out the Deniers in force.

[Theland]

https://youtu.be/9GorqroigqM

[Zacs-Master]

Coming out with answers like 'That must be true.
Because you said it.' rather than debating the point makes your posts pointless.

If you want to encourage sensible adult debate refrain from such childish comments.

[Theland]

The comment I responded to was baseless. Pure fiction.

[Zacs-Master]

Shopping isn't a new religion and it certainly isn't the new politics (I'm struggling to see how you sensibly propose that it is).

There are nearly 70 million people in Britain. Observing people swarming to shopping centres may lead one to believe it is epidemic. But it isn't; it's just a small percentage who indulge.

[Zacs-Master]

'The comment I responded to was baseless. Pure fiction'

They you'll easily be able to refute it with sensible debate rather than the comments of a 7 year old.

[Theland]

"I want more than I have - always complaining."
No evidence provided, just a wild stab.

[Zacs-Master]

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1660468.html