Edge: MORAL PSYCHOLOGY AND THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION: A Talk With Jonathan Haidt
This is quite a long article, looking at the origins of morality, religion and and comparing conservatism and secularism. While written by an atheist psychologist, it's quite sympathetic to the positive role that religion can play in society.
It's good reading, but has so much information it's hard to absorb it all into long term memory.
Unfortunately his entire argument falls down when we give three nanoseconds consideration to his points within the context of the most fundamentalist countries in the world, which includes America.
ReplyDeleteCan't think of many people wishing to emulate those various countries with their various devout beliefs.
BTW - A Time magazine poll conducted late last year found that 61% of Christians in America believe God wants them to be financially prosperous.
No wonder they're so happy.
I guess they also believe that god also supports their contribution to the end of civilization, via peak oil and carbon emissions.