Contemporary society is dominated by a widespread pessimism about science; a pessimism which can only be understood within the context of developments that began in back in the 1980s. Though the churches may have been increasingly emptied, society has not developed an enlightened scepticism or a free-thinking culture; not even agnosticism.- Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersh from their article 'The Century of Science and Culture of Pessimism,' in Science vs. Superstition: The Case for a New Enlightenment [pdf].
The ever present need for salvation has simply found new modes of expression. Among the educated classes a variety of new religious creeds is spreading: anthroposophy and esotericism of numerous kinds. But the strongest and most popular belief refuses to be called a religion. Its name: ecologism. Under a worldly camouflage we have come to be dominated by a new natural religion.
Ecologistic dogmas have increasingly come to dominate public discourse on science, environment, technology, and even politics. Their mantras are delivered by a mass media which for three decades now has announced the imminent end of the world...
“Ecologism is one of today’s most influential religions in the Western World,” argues Michael Crichton.... “It seems to have become the preferred religion for urban atheists.”
LINK: Science vs. Superstition: The Case for a New Enlightenment - Policy Exchange, UK
RELATED: Science, Quotes, Environment, Religion, Environment
5 comments:
Maybe but anti-environmentalism -- or anti-environment-- is also becoming a religion amongst the right-wingers and libertarians.
One only has to post about, say, overfishing, and these fools come out saying it is nonsense, when it is a scientific fact.
This is the same tack as is taken by those who say godlessness entails a denial of human values.
Anonymous, perhaps anti-environmentalism as you call it is no such thing.
It's a reaction against the doomsayers who have proved to be wrong again and again. Like the food police, who claim this week that a certain food will kill us but next week decide that it may not be so bad after all, in moderation.....
A lot of us are tired of it. Fed up to the back teeth with being lectured about our diets, lifestyles and what we're supposed to do next Wednesday in order to "save the planet".
I know a couple of greenies, who are never pro-active on any issue. The word discernment is completely lost on them to the extent, they would not know the definition. Their entire opinions are driven by the media and their sentiment for the "good old days" ie: we should be going backwards instead of forwards.
They have no idea of politics nor interest in politics or political issues/agenda. Yet they staunchly stand proud beside the Green Party. It is sickening and I can presume that the majority of greenies are no different.
PC said...
[Though the churches may have been increasingly emptied, society has not developed an enlightened scepticism or a free-thinking culture; not even agnosticism.]
With the advancement of modern science, I find it more that certain members of the global community are moving backward in terms of free-think, just quoted above. A century or so ago, people who believed in mysticism were burnt alive. In those days, science was not advanced enough so as to make people aware of what were factual realities and what were just imaginary.
Today, a lot of those mystics originated centuries ago are now being explained in terms of scientific knowledge we have. There are educated people in society who are still clinging to mysticisms, and shut themselves out from scientific facts.
I have encountered some individuals in the past, who are deep into mysticisms practice and the majority of those are Green Party supporters. They described of how they like live in harmony with nature, as more like in their view that nature has a conscious mind of its own. Nature cries when humans destroy forests. Nature is hurt when we put fertilizers into the soil for agricultural use, and blah, blah, blah,...
The worse of all, is when government fully endorses the practice of mysticism. The Auckland City Council approved a $2,500 grant in a community fund sometime ago, for an Auckland group to lodge an application to NZQA for approval a course that teaches how people can talk to their dead relatives.
Falafulu, all that stuff you and PC mentioned is just more cases of today's irrational and stupid mind sets isn't it?
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