The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture by Darrel Ray Read Free Book Online
Authors: Darrel Ray
if the species gains total immunity or goes extinct, the virus is eliminated. On the other hand, if a virus can mutate to a form that allows it to survive in other species, it can expand and survive in new ways. HIV is a virus that appears to have jumped from apes to humans several decades ago. The leap allowed the virus to go from a potential of a few hundred thousand apes to hundreds of millions of humans.
The Enlightenment
The Western enlightenment was a new kind of uncoupling, in this case splitting religion totally from culture. Beginning with attacks by early humanists like Erasmus in the 15 th century and later by competing Protestants in the 16 th century, the Catholics lost their monopoly on European culture. This allowed thinkers, from Hobbes to Rousseau, Voltaire and others, the opportunity to open a crack between Christianity and western culture. This crack grew slowly and did not break open fully until the American Revolution and the subsequent French Revolution. All of western European history from the enlightenment to the end of WWII may be viewed as a colossal struggle to uncouple culture from the hold of embedded religions, be they protestant or Catholic.
The American Revolution and Culture
The appearance of a non-infected political structure is relatively new to history. No state had ever successfully prevented religious viral infection until the U.S. constitutional system was established on the foundationsof the enlightenment. Virtually every major state since the beginning of history had a state religion that played a role in legitimizing the ruler or the ruling class. 5
“Te Government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian religion.”
-John Adams, 2nd U.S. President
----
4 Speech at Northwestern University, November 8, 2007.
The founding fathers of the United States knew that religion always tried to infect the central nervous system of the state. Due to the efforts of Madison and others, the Constitution makes no mention of a god, and church-state separations are enshrined in the First Amendment. The separation of church and state was one of the first attempts to isolate the political system from religious infection. This, along with the many competing religions in post-colonial America, effectively prevented any one religion from dominating or binding to the entire culture.
Political Infection
In biology, the rabies virus works its way quietly through the peripheral nervous system, using nerve pathways that are hidden from the immune system. Rabies weaves its way to the brain where it takes over the central nervous system in service of its own propagation.
“Give the church a place in the Constitution, let her touch once more the sword of power, and the priceless fruit of all ages will turn to ashes on the lips of men.”
-Robert Ingersoll
God viruses work in the same way. They search for a pathway to the power centers of the state. Thus, regardless of statements to the contrary, religions tend to usurp the political system whenever they are dominant. Having the powers of state is by far the most efficient method of propagation and defense against competing religions.
It is wise to be skeptical of any religion that says it is not interested in political power. Given the right circumstances, most religions cannot resist the temptation. Every religion seeks political power as a means to bind tightly to the culture. It is in the very DNA of any religion.
In light of these ideas, let us look at the specific case of the American civil religion to see how religions attempt to bind with our own society.
----
5 It could be argued that Rome was relatively free of strong viral influence during the imperial period. The worship of the Emperor was a brilliant attempt to create a virus for political purposes, but was not particularly successful as a god virus.
Civil Religion and American Destiny
The American civil religion has been around since the first days of the
The Enlightenment
The Western enlightenment was a new kind of uncoupling, in this case splitting religion totally from culture. Beginning with attacks by early humanists like Erasmus in the 15 th century and later by competing Protestants in the 16 th century, the Catholics lost their monopoly on European culture. This allowed thinkers, from Hobbes to Rousseau, Voltaire and others, the opportunity to open a crack between Christianity and western culture. This crack grew slowly and did not break open fully until the American Revolution and the subsequent French Revolution. All of western European history from the enlightenment to the end of WWII may be viewed as a colossal struggle to uncouple culture from the hold of embedded religions, be they protestant or Catholic.
The American Revolution and Culture
The appearance of a non-infected political structure is relatively new to history. No state had ever successfully prevented religious viral infection until the U.S. constitutional system was established on the foundationsof the enlightenment. Virtually every major state since the beginning of history had a state religion that played a role in legitimizing the ruler or the ruling class. 5
“Te Government of the United States is in no sense founded on the Christian religion.”
-John Adams, 2nd U.S. President
----
4 Speech at Northwestern University, November 8, 2007.
The founding fathers of the United States knew that religion always tried to infect the central nervous system of the state. Due to the efforts of Madison and others, the Constitution makes no mention of a god, and church-state separations are enshrined in the First Amendment. The separation of church and state was one of the first attempts to isolate the political system from religious infection. This, along with the many competing religions in post-colonial America, effectively prevented any one religion from dominating or binding to the entire culture.
Political Infection
In biology, the rabies virus works its way quietly through the peripheral nervous system, using nerve pathways that are hidden from the immune system. Rabies weaves its way to the brain where it takes over the central nervous system in service of its own propagation.
“Give the church a place in the Constitution, let her touch once more the sword of power, and the priceless fruit of all ages will turn to ashes on the lips of men.”
-Robert Ingersoll
God viruses work in the same way. They search for a pathway to the power centers of the state. Thus, regardless of statements to the contrary, religions tend to usurp the political system whenever they are dominant. Having the powers of state is by far the most efficient method of propagation and defense against competing religions.
It is wise to be skeptical of any religion that says it is not interested in political power. Given the right circumstances, most religions cannot resist the temptation. Every religion seeks political power as a means to bind tightly to the culture. It is in the very DNA of any religion.
In light of these ideas, let us look at the specific case of the American civil religion to see how religions attempt to bind with our own society.
----
5 It could be argued that Rome was relatively free of strong viral influence during the imperial period. The worship of the Emperor was a brilliant attempt to create a virus for political purposes, but was not particularly successful as a god virus.
Civil Religion and American Destiny
The American civil religion has been around since the first days of the
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