Synthesis: Chrislam

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Ivan Seeking

Registered Senior Member
Could it happen? Will it happen?

First suggested by AC Clark [I think in 2061] as a natural step in the evolution of world religions.

It seems to me that many people in the US and other western cultures today secretly [or openly] hold beliefs that are a synthesis of many of the world’s religions. For example, I have known many Christians that really believe that reincarnation could happen. Although historically we have always seen the hybridization of religions when cultures clash, say for example in Haiti where we find Christianity and Voodoo coexisting, now we have the media to accelerate this process for all cultures, worldwide, and in concert. Could we eventually migrate towards a media inspired world religion?
 
Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
Could it happen? Will it happen?

First suggested by AC Clark [I think in 2061] as a natural step in the evolution of world religions.

It seems to me that many people in the US and other western cultures today secretly [or openly] hold beliefs that are a synthesis of many of the world’s religions. For example, I have known many Christians that really believe that reincarnation could happen. Although historically we have always seen the hybridization of religions when cultures clash, say for example in Haiti where we find Christianity and Voodoo coexisting, now we have the media to accelerate this process for all cultures, worldwide, and in concert. Could we eventually migrate towards a media inspired world religion?
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M*W: The power of the media....hmmm.... It's quite possible, and with the media broadcasting various religions, I can see where there could be a "blending" of religions nationally and internationally. Ultimately, I think we will evolve to a more spiritual existence, and the media could very well speed that up, too. I just don't like the media. It's only out there to improve its ratings regardless of what it has to do (promote lies, beef-up stories, make allegations, etc.) to outdo its competitors on the small screen. Good point, though.
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Re: Re: Synthesis: Chrislam

Originally posted by Medicine*Woman
[BThe power of the media....[/B]
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Indeed. The more I think about this, the more I think we may have already begun; and that this is almost an inevitable consequence of the media. For one, the religion media will seek the widest audience. This pursuit of the lowest common denominator [not a bad pun] tends to force the evolution of mediocrity; hence most of the crap on television now. With this, it seems that like water and cheesy sit coms, all religions will tend to seek the same level.

As I see it, with this idea we are well into heresy, the antichrist, and the fulfillment of prophecy from the Christian perspective. Of course, it could be part of God’s plan couldn’t it? I wonder if the love of God was ever meant to inspire war and hatred.

On the practical side: Peace? Brainwashing? The religion of Big Brother?

Or, will the media inspire the birth of countless new religions? Might we see infinite fragmentation due to the lack of structure and complexity made possible? I can now start a religion with one web page. Right?
 
Re: Re: Re: Synthesis: Chrislam

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
Indeed. The more I think about this, the more I think we may have already begun; and that this is almost an inevitable consequence of the media. For one, the religion media will seek the widest audience. This pursuit of the lowest common denominator [not a bad pun] tends to force the evolution of mediocrity; hence most of the crap on television now. With this, it seems that like water and cheesy sit coms, all religions will tend to seek the same level.

As I see it, with this idea we are well into heresy, the antichrist, and the fulfillment of prophecy from the Christian perspective. Of course, it could be part of God’s plan couldn’t it? I wonder if the love of God was ever meant to inspire war and hatred.

On the practical side: Peace? Brainwashing? The religion of Big Brother?

Or, will the media inspire the birth of countless new religions? Might we see infinite fragmentation due to the lack of structure and complexity made possible? I can now start a religion with one web page. Right?
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M*W: Yes, this has already begun. Networks fight over the latest dirt about religions. They're careful, however, not to offend Muslims or Jews, so they attack xianity. It's everywhere: Discovery, PBS, Nova, and now the evening news. The truth has started to come out on the media and will complement the already published journalism. Interestingly, xianity is a dying religion. Someone else on sciforums attributed its decline to a higher intelligence of the general population. I'm really not so sure about this. I don't seem to find these people anywhere. xianity has outlived its powers of control and brainwashing. People are more independent and question religions because they aren't too concerned about being burned at the stake, at least in this country. (Otherwise, I'd been burned at the stake a long time ago). The media will push whatever sells, be it Jesus Christ, the Antichrist, David Koresh, Osama Bin Laden, Saddaam Hussein, Michael Jackson, or the Queen of England. Traditional xianity just doesn't have that news appeal anymore.
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Christianity and Islam are un-reconcilable basically until they start bothering about only GOD.
 
I look forward to a new religion, one that boasts a pure political goal: world peace. Oh wait, wasn't that Confucianism?

Hmmm, this gives me an idea for a thread.
 
There already is a media inspired world religion, its called consumerism.

Clarkes suggesiton was in the book "The hammer of God"
If I remember correctly, he postulated it as seeding from closer contact between christians and muslims in the time of gulf war 1. But the founder was female, for a change. In one sense, it might be thought of as similar to sikhism, which was founded to bridge the gap between Islam and Hinduism.

And therein lies the problem of trying to make a common world religion. It will likely split up into sects like every other religion has done, and then if you arent careful, youll be back at the beggining. The other thing though, is that theoretically, with worldwide media coverage, it might be possible to keep it monolithic, and thus such splits would be hard to do. But that ends up with a worldwide dictatorship, which has already been tried.
 
Originally posted by guthrie
There already is a media inspired world religion, its called consumerism.
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ugh. True for many cultures.

And therein lies the problem of trying to make a common world religion. It will likely split up into sects like every other religion has done, and then if you arent careful, youll be back at the beggining. The other thing though, is that theoretically, with worldwide media coverage, it might be possible to keep it monolithic, and thus such splits would be hard to do. But that ends up with a worldwide dictatorship, which has already been tried. [/B]
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Are you saying infinite fragmentation is inevitable?
 
Originally posted by Ghassan Kanafani
:(

How discoveries are made and ideas are developped ..... :rolleyes:

Ever heard of Alawis ?
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Their religion is secret and seems to be a syncretistic mixture of extreme Shi'a (Ghulat), ancient pagan, gnostic and Christian elements. They are sometimes classified as a branch of Twelver Shi'ism, but are actually an independent religion. They do not keep the five pillars of Islam, and they have no mosques but meet in private houses for their religious observances. Their festivals include Persian and Christian holy days. They have a ceremony similar to the Christian mass and believe in a trinitarian manifestation of God.
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http://www.angelfire.com/az/rescon/mgcalawi.html

No. Interesting.
 
This melding is clearly not limited to a decline in Christianity.

I somewhat jokingly predict that a relative measure of the hybridization of the religions within a culture is found to be a function of the number of TV sets and internet connections. In the past, perhaps the number of Mc Donalds would have worked. :D
 
Actually, I woudl say its a function of population size. Coupled with ease of transportation, so more people can get exposed. But yet, if you look at early christianity, there were a thousand and one sects, which survived for some time because of lack of communication etc. so they were a bit harder to hunt down and exterminate.
I do say fragementation is inevitable. How fast it happens, depends upon the populaiton size, communications, use/ misuse of the religion, ie it gets misused too much by people in power, that everyone rebels against it, etc. Theres likely a whole lot more minor variables. Have you heard about the Albigensians and various other small groups that got wiped out?
Then, there is the life cycle of the religion to think about, first, birth, nurturing, and then exposive growth as it finds its niche or exploits weaknesses in the established religion, then full strneght, conquests, missionary work etc, then finally monolithicism and decay, and new bits split off from it. Luther didnt intend to spark a new form of christian religion, at least not as far as protestantism went, neither did Henry the 8th of england intend to split from the catholic church, but boths actions went further than they intended in part becasue of the situation of the day, with monolithic catholicisms clearly decaying, as fresh winds blew in after over a century of mysticism had bought an end to the previous medieval industrial revolution of the 12th and 13th centuries.
 
Originally posted by Zero
Interesting idea.

Imagine a Chrislam suicide bomber, though. :D
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or an Islamic alter boy. :D

The reason that we don't see Catholic suicide bombers is that someone always manages to de-fuse the bomb before the priest finishes last rights on the bomber.

Are you PF Zero?
 
Argh, you reminded me of the movie "Pitch Black." A bunch of Chrislams on a pilgrammage through space to New Mecca. Blegh, it wasnt a very good plot.

Anyways, the closest you can get to Chrislam today would probably be the Druze.
 
Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
or an Islamic alter boy. :D

The reason that we don't see Catholic suicide bombers is that someone always manages to de-fuse the bomb before the priest finishes last rights on the bomber.

Are you PF Zero?
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The hell I am.

Why the hell do people keep asking me that?
 
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