How irrational are religious Americans?
I noticed the "Rob Bell" thread was careening out of orbit, so I had the thought to reorient. I read a review of the new musical on Broadway called "The Book of Mormon," by the creators of "South Park" on TV. The reviewer had this interesting comment about the attitude toward Mormonism and the climate of religion in the country.
 | | |
| Kathleen Flake wrote: Not least, I imagine is their [i.e., Mormons'] belief that God still speaks to them through prophets. For many contemporary Americans, claims to revelation are a definitive marker of irrationality. While Americans may be more religious than people in other wealthy nations, religion in America is nevertheless fundamentally modern, even among most fundamentalists. It is also about as rational as religion can get and still be religion. Today, if you are a person of faith, God may inspire you generally or even, with Oprah-like generosity, prompt you to improve. God may find your next job or help you pass an exam. But god is emphatically not going to inspire you to write another scripture that improves upon the Bible or catalyzes a new religious movement. By now, God has said all there is to say about God, and the rest is, well, all about you | |
| | |
.
Tweet This Topic
