Cultural Backlash: An Open Post

[causticus]

There were some interesting discussions on yesterday's Magic Monday post and on the past month's or so posts on the Ecosophia blog regarding the collapse of alternative spirituality in the West and a likely impending cultural backlash against decades of general rot and grubbiness that is decaying our civilization from within.

Some of us here in the US are afraid that a sudden cultural jolt in the other direction, away from leftism/progressivism, will result in any type of spirituality that doesn't fit a narrow, literalist Christian/Abrahamic format as being seen by the reaction mob as "part of the problem." Anything the people leading and directing this backlash deem to be adjacent to the aforementioned cultural rot will be lazily lumped together into one big, bad conspiracy against what they believe they are trying to save and preserve. This likely means anything occult/esoteric, overtly pagan, or too foreign will be included, with very little nuance. As we know, the moral collapse of both Neopaganism and the postmodern occult scene hasn't helped matters at all in this respect, especially in light of recent tragic events.

Anyway, I want to know what anyone else here thinks of this and anything in your own area (US or somewhere else) you have seen indicative of a new cultural direction that may or or may not involve the condemnation of the things I listed above (or anything else that comes to mind). Also, we could use this space to think up ideas on how to preserve and carry on various spiritual teachings and practices if/when an intolerant religious climate becomes reality.

This is an open post that will stay open for quite a long time.

Comments

[jprussell]

Yeah, exactly - both on the second religiosity already being here (at least in its earlier phases), and on the flight to "how it used to be" being mostly based on romanticized notions. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether that insights gives those of us on the weirder side of things many more options.

[(Anonymous)]

Jumping into this discussion... I just thought I'd add that I know a fair number of people who have converted to Christianity. They used to be liberals and became conservative, and now believe the Bible in a rather orthodox (with a lower case o) way. Some of those converts also had major drug problems, so conversion was a way out of the mess they were in, but now, as I am very close to one of them, they find themselves going through the ropes of faith, but without knowing if they are actually in contact with G_d. That is a blind spot I think many of the churches who don't use a liturgy will have to contend with.

I'll go by Anonymous Anonymous here for now.

[causticus]

Hi AA, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and observations.

I most certainly agree that churches lacking a liturgy are completely devoid of the magical side of the religion. At best, such churches are mere support groups or an excuse to organize community events.

[jprussell]

Yeah, I agree with causticus that many of today's churches appear to be lacking in the ability to deliver what religion arguably most ought to deliver, but perhaps the "support group" and "community event organizer" roles are still a net benefit, at least for some. I wish such folks, especially those struggling, well in whatever they need to find - I just hope they'll continue to let me find it in my own more idiosyncratic ways.