A Bell Curve
The Rise and Decline of Traditional Religion
by
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Synopsis
Because traditional religion is failing to meet our spiritual needs, we are becoming our own priests. On the other hand, the attempts of various nations to stamp out or control religious practices have failed because humans are meaning-seeking creatures. Religion has evolved comparatively recently, whereas myth, an extra-historical record of who we are, has always played a vital role wherever human beings are to be found.
For the longest time humans had bicameral minds which caused them to experience auditory hallucinations. These were perceived as being the language of the gods and were the source of volition when being heard. There was no internal mind-space to make introspection possible.
Consciousness developed as the bicameral mind broke down. Three main factors contributed to this process as it took place in the comparatively brief period of a thousand years, overlapping the second and first millennia BCE. The knowledge and understanding that came with consciousness provided a totally new source of volition, the individual himself. It was understood that the gods had withdrawn to the heavens. Various attempts to hear from them evolved, such as supplications and divination. The Hebrew Scriptures and, to a lesser degree, early Greek literature describe man's transition to subjective consciousness. Various vestiges of the bicameral mind remain very much with us.
The development of consciousness set the stage for radical change. Various Sages became catalysts as they taught people, now waiting to learn, how to find and have meaning in their individual lives. The period when most of this developed, known as the Axial Age, centered around 500 BCE, the most deep-cut dividing line in history. The Sages all gave, as central to their teaching, variations of the Golden Rule.
Religion as a categorizing label of people developed, resulting in the Christian West, the Islamic Middle East, the Hindu subcontinent, and the Buddhist Orient. Christianity grew to become the shaper of world politics. It, together with Islam, to a greater degree than the other religions, has ossified. This rigidity has taken followers back to a bicameral mindset. A major cause for this retreat has been the treatment of mythical concepts as being historical facts. Europe came to experience genocide and the horrors of the Inquisition in three phases.
The Renaissance and the Reformation brought much needed change. This was offset by widespread warfare between Protestants and Catholics. The Great Western Transformation prepared the way for lasting change. The Scientific Revolution challenged man's place in the universe, together with his understanding of the antiquity of the earth, and of the origin of life. Psychology, an awareness of one's unconscious, and the study of human society developed, together with the contributions of a steady stream of philosophers.
The vital role of symbols is turned on its head when they are treated as historical facts. This harmful trend started with the Council of Nicea in the fourth century. The Age of Reason, in turn, negatively impacted myth. Religious fundamentalism and nihilistic icons have been the outcome. A revival of myth has taken place, causing its relevance to be renewed while that of religion is in decline in the West. Science has also begun to merge with spirituality.
The new millennium is witnessing the movement of people from heteronomy to autonomy. We are creating ever more avenues for spiritual activity. Martin Luther's pronouncement, "Every man is a priest," is becoming a fact. We are starting to follow our own individual bliss.
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About the Book
From earliest times humanity has sought to understand its place and role in the world, has sought for meaning. Wherever human beings are to be found myth, and extra-historical record of who we are, has always played a vital role in this regard, Traditional religion, by comparison, has only emerged in the last 2,500 years. This book summarizes the history of man’s religious endeavors, and shows how much of religion, over time, has anything but aided its followers in their journey through life.
Because traditional religion is failing to meet our spiritual needs, people are moving from heteronomy to autonomy as they assume responsibility for their own journeys. A continuing survey, begun at the turn of the century, reveals that 36 percent of the participants believe that the American dream is achieved through spiritual fulfillment. A never ending stream of articles, in a variety of journals, bear witness to the this trend, as well as to the many new means now exercised in order to nourish one’s spirituality. The relevance of myth has been renewed while that of religion is in decline in the West. Martin Luther’s pronouncement, “ Every man is a priest,” is becoming a fact.
About the Author
Andrew Friend has two seminary degrees and served as a missionary in three different countries. Due to growing doubts about Christianity he left the church twenty five years ago, and has been compiling and processing information about religion and its role in life ever since. He lives in America.