What unites us better than religion?

[Augustus]

As as add on to the thread "How well does religion work as a social glue uniting people politically and socially?"

One common argument is that religions create in/out groups and are thus divisive which, taken in a vacuum, is factually correct.

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

 

[bobhikes]

Negative things Natural disasters, Great wrong doings, they inspire people all over the world to help.
Positive things the arts, Great works of art whether film, music or literature. They bring cultures together and inspire people.

 

[Axe Elf]

Super glue.

 

[Jumi]

Language and culture unite better than religion. Of course they also divide us.

 

[Sunstone]

Goodness, we live in an age when corporations routinely change the beliefs and behaviors of millions of people via advertising, public relations, and other social engineering technologies -- and governments are catching up with the corporations, perhaps surpassing them -- yet we still ask ourselves whether there is any better way to unify people than what effectively amounts to stone-age technique?

 

[Sunstone]

Language and culture unite better than religion. Of course they also divide us.

I agree with your point, Jumi. Just a note of clarification though -- not so much for you as for any interested person unfamiliar with the concept of culture in an anthropological sense: Religion is in this context a specific instance of culture.

 

[Woberts]

Goodness, we live in an age when corporations routinely change the attitudes and beliefs of millions of people via advertising, public relations, and other social engineering technologies -- and governments are catching up with the corporations, perhaps surpassing them -- yet we still ask ourselves whether there is any better way to unify people than what effectively amounts to stone-age technique?

I believe your religion would bring people together, however.

 

[Sunstone]

I believe your religion would bring people together, however.

Depends on the jurisdiction. In some locations, the women are heretically prohibited from touching the clientele during lap dances! I know! Scandalous what the heretics will do (or not do)!

I'll just say, lucky for the heretics, the days of burning people at the dance club pole are over!

 

[Woberts]

Depends on the jurisdiction. In some locations, the women are heretically prohibited from touching the clientele during lap dances! I know! Scandalous what the heretics will do (or not do)!

You better be careful, that doesn't seem very PG

 

[Brickjectivity]

As as add on to the thread "How well does religion work as a social glue uniting people politically and socially?"

One common argument is that religions create in/out groups and are thus divisive which, taken in a vacuum, is factually correct.

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

For one thing I think people are united when we believe the same things, but I do not consider that to be religion. It can be any kind of belief set, anything from using chopsticks to belief in cash. So there are two examples: beliefs about money and chopsticks both unite people. Its when people believe very different things that we misunderstand each other and are afraid of each other.

Common beliefs are not enough of themselves. There has to be a kind of maturity both individual and communal. That is where religion comes in. Something that unites is maturely refusing to get upset over every little hiccup. If we can smile, be polite and try to overlook perceived offenses then that creates possibilities for misunderstandings to get concluded in a nice way. Sometimes problems appear larger than they are or are not even real. The tendency is to react too quickly, but overcoming that instant reaction can unify.

 

[leibowde84]

As as add on to the thread "How well does religion work as a social glue uniting people politically and socially?"

One common argument is that religions create in/out groups and are thus divisive which, taken in a vacuum, is factually correct.

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

I disagree. I think that, since evolution has made us social beings, we are inherently united. Things like religion, government, unsubstantiated beliefs, culture, etc. are what divides us.

 

[LuisDantas]

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

IMO it is all in acknowledging the true extent of the challenge that union represents and approaching it with due soberness and humility.

On paper, religion should be the best way of uniting people, or at least a top contender. But all too often it ends up sabotaging itself out of hubris or just simple immaturity, often enough designed into the framework of the religion itself.

Or to put it in another way, many religions are inherently flawed to the breaking point - at least when it comes to this goal of unifying people, which is not always present or decisive in groups that claim to be religious.

In a practical sense, humanism is doubtlessly a superior alternative to theistic religion, if for no other reason because it is not quite so deluded and wasteful while still keepíng or improving on all the good qualities that it ever had.

But that would not exactly make divisions obsolete, at least at first. And it is at this point that we should remind ourselves of how ambitious such a goal really is.

Many messianic movements seem to tap into hopes for a crutch or false promise that there will be some magical solution to the pains of inner divisions.

The promises are easy to make, and lead to a lot of enthusiasm from many people. But real change of that kind is a far more ambitious and long term proposition, one that is supposed to take generations to happen and consolidate itself.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

As as add on to the thread "How well does religion work as a social glue uniting people politically and socially?"

One common argument is that religions create in/out groups and are thus divisive which, taken in a vacuum, is factually correct.

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

Why have you set the bar at "doesn't create in/out groups" and not at "does a better job than religion?"

Edit: IOW, why insist that the alternative to religion has to be perfect?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Maggie Thatcher said there was no such thing as society.
Where does that fit in?

 

[sun rise]

I believe that life is a rainbow and don't want a boring sameness. I find it great fun to walk through a local park where Australian rules foot ball is being played and see Muslims playing volleyball, women chatting in Russian (or some Eastern European language), non-ethnic children in a bounce house and Mexicans grilling steak for tacos and drinking beer.

As far as religion goes, our local interfaith group has pagans, Christians, Muslims and many others socializing and working together on community projects.

This is America and America's future.

 

[WalterTrull]

Religion seems a temporary step in the right direction, for the most part. "Kill the infidel", doesn't seem a step in the right direction.
I believe the fact is that we are united and all the mentioned impetuses, plus many others, trigger that awareness.

 

[Nakosis]

As as add on to the thread "How well does religion work as a social glue uniting people politically and socially?"

One common argument is that religions create in/out groups and are thus divisive which, taken in a vacuum, is factually correct.

In a more practical sense though, unity is not our natural state, we are divided along multiple different aspects of identity. For something to be divisive, it would therefore really need to be more divisive than one or more practical alternatives.

Are there any ideologies, worldview, religions, etc. that do not create in/out groups? How practical are these in terms of uniting people politically and socially? What would make diverse peoples and cultures adopt such an ideology in large enough numbers to erase divisions?

Thoughts?

What unites folks is having a common enemy.

Russians, Republicans, Democrats, LGBTs, White Patriarchy, folks of a different skin color, folks of different ideologies, etc...

As long as you can find a common enemy, you can unite people.

 

[Augustus]

Why have you set the bar at "doesn't create in/out groups" and not at "does a better job than religion?"

Edit: IOW, why insist that the alternative to religion has to be perfect?

One of the arguments against religion is that it is divisive, so I was wondering if there is anything which is not divisive.

I don't think there is, and I think that division is an intractable aspect of the mass human society and believing we can be one united Humanity is harmful.

As regards OP, doesn't have to be perfect though, just interested in people's thoughts. Anything that works better for any reason would be relevant, for example:

Can unite bigger numbers; unites fewer people, but minimise the degrees of difference; etc.

 

[Augustus]

What unites folks is having a common enemy.

Russians, Republicans, Democrats, LGBTs, White Patriarchy, folks of a different skin color, folks of different ideologies, etc...

As long as you can find a common enemy, you can unite people.

I think what we are not is just as important as what we are when it comes to identity/ideology. It might actually be more important as you need a point of reference.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What unites folks is having a common enemy.

Russians, Republicans, Democrats, LGBTs, White Patriarchy, folks of a different skin color, folks of different ideologies, etc...

As long as you can find a common enemy, you can unite people.

The trick is uniting people against an enemy that isn't a person: poverty, disease, unexplored outer space, etc.