A Growing Religion from Pre-Christian Times

It is said what's old is new again. Today one of the best articles in a long time appeared in the New York Times. It was written by conservative Catholic Ross Douthat. While its best to read him directly, I'll try to summarize. He sees what I see in changing attitudes toward religion.

As a metaphor, consider television. Since it was introduced in my youth, we have gone from three channels to hundreds. Religious views have expanded in the same way--there were a few denominations, now we don't know how many.

Many a pundit following all this expanding variety in religion gleefully point out that among the endless varieties of "Christianity" or "spirituality" are ones that must be labeled heresy. Douthat says, quoting other writers, that at some point it is no longer possible to say something is "Christian heresy" and is instead a new religion entirely.

Looking across the religious landscape including public opinion surveys, writers and stated beliefs of churches with one campus or many campuses patterns have emerged. The patterns represent the foundation of a new religion. In some cases, perhaps the majority, it self identifies as Christian but is something else.

Today the individual is replacing the religious hierarchy and working out his/her unique take on the spiritual life. Today's religious impulses have an earthly, rather than "heaven", focus. This is a preoccupation with nature, the environment, pets and wildlife. It is about finding purpose and happiness from life, not from death. Unlike atheism which sees no afterlife, contemporary religion sees some potential for an afterlife but it is undefined. It is "after life agnostic."

This new and apparently growing set of beliefs falls outside of Christianity. But it is inside another ancient set of religious beliefs we've all heard of, Paganism. Paganism fits the needs of the human mind well.  It never left left the room.