Increasing Recognition of Post Modernism and Secularism


For several decades questionnaire/poll research has made the news. How much importance it has is what we all wonder. Once back in my days as a Mayor one of the constant editorials criticizing me in the  Fargo Forum said "The public has spoken" (against something I did) referring to a poll it had paid for. I had always thought the phrase, "The public has spoken" referred to legal votes.

The latest poll published by a Christian organization shows a continued increase in views denying our lives are here for some greater purpose. This, of course, is merely recognition there is no evidence of any purpose other than what we make up ourselves. Maybe readers recall a famous book called The Purpose Driven Life. It did not actually give a purpose for life except to please an imaginary god. Lost on me is the point or purpose of that. 

That said, I find most atheists I know feel quite purposeful in their lives. One couple hands out sandwiches to homeless under a bride. Others feel purpose in explaining to Christians the folly of their beliefs. Yet others work to preserve the environment for future generations. A poll question about "purpose," however, would imply to most respondents some religious meaning. They would be likely, I think, to respond negatively to whether life has a purpose.

The same poll results conclude increasing belief in "post modernism." I don't feel confident claiming to know the precise meaning of post modernism even though I use the phrase at times. I'll guess it refers to "order." Order usually means authorities and ranking of them. It sort of says modernism is about order and sameness, post modernism is about the opposite, the helter skelter.

The reason religion hates post modernism is because it opens the door to many gods and denominations instead of narrowing the narrative to one God and the denominational authorities to rule on what is "truth."

Truth is another part of post modernism. The poll shows increasing tolerance of the view "truth" is relative, not absolute. In Christianity, absolute truth is that which your branch of the faith says it is. I suppose "absolute truth" is there was the Resurrection. Add to that the "absolute truth" there is a heaven and hell. From this absolute stuff we can understand why the faith is losing, not gaining, numbers.

Perhaps post modernism and secularism brought us, along with an more enlightened public, President Trump and his ilk. The old establishment in the Republican Party would have nominated Jeb Bush. But that is all gone. Nevertheless, I like this ride into postmodernism and secularism.

Comments

  1. GrandmaOctober 22, 2021 at 5:24 PM

    I remember the time, a few years ago, when a friend asked me if I believed in god. My answer was “which one.”

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenOctober 22, 2021 at 8:53 PM

    Grandma-- "which one"

    My goodness, that would be post modernism. It is disorderly with its several gods. That's wonderful :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. tsmOctober 24, 2021 at 1:57 PM

    I'm not going to spend a lot of time responding to this peon to the Great Spirit of Disorder. why bother? except to point out that Jon is left naked when it comes to the truth business. sure, we each have our own purposes in life. but who or what allows us to judge evil purposes from good/worthy purposes? or to judge the truth of, say, atheism from the truth of Catholicism. there is no platform that allows us to do so. all truth claims go down the drain. as the Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset once wrote: "Barbarism is the absence of standards to which appeal can be made..."

    ReplyDelete

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