24AR29-16

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AR 29:16 - Is Islam "the most pessimistic religion in the world?"

In this issue:

ATHEISM - "at least as knowledgeable as Christians on Christianity-related questions"

HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS - "the hobby horse of a self-styled spiritual elite"

ISLAM - the challenge behind "just how pessimistic Christians are about human nature"

Apologia Report 29:16 (1,657)
April 18, 2024

ATHEISM

"8 Facts About Atheists" (Pew Research Center, Feb 7 '24) -- "Atheists make up 4% of U.S. adults, according to our 2023 National Public Opinion Reference Survey. That compares with 3% who described themselves as atheists in 2014 and 2% who did so in 2007. ...

   "In the U.S., atheists are mostly men and are relatively young, according to a Center survey conducted in summer 2023. Around six-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (64%). And seven-in-ten are ages 49 or younger, compared with about half of U.S. adults overall (52%).

   "Atheists also are more likely than the general public to be White (77% vs. 62%) and have a college degree (48% vs. 34%). Roughly eight-in-ten atheists identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. ...

   "Almost all U.S. atheists (98%) say religion is not too or not at all important in their lives, according to the same summer 2023 survey. An identical share say that they seldom or never pray.

   "At the same time, 79% of American atheists say they feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least several times a year. And 36% feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being at least that often.

   "U.S. atheists and religiously affiliated Americans find meaning in their lives in some of the same ways. In a 2017 survey, we asked an open-ended question about this. Like a majority of Americans, most atheists mentioned family as a source of meaning.

   "However, atheists (26%) were far more likely than Christians (10%) to describe their hobbies as meaningful or satisfying. Atheists were also more likely than Americans overall to describe finances and money, creative pursuits, travel, and leisure activities as meaningful. ...

   "An overwhelming majority of atheists (94%) say that the statement 'religion causes division and intolerance' describes their views a great deal or a fair amount, according to our summer 2023 survey. And 91% say the same about the statement 'religion encourages superstition and illogical thinking.' Nearly three-quarters (73%) say religion does more harm than good in American society.

   "At the same time, 41% of atheists say religion helps society by giving people meaning and purpose in their lives, and 33% say it encourages people to treat others well. ...

   "Atheists were ... at least as knowledgeable as Christians on Christianity-related questions. For example, roughly eight-in-ten in both groups knew that Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus."

   Still, "not all self-described atheists fit the literal definition of 'atheist,' which is 'a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,' according to Merriam-Webster." <www.tinyurl.com/a6ka9ucw>

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HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS

In "The Pseudo-Religion of Psychedelics," Travis Kitchens (Compact, Dec 18 '23) reviews Brian Muraresku's recent book The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name. <www.tinyurl.com/y4rajhkd> 

   In it Muraresku alleges that the Christian eucharist was based on the rituals of the popular Greek mystery cults that existed when early Christianity first appeared.

   "Muraseku points to a drug-filled ceremonial chalice discovered at a pagan temple in Spain and the testimony of a clinical trial participant from Johns Hopkins to argue that the secretive rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries involved psychedelic initiation. (Eleusis was a major pilgrimage site into the spiritual heart of Ancient Greece). ...

   "Muraresku's book was a New York Times bestseller. It is now being turned into a multi-part <www.tinyurl.com/2p9rkpd4> television series, and appeared in paperback in October with a new preface by one of America's most revered journalists: Michael Pollan. ...

   "Enter the high priests of techno-psychedelia, who are turning our obsession with 'creative destruction' toward the sacred mytho-psychological underpinnings of Western civilization. ...

   "As opposed to their hollow rituals, he says, psychedelics introduce you to 'a God that makes sense'; 'A God that you can actually experience'; 'A God that erases depression and anxiety like a cosmic surgeon, obliterates the fear of death, and sends a shock wave of love through your fragile heart.' ...

   "While the New Testament is described in the introduction as 'outdated and impenetrable,' psychedelic drugs are presented as a sacred 'technology,' an authentic and scientifically-validated path to salvation, the one used by Marcus Aurelius and Plato and which might just - put back into its rightful place - 'rescue a dying faith and save Western civilization.' 'At the end of the day,' Muraresku said in a 2020 Reddit Q&A to promote the book, 'I see an enormous opportunity for the Church to engage this discussion. And to at least consider how psychedelic technology might be leveraged for the faithful in the most cautious, responsible, safe, effective, and sacred way.'"

   Kitchens reviews the psychedelic renaissance, which "was built on the claim that a promising area of research was prematurely ended by the Nixon administration. The historian Matthew Oram has shown this to be little more than another myth. <www.tinyurl.com/mr449ned> Excessive exuberance on the part of researchers, poor study design, and consistently inconclusive results were the major factors in the termination of earlier research in this realm. An NIH report published in 1970 concluded that 'Therapeutic claims for this drug have been more of the nature of religious testimonials or statements of clinical conviction than serious scientific observations and interpretations.'

   "Little has changed since then, other than the selling points cited by promoters of psychedelics." Kitchens concludes that cautious reservations "are nowhere to be found in The Immortality Key, which seems to assume that simply giving everyone psychedelics will fix everything." <www.tinyurl.com/4b8rpx37>

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ISLAM

"The Most Pessimistic Religion in the World" by Jerry Riendeau (The Gospel Coalition, Jan 31 '23) -- begins with the Muslim claim: "Christianity and Islam worship the same God and are fundamentally the same at their core."

   Riendeau responds: "I regularly encounter this assertion in my church-planting efforts in Dearborn, Michigan. (Dearborn has the distinction of having the highest concentration of Arabs in North America.) Most commonly I hear this phrase, or one like it, coming from the mouths of young Muslim men and women. Their intentions are wonderful. They're trying to bridge the gap between our cultures and religions. Indeed, there's much need for mutual understanding and respect between our faiths. ...

   Riendeau adds: "'Well, at the end of the day,' the response usually goes, 'we're all trying to live the best lives we can to please God and get into heaven.'

   "What if I told you," I reply, "that Christianity is far, far too pessimistic to believe that? In fact, I think Christianity is the most pessimistic religion in the world."

   Riendeau also cautions: "If you're not careful, you might [prematurely] mistake a question ... as an evangelistic opportunity. ...

   "Can you imagine a person sacrificing his or her life to save someone who isn't in danger? It wouldn't be heroic; it would be nonsensical. To Muslims who don't share the Christian view that humans can't please God on our own, Christ's death on the cross sounds nonsensical.

   "Laying out this difference can open the door to fantastic conversations. ...

   "'Wait a minute,' my friend Hassan interrupted during one such conversation. Hassan is a Lebanese college student I met on a campus in Dearborn. 'Are you saying Christians do good things not so they can get into heaven but because they're so grateful God is already letting them into heaven because of Jesus?' ...

   "The view that Christianity and Islam are more similar than different is mainstream within the Muslim community. And though many Americans live in areas with relatively small Muslim populations, that's likely to change in coming years. It's important to be ready to engage our Muslim neighbors in meaningful conversations about our faith. A helpful first step in any such conversation is to explain just how pessimistic Christians are about human nature." <www.tinyurl.com/3baf5s9n>

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