New Trends in Religion

[selenite0]

celticdragonfly and I were discussing an article in the New York Times about new churches in exurbs. I was trying to place what bothered me about it and she pointed out they were starting to look like Heinlein's Fosterites.

Comments

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Honestly, if they weren't Christians, I might give them a go. Couselling, day care, lattes, computers...sounds all good to me. (I'm only up to page 3 so far, though...)

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

The bit on the last page about the teen group reminds me very much of the youth group I attended in high school. It was all music and silly games and field trips, but when it got serious, oh, yeah, it was serious.

Teenagers are very easy to brainwash with the right propaganda, especially if the propaganda comes with a built-in set of friends. But I can't see it as an entirely negative thing: these were the first "crowd" of friends I ever had, and they did accept me, as long as I toed the party line. There's a bit to be said for teaching kids to accept differences in light of a common cause.

"...if one of you is a believer and the other is not, your relationship is doomed." Well, it sounds pretty rough to say it to a bunch of kids, but he's essentially right. You can't maintain a relationship with someone you honestly think is going to hell--and if you try hard and often enough to convert them, they'll likely get annoyed with you. So, yeah, either the relationship is doomed, or your faith is. (In my case, it was the faith--I couldn't live with the idea that my mom was going to hell. _Someone_ had to be wrong.)

[selenite.livejournal.com]

Yep. I try to stick with the Bujoldian "People before principles" in those situations.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of what my mother told me about when she was in Methodist summer camp. They'd go on about the EVILS of interfaith marriages. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother were Catholic and Methodist respectively - at that time and place considered a significant interfaith marriage, to the point that they waited until she was of age to marry without parental consent, and then did so. So my mother heard the camp people going on about how interfaith marriages would destroy each other's faith - thought about her grandparents, the most loving couple she knew, each secure in their faith - and thought "What else are they lying to me about?" and I think that's where she developed her cynical streak.

Well, streak may be understating it.

Given that they have an intolerant faith, yeah. I prefer more tolerant faiths.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

I don't know about EVIL, but it certainly will put a strain on things...I certainly couldn't have married anyone with strong religious feelings.

CAW

[btripp.livejournal.com]

When Tim/Otter/Oberon Zell sent me an "unabridged" copy of Stranger In A Strange Land to read, I was amazed ... amazed that ANYBODY would go out to found the Church of All Worlds rather than the Fosterite Church!

I keep threatening to become "The Prophet Tripp" and write my own book which will then become the "Trippite" (Tripper?) Church, complete with our own stores, brands, booze & drugs, casinos & brothels!

I'm pretty sure that's what I've wanted to do my whole life.


(http://www.btripp.com)