Why religion became irrelevant?




"For most people, religious faith was more emotional than cognitive".

Religious preachers and evangelists were masters of emotions rather than masters of cognition.

Religion again idly stood by as governments used technology and economics to create a cradle to grave society of comfortable slaves.

Religion will become relevant again when it is not a source of spiritual entertainment, moral self-indulgence and catharsis; but a source of wisdom, moral compass, guidance, courage(to act), and love for fellow human being.


Religion dictated people’s life at one time in the past. Then it became irrelevant.

"But since 2007, things have changed with surprising speed. From about 2007 to 2019, the overwhelming majority of the countries we studied—43 out of 49—became less religious.

The decline in belief was not confined to high-income countries and appeared across most of the world
" - Foreign Affairs Magazine.

What happened?

"For most people, religious faith was more emotional than cognitive.

And for most of human history, sheer survival was uncertain. Religion provided assurance that the world was in the hands of an infallible higher power (or powers) who promised that, if one followed the rules, things would ultimately work out for the best. In a world where people often lived near starvation, religion helped them cope with severe uncertainty and stress.

But as economic and technological development took place, people became increasingly able to escape starvation, cope with disease, and suppress violence. They become less dependent on religion
" - Foreign Affairs Magazine.
Religious preachers and evangelists were masters of emotions rather than masters of cognition.

Religious preachers and evangelists can emotionally manipulate people with their empty reassurances, but are not good at navigating the changing world.

This led to their irrelevance.

Transformative forces

Technology was a transformative force. Religion failed to incorporate it or guide its development as the religious leaders did not have cognitive capabilities to understand it. Technology transformed people's lives while religion stood by.

Economics was another transformative force. Religion failed to incorporate it or guide its development. How many modern economic theories are product of religious minds? Understanding of economics transformed people's lives while religion stood by.

Another big wave of transformative force in people's life was big government(welfare state).

Government is the new God of the dysfunctional masses. It protects and provides in a cradle to grave society dependent on government.

Governments understood and incorporated transformative forces of technology and economics; and hijacked those forces to serve it.
Religion again idly stood by as governments used technology and economics to create a cradle to grave society of comfortable dysfunctional slaves.

Being a comfortable slave is perfectly acceptable to vast majority of the public.

Governments seem to give people everything in a comfortable slavery. Who needs religion.

Global risks

A survey of leaders at World Economic Forum(WEF) showed that the top risks to the world are:

Climate crisis(Extreme weather)
Al-generated misinformation/disinformation
Societal and/or political polarization
Cost-of-living crisis
Cyberattacks
Economic downturn
Disrupted supply chains for critical goods and resources
Escalation or outbreak of armed conflict
Attacks on critical infrastructure
Disrupted supply chains for food

How will religion help reduce or mitigate these risks?

Some of them are age old problems such as 'Escalation or outbreak of armed conflict'. Wars are not a new problem or exclusive domain of governments. How will religion help?

In the same way, how can religion help the public with 'Cost-of-living crisis'? 'Free food', 'free money', and welfare state is not the answer as it is the so called 'free' stuff and welfare' state that contributes to these problems in the first place.
How will religion help the public during this time of dysfunctional families; broken social, economic, political systems; declining quality of life; diminished prospects; and tyrannical governments.

Standing on the sidelines

Religion has also withdrawn itself into irrelevancy with its focus on identity, rituals and protocols.

Religion does not try and understand transformative forces of science and economics, and does not leverage it.

AI is a good example. Every business wants to use it to ensure its competitive advantage and make money. Governments want to use it to further control and enslave people.

Yet, religion stays indifferent to it.

To quote Vannevar Bush, 'Doctor Physics' and Engineer of the American Century: "the world is probably going to be ruled by those who know how, in the fullest sense, to apply science".

Without understanding, incorporating, and guiding the use of transformative forces of technology and economics, religion will stand on the sidelines while the world is transformed.
The danger is that this creates a moral, spiritual vacuum. Politicians try to fill this void. They try to 'lead' the people with misguided values and amateur theatrics.

Politicians call themselves 'leaders' of the public. This is a sad and unfortunate consequence of this vacuum that religion has left.

Religious leaders tend to ignore smart talented people. Most even see smart talented people as a threat for no particular reason, even when smart talented people want religious leaders to be more relevant, useful and popular as community leaders.

Compare how religious leaders handle talented people with the approach of corporate leaders like Steve Jobs(former CEO of Apple). Steve Jobs said: "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do".

Lazy and greedy public

The lazy, dysfunctional, and greedy public want everything for free, and served with entertainment.

This is why the masses never deeply connect with religion. They only connect with the rituals, appearances, and protocols.

An analogy is Libertarian economics. Peter Schiff writes about origins of government intervention in the economy. Keynesian economics offered a "pain-free" solution, whereas the 'cruel' Austrian economics proposed doing nothing while people suffered.

"Keynesianism[economics] was an instant hit with politicians".

"By promising to increase employment and boost growth without raising taxes or cutting government services, the policies advocated by Keynes were the economic equivalent of miracle weight-loss programs that required no dieting or exercise".

"Large banks and investment firms are more profitable in the Keynesian environment of easy money and loose credit".

"a self-fulfilling mutual admiration society soon produced a corps of top economists inbred with a loyalty to Keynesian principles".

"Austrians[economists] were increasingly relegated to the margins".

Masses want free things served with emotional entertainment.

The author M. S. King writes: "In his Farewell Address to Congress and an adoring American public, the great General and President George Washington uses the occasion to advise America on how to secure its future happiness and prosperity. Washington's prescient warnings come from his extensive knowledge of history. His wise and prophetic advice includes:"

Maintain religion and morality as supports of a free people.
Beware of the formation of political parties.
Avoid alliances & foreign military entanglements.
Balance the Federal Budget and avoid state debt.
Keep the government’s spending and taxes low.
Do not weaken the U.S. Constitution with amendments.
Do not allow sectional differences to divide the Union.

It is not just religion, but great ideas like libertarian economics, and American founding principles have also been made irrelevant by lazy and greedy public that just wants free stuff served with emotional entertainment.

Becoming Relevant

Religion will become relevant again when it works with finest minds in the world and helps people with their real world problems; instead of focusing on identity, rituals and protocols.

Religion will become relevant again when it works with best scientific and AI researchers and engineers to ensure technology and AI does not become a tool of evil in the hands of governments.

Religion will become relevant again when it will no longer allow it to be used by the Deep State to create hatred and division between people.

Religion will become relevant again when it will instill courage in people to act; rather than outdated empty reassurance of preachers and evangelists.

Religion will become relevant again when it is not a source of spiritual entertainment, moral self-indulgence and catharsis; but a source of wisdom, moral compass, guidance, courage(to act), and love for fellow human being.

The time for this is now.
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men".

- Dr. Martin Luther King.

* * *

The System Fail we are going through will cause a lot of pain and suffering as businesses and families are intentionally destroyed by the tyrannical and rogue Deep State.

Religious leaders, preachers, evangelists; finest minds in every field; economists, scientists and engineers; must all work together guided by moral compass and philosophy for the betterment of mankind.

Religion remains the only power that can provide moral compass, philosophical guidance, leadership, structure, and courage to act to billions of people during these toxic times.

The time for this is now.






Related articles

Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century by G. Pascal Zachary
The Greatest American Ever



External Links