An Impediment to Progress

I approach this topic with that knowledge that the majority of the populace in America today believes in God, or at least a higher power. According to Gallup, 92% of Americans believe in God, 7% do not, and 1% has no opinion. Whether those 1% are living under a rock or just principled agnostics, I cannot say. Also, 78% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Therefore, the chances that a reader will be Christian or believe in God are very high. Due to this, many will dismiss what I am about to put forward, without much rational basis. Some will substantively disagree with me, and a few may actually agree. The only point here is that I am very aware I am going against the grain, but when I feel the need to speak up, I have a moral imperative to follow my convictions. My claim is that "reactionary religion" impedes the betterment of society. I will explain what I mean by "reactionary religion." Christianity will be my main example. I will then lay out my reasons for this belief. For the remainder of this writing, I will italicize reactionary religion for readability purposes. On a side note, I want to be clear that I am not writing about all religions, or even the whole of Christianity. My focus here is only on the reactionary elements within.

To expand on the definition of reactionary religion, one first needs to understand what the two terms that make it up mean, and then it will become much clearer as to what the definition is. A reactionary is defined as "of, pertaining to, marked by, or favoring reaction, especially extreme conservatism or rightism in politics; opposing political or social change." The important point here is not about conservatism per se, though one could go that route. Instead, what matters about the definition is the opposition to "political or social change." Thus, reactionary here means opposed to major changes in society as a whole.

Religion is much more difficult to pin down. Entire books have been written on the subject. One dictionary defines it as "a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices." Another definition is that "religion is constituted by a set of beliefs, actions, and experiences, both personal and corporate, organized around a concept of an Ultimate Reality which inspires worship or total devotion" (Peterson et al, 7). Combining these two definitions together can give a more satisfactory account of religion, by defining it as "Institutionalized beliefs, both personal and corporate, which lie outside of the natural world, never change, and are organized around a concept of an Ultimate Reality which inspires worship or total devotion." This will be the full definition of reactionary religion. The only drawback to this definition is that in order for a belief system to quality as one, it must have a substantial following.

The institutionalized beliefs are easy to see. Christianity provides a perfect example, with it's belief in the Bible's divine inspiration, a holy trinity, and a rising and dying savior. The sinner's prayer requires one to affirm that Jesus is savior and by doing so an individual already has accepted the institutionalized beliefs of Jesus dying, rising again three days later, and that his death was atonement for sins. These beliefs also require one to believe in miracles and demons, a world completely outside of human perception. And "theoretically," the beliefs of Christianity do not change with time. They require complete devotion, and God requires one to worship him.

Now that the background has been laid, how exactly does reactionary Christianity impede the betterment of society? It does so by fighting the advancement of knowledge, and by fighting the advancement of knowledge, society is harmed in the process.

Christianity has a rich history when it comes to denying claims that allegedly contradict Holy Scripture, and attempting to stifle them. Galileo was imprisoned for asserting that the earth was not the center of the universe. Darwin was scorned for his On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Creationists continually attempt to push religion into the classroom. Climate science, and the findings of human sexuality, are also contested due to their supposed conflict with religious texts. These major advancements in knowledge are not welcomed by reactionary Christianity.

Here are a few examples of politicians speaking about the importance of reactionary religion. "A country that has been since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldn't be surprised at all the problems we have. Because we've in fact attempted to create a secular country, which I think is frankly is a nightmare."- Newt Gingrich, who is currently a GOP Presidential candidate. "What I was advocating was teaching the intellectual debate in a classroom that most children would love to have. Where do we come from? How did we get here?" -Rick Santorum, another GOP Presidential candidate. The influence of the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 will never die!

How does fighting the advancement of knowledge hurt society as a whole, such as in the Scopes Monkey Trial? Climate change, stem cell research, and marriage equality are the three biggest examples modern examples. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climate-related disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. In addition, warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health."

Stem cell research is also impeded. According to the National Institute of Health, "Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell." This research is not completely opposed, for adult stem cells are free to be investigated. The controversy lies with embryonic stem cells, which opponents claim are "human beings," even though they lack sentience. The reason the embryonic stem cells are important is because they have a much higher capacity for differentiation, and thus could potentially cure a much wider range of diseases.

Finally, marriage equality is consistently fought by the reactionary Christians. They cite passages from the Old Testament, ignoring all of the violent ones when pressed, such as Zachariah 13:3: "If a man still prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall say to him, "You shall not live, because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord." When he prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall thrust him through. " Prophesying is apparently enough to elicit death by the sword! Exodus 22:18 states "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." This presupposes that witches actually exist, and also that they should be killed.

When the New Testament is cited, it is done extremely sparingly, focusing on Paul while ignoring Jesus' teachings. Luke 12:33: "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." This same sentiment is found in Matthew 19:21, and also in Mark 10:21. Apparently opposing marriage equality is justified, but selling your possessions is clearly something that needs to be "taken in context."

With the Bible used sparingly, and the awkward verses ignored, there is no consistent way for a reactionary Christian to claim the Bible is the inerrant word of God and follow everything that is contained therein. Otherwise, we would call the person a monster. And it is this contradictory, sometimes beautiful, other times atrocious book that reactionary Christians used to impede the advancement of knowledge. If this is what passes for "rational debate" in America today, and is the basis of being against marriage equality for gay Americans, I fear for the future of my country.

In conclusion, a reactionary religion is an obstacle to the advancement of knowledge because it cannot accommodate the continual exploration of the world. It cannot change with the times. If a finding is discovered, it is dismissed as against Holy Scripture, no matter what the evidence in favor. Stem cell research, climate science, and marriage equality are all current examples of the way reactionary Christianity is continually fighting the inevitable progress of history. And when I say inevitable, it is more with a hopeful heart that a strong degree of certainty.

Peterson, Michael, William Hasker, Bruce Reichenbach, and David Basinger. Reason & Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.