Myths of Alienation

Joseph Campbell described the myths of the monotheistic religions as alienating man from his authentic spirituality, from himself and from his nature. The idea that dominates Judeo-Christian and Islamic beliefs is that a single, rather hostile God exists outside the world and prefers only one human group, provided that the group is sufficiently subservient and obeys rules. The Jews originated monotheism to support the narcissistic exclusivity of a small and eclectic tribe. Not only were Jews the chosen people, but God promised to send his son, the messiah, to confirm their special status and assure their longevity.

This notion of the privileged group was repeated by Christian Jews who claimed that Jesus was in fact the messiah. The Christian Bible emerged over many centuries, written to support the authority of the Roman Church who claimed that their gospel superseded existing Jewish teachings and Jewish law. The power, prestige and authority of God’s covenant with the Jews became a Christian property. Christianity was later carried to the rest of the world by the Roman Church with this message of excusive privilege.

Islam, in turn, copied the claims of privilege and cancelled the claims for the Jews and Christians. Mohamed was the latest prophet who carried the word of God to the chosen few, Arab tribes. Islam was carried to many regions around the Mediterranean by Arab armies. Arabs eventually extended their military occupation to India and China. The Arab empire had many cultural benefits, bringing civilized art, science, literature, architecture, and civil law to many regions that lacked the Arab sophistication.  

The social idea of the three related religions was and continues to be that humans must be connected to God by membership in a social group and obey the group rules. Membership in the church, mosque or synagogue confers privileges of access to divine approval and benevolent intervention on your behalf. If you are an outsider, you have no privileges and are considered to be either of no consequence or you are a threat.

Beyond the group myths, there is no evidence to support these claims of privilege, but the social and political relevance of religious organizations is undisputed. In the simplest analysis, humans want to belong to groups that offer protection and prestige. Humans seek reassurance and are willing to pay for it. Most humans are willing to sacrifice some, if not all of their freedom to remain an acknowledged member of a group with special privileges. All humans want easy answers to difficult questions and many are willing to forfeit their right to inquire on their own and come to independent conclusions. They are followers who want to be led.

Faith and belief are default positions that win group approval and are easy to acquire. The strongest group affiliation is acquired at birth, taught by the extended family and enforced by the local community. If you are a convert, religious organizations provide you with a series of statements or beliefs in the form of a creed. You have to memorize the creed; repeat the statements when asked, and declare your faith when anyone challenges the relevance or validity of your beliefs.

If anyone questions your motives or reasoning, you just state that the scriptures or God himself told you. Young children indoctrinated into membership in a religious group tend to remain loyal to the local beliefs, obedient to the rules and become adults who are reluctant to forfeit their claims of privilege.

Religion for the 21st Century 2009 Edition is available in print or download formats. The book is intended for a well-educated smart reader, who is interested in a world view of religious expressions past, present, and future. The main theme is that each religious group has its own  claims and stories and will tend to reject others. A reader committed to one point of view may not accept the egalitarian review presented here.

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The  Psychology & Philosophy series was developed by Persona Digital Publications. All rights to reproduction by any means are reserved. We encourage readers to quote and paraphrase topics from Religion for the 21st Century, 2009 edition, published online and expect  citations to accompany all derivative writings. The author is Stephen Gislason and the publisher is Persona Digital Publications. Located on the Sunshine Coast, Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada.