WIRED BELIEVERS

I am not trying to dream up a futuristic image of religious people all wired up with gadgets as they attempt to connect with some ultimate force beyond the outer space of human rationality. And, this is not about science fiction. In fact, it is through a scientific insight that I have been motivated to do this reflection. A cover story of New Scientist (Feb 7, 2009, p.31) suggests that “some of the foundations for our religious beliefs are hard-wired”. This is certainly some good news for faiths and the "business" of religions – especially those empty pews.

From their research, some scientists are contending that humans possess a kind of religious “brain circuitry” “that never goes away”., however much we have tried. This may in fact be one reason why people claim they are spiritual while they do not touch the institutional church with a barge pole. Not even atheists and agnostics can disown this kind of religious “brain circuitry”. They too are prone to the thinking of ultimate reality: and they often “tacitly attribute purpose to significant or traumatic moments in their lives, as if some agency were intervening to make it happen.”

Of interest is the further observation that “human beings have a natural inclination for religious belief especially during hard times.” Of course, I knew this long before reading this. Coming from a poor and cash-strapped country (Guyana) and keenly following the story of Haiti, one is aware and amazed of the immense faith of Haitians, for instance. Africa, can be another example. In fact, hard times can be considered chronic. Marx’s observation on how religion becomes the “opium” for the oppressed would have benefited from this scientific insight.

The findings also noted that “religion is an evolutionary adaptation that makes people more likely to survive and pass their genes onto the next generation”. Given the rise of religious fundamentalism across the religious landscape, and given the related fact of one track wiring that turns into deadly dogmatism, we may wish to ask: what is it we are actually passing on through these religious genes? Is there hope that religion and believing will become more life affirming? What are these genes that we will pass on? Is it time to rewire the “brain circuitry” of our religious genes in the evolutionary adaptation process? Or would this be putting a wrong spin on “free will” – a doctrine which certainly needs rethinking – as no "will "is free. It is always conditioned. Theologians need to understand the development of bodies of knowledge over recent times in order to articulate a consistent theology that will carry integrity and moral clout. Perhaps, wired as we are, we may wish to contemplate the possibility of thinking out of the box.

© copyright Jagessar March 26, 2009

G20, GROWTH FACTOR and MORE BUBBLES

‘Words and more words’ and 'meetings and more meetings', with little hope that we are keen and able to change the direction of our economic lives. This is what I get from reading the initial reporting of the recent G20 gathering. The fundamental commitment of these “in-the-box” mainly male leaders is the myopic vision of ensuring growth at all cost, kick-starting the stalled economic engine, getting it to pick up speed, hoping that with some tinkering it will perhaps change directions. Under the spell of economic and political magicians, we the plebiscite seem to be duped into believing that things have been corrected (it may be that we want it that way) but the reality may be that we are all chained to a system that will return us to the kind of economics that got us into this place in the first instance. We have perfected the art of blowing bubbles to the extent that that it has become first nature. To rephrase Decartes: "There are bubbles, therefore we are".

Urvashi Butalia writing in the New Internationalist [December 2008, p.25-29] makes a case for a number of changes in the light of the capitalist agenda and scandalous demise of the Banking and Financial institutions. The article entitled “Clean Start: Creating a Fair Economy” suggests the following and will not be what the G20 saviours may want to hear:

“Exit free trade; enter free Trade”; “Out with Western domination and ‘the gloabalization consenus’; in with a multipolar world and greater social equality”; Slash military budgets; increase social and environmental spending”;“Learn from the global South about how to create and finance housing”;“Bring an end to speculation; nationalize public services; subsidize agriculture; mobilize civil society”;“Introduce a New Green Deal to kick-start the economy; create employment and tackle climate change”; “Push for international taxation; direct the lending of nationalized banks; a massive public spending plan”;“Deglobalise; strengthen regional South-South relations; put Greenspan et al on trial;“Don’t cut aid, focus on people.”

Professor Muhammad Yunus (2006 Nobel Peace prizewinner in his Romanes lecture 2009 (Oxford) also calls for a re-examination. He notes the following flaws about the banking system: "It's converting the marketplace into a gambling casino. It's no longer business; it's outright gambling, excessive greed, irresponsible capitalism." He suggests that the question is not whether people are credit-worthy but whether "banks are people worthy".

While the foregoing will be a huge pill for the G20 gatekeepers to swallow there are insights here that point towards an opportunity for transforming our economic lives – to kick the habit of bubble blowing. Instead, what we see and sense is the nationalisation of bad assets – not the rethinking of the way we do banking (centrally or locally). Where is the change and rethinking in terms of how our Central Banks operate? Transparency is still talked about: how about opening all the books of banks online with independent groups monitoring? And what about cutting costs in the area of military spending? It is not insignificant that one of the areas that showed growth during this period has been and is the arms industry! It would be interesting to see who has profited the most during this period.

From a perspective faith and theology, there is no economic blueprint to be offered however hard and long we search scriptures, except for guidelines and values (different insights into organising our lives) that put people first in any rethinking of our economic system and policies. These guidelines underscore that the economic life of a society and world will still benefit from moral and spiritual anchors.

© copyright Jagessar March 15, 2009