In his book Stages of Faith, James Fowler asserts that one of the characteristics of Stage 3 (synthetic-conventional) faith is that people do not recognize that they are inside a worldview. To the Stage 3 person, their worldview is simply reality. Moving to Stage 4 requires recognizing one's worldview as one worldview among many worldviews.
But Mormonism (my former religion) is a worldview inside another worldview (as are other religions.) At least for Americans, the Mormon worldview exists inside the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) worldview. Most people who leave Mormonism (from within the WEIRD worldview) still retain the WEIRD worldview even after rejecting the Mormon worldview.
Both worldviews are religious, because they both offer immortality as a reward for compliance to the prescribed values of the worldview. Mormonism offers literal immortality - a literal afterlife, or salvation from physical death. The WEIRD worldview offers symbolic immortality, or salvation from being forgotten, and salvation from the horror of leaving no record that you ever existed.
I already had a crisis of faith about Mormonism and its power to grant me literal immortality. Now I'm having a crisis of faith about the WEIRD worldview and its power to grant me symbolic immortality. Symbolic immortality is the kind enjoyed by, for example, Einstein and Mozart, who live on in our minds through their great works of science and art. We can achieve symbolic immortality through great achievements in art and science, by having children, by leaving some kind of legacy like a foundation or a corporation, or by anything that allows us to be remembered after we're dead (much of this comes from Ernest Becker's book The Denial of Death.)
Each worldview makes promises in exchange for "good behavior." Mormonism says, "Obey God and you will be blessed. Pay tithing and the windows of heaven will open. Pray, and your prayers will be answered." The WEIRD worldview says, "Work hard and you will be successful. Good always triumphs over evil. Be fair to others, and life will treat you fairly." In Mormonism, the way to immortality is to be righteous. In the WEIRD worldview, the way to immortality is to be productive.
But you know that both worldviews are wrong. You know that obeying God doesn't get you the "blessings" you wanted. You know that people who pay tithing still go bankrupt. You know that most prayers go unanswered, and the ones that seem to be answered are just coincidences (assuming you are an atheist.)
And you know many people who worked very hard and still failed. You know that evil sometimes wins. You know that life is unfair, even if you strive to treat others fairly.
And even if you do achieve a level of symbolic immortality, as Einstein and Mozart have, you too will be forgotten. In a billion years, if there is still such thing as human consciousness, surely no human will have ever heard of Einstein or Mozart.
So both worldviews are wrong. Mormonism is unable to deliver on its promise of literal immortality, and the WEIRD society is unable to deliver on its promise of symbolic immortality.
So I'm confused. If it's not true that hard work will always bring success, then what is true about hard work and success? If good doesn't always triumph over evil, then what is true about good and evil? If life isn't going to treat me fairly, then why am I obligated to treat other people fairly? If the WEIRD worldview is wrong, then what is true?
But Mormonism (my former religion) is a worldview inside another worldview (as are other religions.) At least for Americans, the Mormon worldview exists inside the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) worldview. Most people who leave Mormonism (from within the WEIRD worldview) still retain the WEIRD worldview even after rejecting the Mormon worldview.
Both worldviews are religious, because they both offer immortality as a reward for compliance to the prescribed values of the worldview. Mormonism offers literal immortality - a literal afterlife, or salvation from physical death. The WEIRD worldview offers symbolic immortality, or salvation from being forgotten, and salvation from the horror of leaving no record that you ever existed.
I already had a crisis of faith about Mormonism and its power to grant me literal immortality. Now I'm having a crisis of faith about the WEIRD worldview and its power to grant me symbolic immortality. Symbolic immortality is the kind enjoyed by, for example, Einstein and Mozart, who live on in our minds through their great works of science and art. We can achieve symbolic immortality through great achievements in art and science, by having children, by leaving some kind of legacy like a foundation or a corporation, or by anything that allows us to be remembered after we're dead (much of this comes from Ernest Becker's book The Denial of Death.)
Each worldview makes promises in exchange for "good behavior." Mormonism says, "Obey God and you will be blessed. Pay tithing and the windows of heaven will open. Pray, and your prayers will be answered." The WEIRD worldview says, "Work hard and you will be successful. Good always triumphs over evil. Be fair to others, and life will treat you fairly." In Mormonism, the way to immortality is to be righteous. In the WEIRD worldview, the way to immortality is to be productive.
But you know that both worldviews are wrong. You know that obeying God doesn't get you the "blessings" you wanted. You know that people who pay tithing still go bankrupt. You know that most prayers go unanswered, and the ones that seem to be answered are just coincidences (assuming you are an atheist.)
And you know many people who worked very hard and still failed. You know that evil sometimes wins. You know that life is unfair, even if you strive to treat others fairly.
And even if you do achieve a level of symbolic immortality, as Einstein and Mozart have, you too will be forgotten. In a billion years, if there is still such thing as human consciousness, surely no human will have ever heard of Einstein or Mozart.
So both worldviews are wrong. Mormonism is unable to deliver on its promise of literal immortality, and the WEIRD society is unable to deliver on its promise of symbolic immortality.
So I'm confused. If it's not true that hard work will always bring success, then what is true about hard work and success? If good doesn't always triumph over evil, then what is true about good and evil? If life isn't going to treat me fairly, then why am I obligated to treat other people fairly? If the WEIRD worldview is wrong, then what is true?
