From: Randy S (cryofan@mylinuxisp.com)
Date: Fri Aug 15 2003 - 16:24:49 MDT
"Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury@aeiveos.com> said:
>
> The NY Times has an interesting article by Kristof regarding
> how America may be becoming more religious (in a state that
> pioneered the idea of separation between church and state).
>
> Believe It, or Not
> Nicholas D. Kristof, NY Times, 15 August 2003
> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/15/opinion/15KRIS.html?pagewanted=print
>
> It would be interesting to speculate how much the "run-up" to
> the singularity might be driving people into a "haven" of
> ancient ideas because they fear the unknown of the future.
>
> Robert
>
>
INteresting subject. I am also fairly sure that a trend of increasing
agnosticism started to die sometime in the 60s. It may seem strange now, but
in those days there were actually movies that seriously questioned the
existence of a god, and that had characters who were atheists. Look at the
movie The Sandpiper starring Burton and Taylor. This was not an art house
film. That has all died out now.
I suspect it has something to do with the consolidation of news and
entertainment productions. You have huge conglomerations that produce news
and films and TV shows. They are highly profit driven. This may have been
also influenced by the movement of so many people to the cities, and at teh
same time, the dying out of almost all of the newspapers in cities, except
for one winner.
In a way, our media has become like our presidential politics--aimed to the
lowest common denominator, which is the religious believer. And so this
stance reinforces itself.
But I think the internet will gradually reverse the current trend. Already it
is taking time away from TV and movies.
-- -------------- -Randy
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