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>used to be lashed to religious moorings, which provided some sense of purpose and moral grounding, as well as fending off pesky questions like "what happens to

>used to be lashed to religious moorings, which provided some sense of purpose and moral grounding, as well as fending off pesky questions like "what happens to me when I die?" I don't buy this for a second. There is a notable, consistent correlation with economic viability (lack thereof) and perceived/real economic inequality and the negative effects these have on a population. Drug use, mental illness, even infant mortality. This is what is happening. People don't have good jobs, they don't have a good education (and in some cases their education doesn't net anything), and they don't have a "purpose." You don't need to invoke whimsical images of non-sense to guess at why people feel useless and/or are seeking drugs. * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652881/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652881/ * https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/drug-abuse https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/drug-abuse * https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/mental-health https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/mental-health We are actively wasting multiple nations' resources and people's own personal lives over absurd policies and to cater to a very tiny portion of the population who is already rich beyond anyone's dreams.

all2 8y ago
> and they don't have a "purpose." I guess I didn't state my case clearly. My point was (in part) that religion can provide purpose if people lean into it the right way, and that having a purpose can stave off the desire to be numb - emotionally and physically.
- kadendogthing 8y ago
  >My point was (in part) that religion can provide purpose if people lean into it the right way There isn't evidence that being involved in a religion alleviates or negates any of the effects/correlations that were presented earlier. It might seem reasonable to suggest that religion gives people purpose, but again, it actually doesn't really affect what we're talking about. There are extremely religious communities who have extremely high drug use and mental issues per capita. There are extremely religious communities who do not have those issues in the same significant manner. The main factor setting them apart is the economic environment. The only things (relevant to the current discussion and context) that help out with these issues tends to be economic stability and viability.

all2 8y ago

> and they don't have a "purpose." I guess I didn't state my case clearly. My point was (in part) that religion can provide purpose if people lean into it the right way, and that having a purpose can stave off the desire to be numb - emotionally and physically.

kadendogthing 8y ago
>My point was (in part) that religion can provide purpose if people lean into it the right way There isn't evidence that being involved in a religion alleviates or negates any of the effects/correlations that were presented earlier. It might seem reasonable to suggest that religion gives people purpose, but again, it actually doesn't really affect what we're talking about. There are extremely religious communities who have extremely high drug use and mental issues per capita. There are extremely religious communities who do not have those issues in the same significant manner. The main factor setting them apart is the economic environment. The only things (relevant to the current discussion and context) that help out with these issues tends to be economic stability and viability.