Many religions are highly reflective, debating what actions adherents should follow to achieve ethical ideals and reach a moral state of being. Zen Buddhism debates paths to enlightenment for universal understanding and emotional control. Judaism debates ways of giving Tzedakah to best provide immediate relief, encourage self improvement, and minimize shame. Hinduism debates various moral causes and their karmic effects. Examining any of these highly reflective religions would at least address the hypothesis that “reflection does not change values.”
Christianity debates the divinity of Jesus’ body, whether the material universe is fundamentally evil, and whether the Son of God is subordinate to God. The “ultimate shortcut” is a boon for recruitment, but has prevented any moral self-reflection. When your religion is stuck deciding whether or not the things you do to yourself and others impact your morality, you don’t even have a framework to be reflective. Catholicism votes yes (what other belief system has to even spell that out?), but defines morality largely through avoiding and confessing to specific immoral behaviors, rather than debating different ways to achieve broader values.
While we could contrast major religions and debate the impact of their reflective traditions, examining Christianity actually provides a very controlled environment to consider the hypothesis. Because it is naturally devoid of (and in many ways hostile to) reflection on its general social utility, we can contrast Christian life before and after the U.S. Constitution curtailed religious morality and established a highly reflective governing process for civic morality. The ethical and moral progress we’ve made since then—suffrage, emancipation, health, and quality of life - is clear on its face when we don’t try to cherry-pick examples.
This came off as Meta-Contrarian Intellectual Hipster to me.
Many religions are highly reflective, debating what actions adherents should follow to achieve ethical ideals and reach a moral state of being. Zen Buddhism debates paths to enlightenment for universal understanding and emotional control. Judaism debates ways of giving Tzedakah to best provide immediate relief, encourage self improvement, and minimize shame. Hinduism debates various moral causes and their karmic effects. Examining any of these highly reflective religions would at least address the hypothesis that “reflection does not change values.”
Christianity debates the divinity of Jesus’ body, whether the material universe is fundamentally evil, and whether the Son of God is subordinate to God. The “ultimate shortcut” is a boon for recruitment, but has prevented any moral self-reflection. When your religion is stuck deciding whether or not the things you do to yourself and others impact your morality, you don’t even have a framework to be reflective. Catholicism votes yes (what other belief system has to even spell that out?), but defines morality largely through avoiding and confessing to specific immoral behaviors, rather than debating different ways to achieve broader values.
While we could contrast major religions and debate the impact of their reflective traditions, examining Christianity actually provides a very controlled environment to consider the hypothesis. Because it is naturally devoid of (and in many ways hostile to) reflection on its general social utility, we can contrast Christian life before and after the U.S. Constitution curtailed religious morality and established a highly reflective governing process for civic morality. The ethical and moral progress we’ve made since then—suffrage, emancipation, health, and quality of life - is clear on its face when we don’t try to cherry-pick examples.
How this all relates to the comment you are replying to?