>>1490>if you are religious, then you believe in a metaphysics at all, as in, something more than our base realityEven self-identified atheists do believe in non-observable phenomena that transcend our everday existence e.g. the market, the invisible hand, cooperate personalities, not to mention stuff from theoretical physics that cannot be empirically proven. I prefer to see the secular worldview as akin to a religion itself. It is traditional and has its own particular quasi-theological structure and value system. It just pretends its not one. It hides itself. Other rival systems of belief and morality are boxed in under the name "religions" and some pejorative labels are applied to them, this is designed to cement the secular worldview as the only one allowed to be socially dominant. It would be a mistake to flip this around and simply say "well religions are good and have these positive features" because its buying into a false distinction. The need to confront a secular modernity might bring religious people together, but I think struggling against a common problem isn't really the best way to build a positive solidarity because each religious community relates to the secular worldview in different ways. If you're a Protestant Christian or a Shintoist, it really isn't much of an issue to co-exist with it. If you're a Muslim, a Confucian or an Orthodox Jew you find yourself ostracized. Buddhists seem to be let off the hook, despite their teachings contradicting some secular dogmas (faith in the individual, that the world exists and is permanant etc). I'm guessing this is a mix of orientalist fetishism, lack of conflict between Buddhist communities and the West, and Buddhists being too passive.
