The sudden (and inexplicable to a lot of people) collapse of the global economy has revealed that no-one really knows what’s going on, and as a result, people are turning to religion, directly pleading with supernatural entities to fix things.
I suppose, given that we’ve figured out the motion of heavenly bodies, and that weather is better understood, the economy can now become the focus of religion: it is chaotic and complex, hence not predictable, and it has occasional catastrophic effects on the lives of everyday people. Unlike astronomy and weather, economics is entirely man-made, the sum of the actions of people.
Here’s some examples of religion trying to solve economic problems: Detroit churches asked for “God’s bailout” for the auto industry:
Image from NY Times
And of course, who can forget the incredible sight of evangelical Christians praying to a Golden Bull? As numerous people have pointed out, the last time a bunch of people prayed to a Golden Calf to save the day, things didn’t work out so well… a “stiff-necked people” indeed.
Image from Wonkette
Economics is a mystery cult, not a science
The sudden (and inexplicable to a lot of people) collapse of the global economy has revealed that no-one really knows what’s going on, and as a result, people are turning to religion, directly pleading with supernatural entities to fix things.
I suppose, given that we’ve figured out the motion of heavenly bodies, and that weather is better understood, the economy can now become the focus of religion: it is chaotic and complex, hence not predictable, and it has occasional catastrophic effects on the lives of everyday people. Unlike astronomy and weather, economics is entirely man-made, the sum of the actions of people.
Here’s some examples of religion trying to solve economic problems: Detroit churches asked for “God’s bailout” for the auto industry:
Image from NY Times
And of course, who can forget the incredible sight of evangelical Christians praying to a Golden Bull? As numerous people have pointed out, the last time a bunch of people prayed to a Golden Calf to save the day, things didn’t work out so well… a “stiff-necked people” indeed.
Image from Wonkette