New religions. Will religion ever disappear? Why did the new religion find

The Almighty, by His Will, created His servants and this world, endowed them with innumerable blessings, and commanded them, by His mercy, to observe all the laws of God and be obedient to Him. Observance of God's laws leads a person to happiness in this and the next world, and their violation leads to suffering and torment. To bring and explain His laws, the Almighty sent His chosen servants - prophets to people, so that on the Day of Judgment we would be among the saved and forever become inhabitants of the Gardens of Eden prepared by the Creator for the God-fearing.

All the prophets taught the true faith, the basis of which is Monotheism. All of them asserted: “There is nothing worthy of worship except God alone - Allah”, and called people to Monotheism, bringing to them that there is no accomplice or assistant to the Creator and that He, and only He, has absolute, perfect virtues, and there is nothing like Him. They called for the worship of the Almighty, explaining to people that idols, animals, people are not worthy of worship, because they are created: they have a beginning and an end. There is a widespread misconception that Islam is the newest and youngest religion, and the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) is the founder of Islam. Indeed, it is not so.

The Muslim religion is based on faith in the One and only God, Who is not like anyone and nothing is like Him. In Arabic, this religion is called "Islam", in Russian - "submission", and the word "Muslim" means "a person who is obedient to God alone." Each nation in its own language called religion obedience, and its followers - obedient to God. After the arrival of the last Prophet (‘alayhi-salatu wa-salaam) and sending down to him the Holy Book - the Quran in Arabic, these words naturally began to be used in the language of the Quran. Therefore, Islam is a religion of submission to the Almighty.

Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-salaam) is not the founder of a new religion. He revived the creed of previous prophets and messengers (peace be upon them), which was almost forgotten by people by his arrival. In the entire history of mankind, the Almighty sent about 124 thousand prophets, including 313 messengers (peace be upon them). The first prophet was our forefather Adam ('alayhi-salaam), the last - the Prophet Muhammad ('alayhi-salatu wa-salaam). The messengers who possessed the highest moral qualities than the rest, and the most perfect knowledge, intelligence and patience (ulul-azmi), are the Prophet Muhammad, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), Nuh (Noah) (peace them all). All the prophets knew that the last Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) would come, and there was absolute continuity between all of them. The one who submits to God is obliged to believe in all the prophets and messengers and recognize their mission, otherwise he will not be a Muslim, for just like faith in Allah, faith in His prophets is a pillar of Iman (faith). All the prophets were obedient to God, i.e. Muslims. The Almighty in the Koran commanded those who follow the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salaat wa-ssalam) to believe in Allah and in what was sent down by Him with all the prophets, i.e. The Koran and other Divine Scriptures, and there is no difference between them: they are all Muslim brothers. Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad ('alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) said: “The best words that I and all the prophets before me uttered are:“ La ilaha illallah ”(There is nothing worthy of worship except God alone - Allah, and there is no his accomplice). Therefore, Muslims recognize, believe, love and revere all the prophets.

Yes, it is necessary to recognize all the prophets, but none of them can be deified, for they are the slaves of Allah, created by Him. None of the prophets taught that people worship him or any other creature, because that would be paganism and delusion from which they were saving people.

Why are there so many different beliefs now, if all the prophets professed one religion?

Initially, mankind had one religion - the religion of submission (in Arabic - "Islam"). Prophet Adam (‘alayhi-salaam) worshiped only One God and taught the true faith to his children. Subsequent prophets also urged their peoples to worship the One Creator and be obedient to Him. But after the prophets left this mortal world, some people began to distort the faith, introducing their own views into the scriptures. Some deliberately, for selfish purposes, others because of their ignorance. Thus, various beliefs arose that distorted the true teaching. And whenever people departed from the faith, the Almighty sent them a new prophet in order to direct them on the right path. The first signs of paganism appeared after the departure from this world of the prophet Shis (‘alayhi-salaam) – the son of Adam (‘alayhi-salaam). Then the prophet Idris (Enoch) (‘alayhi-salaam) was sent to instruct the people, then the prophet Nuh (‘alayhi-salaam) and all other prophets. Each of the prophets was sent to any one specific nation, and only the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) was sent to all mankind, completing the mission of prophecy.

Islam is the optimal norms and rules of life on Earth, sent down to us by the Almighty, taking into account all the subtleties of psychology and human capabilities. It consists of two components: creed and Sharia. The foundations of faith: faith in Allah, in His angels, in the Holy Scriptures, in the prophets, in the Day of Judgment and in the predestination of fate has never changed and will not change. The hadith of the Prophet (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) says: “All the prophets are brothers in faith, they have one religion - Islam, and the Laws of God - Sharia - differed from each other depending on time, place and conditions." Indeed, it is so, and it cannot be otherwise. Because if God sent prophets with different knowledge about Himself, then it would be absurd, because it would lead to a different understanding of the Essence of God. Likewise, since God is eternal and all His attributes are also eternal, the knowledge about Him, about His attributes is unchangeable. This means that the foundations of faith were the same, regardless of when they were transferred - at the dawn of mankind to the prophet Adam or in later times to the prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad (peace be upon them). Thus, all the prophets were fellow believers, professing the one true religion and calling people to this. Therefore, even today the true religious dogma should in no way contradict the foundations of the faith of all the prophets and messengers. Therefore, the opinion of some people that “all existing religions with all the contradictions with each other are correct” and that “they were all sent down by the Creator in this form” is incorrect.

As for the laws (i.e. Sharia), only some of them can change over time due to changes in the way of life of people, etc. Therefore, there were different Heavenly Scriptures sent down at different times to different nations.

The basic principles of the laws of all the prophets were the same. For example, the prohibitions on murder, lying, adultery, theft and all other useless or harmful acts in this and the next world remained unchanged. But some rituals and laws of life changed in connection with the development of human society.

Here are some examples:

1. According to the Sharia of Adam (‘alayhi-salaam), believers were required to perform one prayer per day. This instruction survived until the time of the people of Israel. The people of Israel were prescribed two prayers. Nowadays, people are required to perform five prayers a day.

2. In the Shariah of the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam), unlike previous Shariahs, it is allowed to pray in any clean place. Previously, this was allowed only in places specially designated for prayer.

Sharia was given to each new messenger through the Revelation from the Almighty, which annulled some previous laws that ceased to be relevant from that moment on. The last Law, which has already been sent down to the whole world and will be in force until the End of the World, is the Law set forth in the Holy Quran. The Koran, unlike other Scriptures, remained unchanged, since the Almighty Himself promised to keep it until the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) revived the doctrine that was set forth in the Torah, and in the Gospel and in other scriptures. Therefore, the adoption of Islam does not mean at all that a person changes or betrays the faith of his ancestors. On the contrary, he cleanses his faith from distortions and returns to the true religion of his ancestors - the prophets Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, for all previous prophets (peace be upon them) told their communities about the coming of the last Prophet ('alaihi-salatu wa-ssalaam ) and bequeathed to follow him and help him. For example, the prophet Isa (Jesus) (‘alayhi-salaam) said: “O sons of Israel! I am a messenger to you from God, confirming the truth of what was sent down before me in the Torah and proclaiming to you about the Messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad (one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad translated into Russian means "Praised")". This is written in the Koran, and in the Torah, and in the Gospel. In the Bible, the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-salaam) is called the word “Periklitos”, which in exact translation from Greek means “Praised” (i.e. Ahmad). This literally coincides with what the Qur'an says about the address of the prophet Jesus (‘alayhi-ssalam) to the sons of Israel. In addition, closer to the End of the World, by the will of Allah, Jesus (‘alayhi-salaam), who was raised alive and unharmed by the Almighty to heaven, where he remains to this day, will be lowered to earth. He will come to people not as a messenger and not with another Sharia, but as a follower and theologian of Islam to confirm the messenger mission of the last Prophet (‘alayhi-salatu was-salaam). He will call on people to observe the Shariah sent down to the Prophet Muhammad ('alayhi-salatu wa-salaam), and when he dies, they will bury him in the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad ('alayhi-salatu wa-salaam) is buried.

At all times, the prophets and their followers have been waiting for the appearance of the last Messenger - the Seal of all the prophets, just as the current generations are waiting for the appearance of Imam Mahdi. And all the true followers of the prophets Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them), who were waiting for the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam), followed him, because in the Torah and the Gospel they read detailed stories about him. They mentioned character traits Prophet Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam), the place of his appearance, his name, the main provisions of his sermons, etc.

Truth always finds a response in the heart of every impartial person who seeks the truth. Thus, Negus, the king of Christian Ethiopia, accepted the word of truth with which the Messenger of Allah (‘alayhi-salatu wa-salaam) addressed him through the Koran. He called Negus to faith and encouraged him to accept Islam. And the king accepted Islam. His next immortal saying remained: "I testify before Allah that this is the Prophet whom the people who have the Scriptures are waiting for." It entered the annals of history as evidence of the justice of man and another proof that Muhammad (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) was the Prophet and Messenger, who was expected and hoped for the salvation of mankind.
The history of religion, as well as the history of mankind, can be compared with the school system: religion, like the rules of human life, is being improved as human society develops. So, for example, the prophet Adam (‘alaihi-salaam) - the first person on earth - is like the first teacher, and in those ten Scriptures (scrolls) that he received, there were the most necessary knowledge, the ABC of relationships. His son, the Prophet Shis (‘alayhi-salaam), is like a second grade teacher who, having received 50 Holy Scrolls, for the first time gave humanity such concepts as a system of fair government, rules of trade, introduced the concepts of measure and weighing, and began mining. Their descendant Idris (Enoch) (‘alayhi-salaam) is like a third grade teacher who, having received an additional 30 Holy Scrolls, expanded the horizons of his followers. He first introduced the concept of counting, writing, began observing celestial bodies and began to sew clothes. Next, Nuh (Noah) ('alayhi-salaam), Ibrahim (Abraham) ('alayhi-salaam), Musa (Moses) ('alayhi-salaam), Isa (Jesus) ('alayhi-salaam) and, finally, the graduation class and the last teacher - the last prophet, the Prophet of all Prophets - Muhammad ('alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) brought to mankind the completed rules of life, by which people should be guided until the End of the World. It was as if he offered us the questions of final tests and informed us that there would be no more teachers and new subjects and we needed to prepare for the exams. He left us the Koran and hadiths and said that there will be no more prophets: get ready for the Day of Judgment, when the good and bad deeds of each person will be weighed with perfect accuracy and our earthly life will be summed up. And those of us who have more good deeds will be rewarded in Eternal Life, and those who have more bad deeds will be justly punished. This is the whole essence and content of all true religion at all times - to educate, educate and preserve a person - the most beloved and reasonable creation of the Almighty. Prophets were sent for this, and they received instructions in the form of scriptures. Each Scripture confirmed the truth of the previous one and announced the next. Therefore, in one of the sayings of the last Prophet (‘alayhi-salatu wa-ssalaam) it says: “All the prophets are brothers, but their religion is one.” And in the last Holy Scripture - the Quran - there is a verse, the meaning of which is as follows: "Indeed, there is no other religion accepted by the Lord, except the religion of humility and obedience to Him."

In Russian we say "God", in Arabic "Al-Ilyah", in English "God". These are differences in languages, but no more. Speaking of the Creator, each of us calls Him differently, depending on what language he speaks. But "Allah" is given name God and His greatest name.

The Prophet (Nabi) - sent by Allah with new laws (Sharia) is a messenger (Rasul), and he calls the servants of Allah to observe these laws. A prophet who has not received the laws is not a messenger, and he receives a revelation to follow and bring to the people the laws that were revealed to the messenger who preceded him.

From the book "ABC of Islam".

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New religions

Let's start with a paradox: if the emergence of new religions (hereinafter - NR) is an essentially new phenomenon, then this is not a religion. If this is a religion, then this phenomenon is not new. Perhaps it would be more correct to talk about the new in religion. But did something fundamentally new really appear in the religious life of the second half of the 20th century? And can it continue to be new when the 21st century is already in the yard?

Of course, there are socio-psychological signs that some religious formations are still new. The main one, probably, is the irritation and rejection of those who speak in defense of established religious institutions. As in fashion, those who deny the new are the supporters of the old. Well, some of us don’t like yellow monastic robes, but they don’t have any objection to black ones. Although the yellow ones may be older in use in their homeland, and not for one hundred years.

So they explain to you that it's not about clothes. It is only a defiant cover for those who encroach on all our foundations. One of them even killed a man. He gave another bribe to our boss. The third lured property from people who believed in him, and so on. etc. And all this, no doubt, contradicts our mentality. Christianity has dominated our religious sphere for a thousand years, and there has never been anything like it. No, the last sentence is, of course, absurd. But after all, all the accusations against new religions, which have been predominantly heard in the mass media available to us for thirty years, logically lead to it.

On the other hand, the same “new ones” assert their rightness at first without any respect for traditions. Still nothing, having not demonstrated in practice in the sphere of multiplying the merits of human culture, having not passed the fair rigidity of social selection, using the historically established technologies of religious influence and the possibilities of the latest communications, they claim and assert the only possible path(salvation, life) for all people, and, indeed, sometimes not disdaining immoral and illegal means.

It's definitely not about clothes. If the religiously minded critics of the new religions would turn to the beginning of their own history, they would see themselves in the role of those who are condemned now. And if the neophytes of new religions could see their future, then most of them who have this future would be convinced that they most likely “fitted” into the world they wanted to remake, like all other religions.

But the dispute has always gone and goes beyond purely religious discussions. The accusations are reciprocal and the same - at the beginning, we are talking about the social incompetence of the enemy (criminal behavior, mental abnormality, property injustice, etc., etc.), and the conclusion is made about the religious insignificance of the parties. If we summarize the accusations of everyone against everyone in the religious sphere, then the following conclusion can be drawn - religion has no place at all in society, because so much bad has been said about each of them that it’s not worth following them, but in general it is necessary to stop all their activities .

These paradoxes of the modern attitude to the new in religion could be continued, but the task of religious studies, of course, is not reducible only to the relationship between old and new religions, as B. Spinoza, who stood at the origins of the modern philosophy of religion, long ago determined: “Do not laugh, do not cry, but understand. So what is this "new religion"?

Since this phenomenon is new, there cannot be a complete theory. If science begins with the definition of the subject under study, then at present there are at least a dozen of them that deserve attention. As they say, to state the essential features of the phenomenon under study.

The first of the noteworthy classifications of the NR of foreign religious scholars, which became known to us thanks to the incomplete translation of one of the initiators of the study of new religions in the USSR, E.G. Balagushkin, there was a list of alternative religiosity by Theodor Rozzak “Aquarian Frontier” (Border of Aquarius), placed by him in the book “Incomplete Animal” (1975), conveys along with the desire for maximum coverage of contemporary non-traditional religious groups (145 items) and the absolute impossibility of their typification based on a single criterion. In passing, we note that the problem of classifications of religions that have a long history cannot be considered solved in principle either.

T. Rozak classified the new religious movements known to him according to 12 features (grounds). E.G. Balagushkin did not translate all the names, omitting as not worthy of attention those of them that were absolutely not known then in the SSR (1984). Therefore, in our opinion, the translation made by him should be supplemented with those new religions that have become known to us over the past years. Many of them have found their supporters in the post-Soviet space.

"Judeo-Christian Awakenings". There are 6 directions here: New Pentecostals (sects and communes of the Jesus movement), charismatic congregations in the main Christian churches, Chabad hostels, etc.

Eastern Religions: Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantrism, Yoga, Sufism, Yijing, Hari Krishna movement, Transcendental Meditation, Divine Light Mission, Integral Yoga, Ananda Marga, Meher Baba cult, Bahai, Taoist nature mysticism, personal gurus and the mass movement of swamis, Sri Aurbindo, Sri Chinmoy, Bhagwan Sri Rajnesh and others; total 29.

Esoteric Studies: Esoteric Groups (Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, D. D. Bennett, L. A. Bailey); esoteric searches (kabbalism, astrology, alchemy, tarot, magic, geomancy, occult stories (knowledge of Atlantis, etc.), there are 13 items in total;

Eupsychic therapies: Jungian psychiatry, Gestalt psychotherapy, psychosynthesis, Arika, Erhard's seminars, humanistic psychology, transpersonal psychology, etc. 13 items in total;

"Unearthly Healing": acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, hypnotherapy, aura reading, psychic surgery, iridiology, yogic posture therapy, herbology, medical astrology, etc., 18 items in total;

Body therapies: sensory awakening, rollfing, bioenergetics, orgonomy, massage, somatology, oriental military-sport systems of physical exercises, therapeutic athletics (modeled on the Izeilen Institute), 13 titles in total;

Neo-primitivism and paganism: philosophical mythology (Jung, Elliade, J. Campbell), witchcraft and shamanism (in the interpretation of C. Castaneda), voluntary primitivism as a way of life, adaptation of primitive knowledge and rituals;

Organicism: ecological mysticism, cult of natural food, macrobiotics, organic farming (environmentally friendly -Aut.), biorhythmics, fruit diets;

"Crazy Science": altered state of consciousness, biofeedback (biological Feedback), extrasensory and parapsychological studies, psychedelic studies, the Kirlian photographic method, psychoenergetic systems, field life forms, memories of previous lives under hypnosis, visionary physics (the Universe as consciousness), thanatology, etc., 21 titles in total;

Psycho-spiritual and occult groups: Edgar Soyce, Uri Geller, Pyramidology, etc., 10 titles in total;

Psychotronics: media mysticism, brain manipulation with drugs and electricity, etc., 3 titles in total;

Pop culture: pseudo-scientific and metaphysical fiction, UFO (Ufology: cult of saucers and aliens), romanticization of the sword and sorcery (Tolkien and others), 9 titles in total.

According to E. G. Balagushkin, T. Rozzak did not include in this list “more than half of the religious organizations usually included in the six most famous and very active new movements: “Children of God”, “Unification Church” by S.M. Moon and the Church of Scientology R. Hubbard, as well as Kao Dai, which originated in French Indo-China, Umbanda (South America) and Kimbanguism (Africa), and explains why the author did this: does not find in them the expression of a socio-ideological alternative to the ruling bourgeois system - the defining feature of the religious and mystical search glorified by him.

In turn, following in those years in the study of HP, the dominant Marxist-Leninist methodology, the Soviet author evaluates non-traditional religions as "preachers on a large scale of religiosity, irrationalism and mysticism, support for neo-conservatism and right-wing political aspirations."

From the very beginning of the study of new religions in our country, we became aware of their two diametrically opposed assessments, "the wonderful hope of modern humanity (an unfinished animal) and" the sophisticated intrigues of modern religious obscurantism. Both of them do not correspond to the tasks of proper scientific religious studies, the principles of which (objectivity, tolerance, etc.) the majority of Ukrainian researchers of the new religiosity are trying to follow.

In addition to objections to the ideological bias, a number of other claims, of a strictly scientific nature, can be made against both cited authors. After all, anyone who reads the list of T. Rozzak can pay attention not only to its incompleteness, which can hardly be achieved (some researchers already counted up to 3,000 new religions, and it was more important for him to find an alternative to technocratic imperatives) - but also the lack of accuracy in the timing of the appearance of what is actually new in religious consciousness. Although when reading his book it is quite clear that all the religious movements that he characterizes are actively included in the modern sphere of spiritual searches of some part of the Western youth. That is why theosophy and anthroposophy (late 19th - early 20th century), and Zen Buddhism (6th century) and Ufology (second half of the 20th century) are on the same list.

E.G. Balagushkin then proposed to distinguish between the “old” non-traditional religiosity that arose under the conditions of the pre-imperialist stage of the development of capitalism, to which he attributed the denominations of Baptists, Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, Mormons, etc. , the dance of the spirit among the American Indians, or the theosophy, anthroposophy, Vedantism already mentioned above, as well as kao-dai, umbanda, kimbanguism and "new", or modern non-traditional religiosity (under the conditions of state-monopoly capitalism of the second half of the 20th century).

"Millenarian Movements, Cults and Sects:

in the youth protest movement:

• - the movement of Jesus, the sect "Children of God"
• - Hari Krishna Movement, Divine Light Mission
• - Maharaya Ji

in the movements of national minorities:

- "black Muslims", "black Christians" in the USA.

Religious and mystical movements:

TM, "Church of Scientology", "humanistic psychotherapy", occult groups and currents:

feminist religious movements:

• - "New" "State Religions" and "Small Churches"
• - Unification Church Muna Sokka-Gakkai 6 .

The range of coverage of religious movements by E.G. Balagushkin in the socio-political dimension is undoubtedly wider (not only alternative (according to Rozzak) to bourgeois society), but in time - this is the history of Protestantism, which can be started from the 16th century, but, to be consistent, why not include in this "old-new!" religiosity and all religious movements that immediately preceded the Reformation, and so to the rise of Christianity, for example, and all other religious traditions that still feed protest movements in religious life.

It is not for the purpose of criticism that we have cited the first attempts to systematize new religions that have become known among us. The main purpose of our citation of the above-mentioned authors is to demonstrate the range of groups and movements included in the context of non-traditional religiosity at the beginning of its scientific analysis and, accordingly, the difference in assessments of this phenomenon.

After many years of studying non-traditional religiosity, President of the World Society of Religious Studies, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Eileen Barker, in her report at the international conference "Religion and Democracy: Exchange of Experience between East and West" (Vilnius, Lithuania, April 2003) " What are we actually studying? characterized the features of new religious groups, for which, on her initiative, the name “new religious movements” was assigned much earlier:

They can appear in any religion and at the intersection of any of them.

The first generation of believers is formed with a living founder.

Small number of groups.

Atypicality in terms of established social institutions.

The charisma of the founder's personality.

Dichotomous worldview.

hostility from outside.

Changes in dogma and cult.

If we approach the definition of whether this or that religious trend is a new religious movement from these positions, then it is obvious that both in the list of T. Rozzak and in the classification of E.G. Balagushkin, there is already more than one name that does not fall under all the signs proposed by A. Barker. Nevertheless, the very signs outlined by it are very important, because they testify that, on the one hand, all current religions once possessed them, and on the other hand, that the term “new religion” itself receives the agreed terms in religious studies (the life of the leader , first generation, etc.), which can hardly exceed the life of one or two generations in the demographic sense of this concept "25-50 years".

Another well-known researcher of new religious movements, George Chrysides, having tested all three terms included in their names (“new”, “religion”, “movement”), came to the conclusion that “there is no single direct way to determine which of the organizations and movements fall under this category, which are not. The main initial factor in the problematic nature of this issue is the huge variety of not only the groups themselves, but also their types, which scientists, anti-cultists and the media undertake to comment on” 7 . As an experimental one, he offers his own typology of new spirituality.

Spiritual groups that can easily be defined as "neo-religions" or new religious organizations. They arose within the boundaries of a 150-year period, do not belong to the largest world religious organizations and have a stage of development and organization characteristic of a formed religious group. Examples are: the Unification Church, the Family, the Jesus Army, the Soka Gakkai, and the Church of Scientology.

"Spiritual movements" that do not have the typical formal organization of religion, whose followers tend to talk more about spirituality than about religion, and even advocate the idea of ​​organized religion. For example, the movement New age ( new century), and possibly also witchcraft and paganism.

Innovative and reformist groups in the middle of existing organized religions...

A network of interest groups usually associated with spirituality: healing, meditation, visualization, as well as practices that often bear the occult brand: tarot, bondage, channeling ...

Finally, organizations and movements that offer specific services, many of which fall under the term "human potential movement": biorhythms, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) ... Whether this phenomenon is worthy of religious studies is a controversial issue.

Modern religious studies also use socio-psychological typologies of new religions. For example, R. Wallis, who distinguishes among them three groups depending on their attitude to the world:

• 1) those that deny the world;
• 2) those that accept normative goals and values;
• 3) those that adapt to the environment.

The weakness of such classifications lies in their evaluative nature. In addition, in each new group, changes are possible in the course of a fairly short time, both in one direction and in the other, and, finally, believers of any established religion can be divided into the same three groups.

It seemed interesting to us the possibility of applying such a socio-psychological typology to all those who characterize new religions in science, in religious and secular mass media. It is precisely among them that there are scientists, specialists, journalists, theologians:

• 1) those who honor freedom of conscience, recognize the right of believers of new religions to see the world in their own way, criticize it (isn't it for that?), respect their religious feelings and believe that they should be held responsible for possible offenses in accordance with the law, like all other citizens;
• 2) those that partially recognize the rights of citizens professing new religions, but warn that they pose some kind of special threat, therefore, a separate legal regulation of their activities is necessary;
• 3) those that do not recognize human rights, freedom of conscience for members of new religious organizations, do not consider their activities religious, are called "totalitarian sects", "destructive cults".

Throughout the years of independence, the majority of Ukrainian religious scholars adhered to the first position in their approach to the study of new religions. So, for example, in a review of the events of 1993, discussing the still hot events around the “Great White Brotherhood” (YUSMALOS), which was expecting the “end” of the world in November of that year, V. Bondarenko and V. Yelensky very accurately noted that “in the stream publications, almost no one wanted to look at the Brotherhood not from the point of view of law, psychiatry and law enforcement, etc., but precisely as a religious sect” 10 . They gave an example of how the newspaper "Kievskiye Vedomosti" reported, referring to the examination carried out by specialists, that the "brothers" were zombified, and with them the members of the Society for International Krishna Consciousness. The “brothers” were not given the floor in the press, and the Vaishnavas protested this message and added that they did not participate in any examination, but they agree to it and necessarily an international one in order to prove that Vaishnavism is not a “destructive cult”. However, as far as we know, no one has conducted such examinations in Ukraine so far.

A look at the representatives of the Great White Brotherhood of Religious Scholars naturally led them to the conclusion that "The behavior of the 'Yusmalians' is entirely characteristic of new converts who have recently experienced the phenomenon of the so-called 'born again'." It is no less satisfactorily described in works on the sociology and psychology of religion. Finally, for those who have listened and seen the girls crying in entirely respectable churches, singing: “Look at the wounds of Christ, at the crown of thorns”, it is easier to perceive the ecstasy that seized the “Yusmalians” at the appearance of their “Living God”. Abstracting from the personality of the founder of YUSMALOS, ten years ago, Ukrainian religious scholars, like researchers in other countries, asked themselves a question about similar events: “What made the White Brotherhood possible? Socio-economic crisis? But after all, new religions, rumors, movements with apocalyptic philosophy appear like mushrooms after rain, and in the midst of such prosperity that we only dream of. A spiritual crisis and the lack of... thoughtful youth policy? But in the time of Herod, the king of Judea, such a policy was based on millennial foundations, but the spiritual search did not stop ...

Probably something is happening now, as then, with civilization. Philosophers have long been talking about a global orientational crisis and humanity's painful search for new models to explain what is happening. These searches are being conducted more and more intensively in the plane of synthesis of Western and Eastern traditions. It is bitter, however, that some paths in this case lead directly to the abyss” 13 . This group of religious scholars does not have definitive answers to the above question, but the study continues and we will get acquainted with the main results of their research below.

The second group of researchers, still much smaller in terms of the number of publications and influence on religious studies, recognizes the complexity of the phenomenon under study, but proceeds from some presumptions that prevent obtaining objective information about it. Characteristic in this sense is the definition they give to new religions: “A non-traditional or mystical cult… is a religious or mystical organization that is culturally, mentally not rooted in Ukraine, historically not inherited by our people from previous generations, not inherent in its religious spirituality.”

As if non-Ukrainian citizens are members of new religious groups, as if at least one religion has emerged in Ukraine over the past thousand years, because all existing ones were once alien to previous generations. It is noteworthy here that the position of such researchers coincides with that of the neo-pagans, who believe that all the misfortunes of our people are due to the borrowing of the Christian religion “not rooted in mentality, in religious spirituality”, the fore-Ukrainians.

Mentioning a number of reasons that determine the favorable regime for the spread of new religions in Ukraine: their detachment from tradition, incl. and traditional churches, the exceptional activity of foreign missions; financial possibilities, which significantly exceed those of traditional churches; the authors who profess the presumption of a particular danger of NR, in this case, testify that such claims can be made rather not to those religions that are looking for new members, but to those who do it worse, or not at all, having a much larger number of followers , and, accordingly, monetary deductions, at least in our country.

Referring to the speeches of psychologists, whose conclusions have long been challenged by specialists, they are trying to convince us that people who have fallen under the influence of the leaders of new religions experience intellectual disorders, that through psycho-physiological coercion in neo-religions (food bans, sleep restrictions, exhausting work - a picture that describes completely the traditional practice of monastic life) achieve such negative results as: inability to think critically, narrowing of the intellectual and cultural sphere of the individual, limitation of knowledge, skills and abilities related to the cult, regression of the ability to communicate, total hostility to the entire system of functioning of society. Both psychologists and sociologists, some theologians have long noted the general anti-religious pathos of such reasoning. After all, all this is really possible in any religion. And it is quite real that such consequences are somehow due to the desire of any religious doctrine for the total mastery of a person (better hot or cold than warm), but no one will deny that people who come to faith are different in their own way. mental state and that the seeker is hot rather than cold in search of a satisfying spirituality. It would be possible to continue discussions about the nature of the religious phenomenon in general, but we are interested here in the attitude of some researchers specifically towards new religions. If there is not enough (in view of the complete absence) of scientific data on their pernicious effect on the human psyche, then accusations of brainwashing, zombies, the use of "psychotronic weapons" and other immoral and criminal "psychotechnics" used HP to attract new members to their organizations.

A lot of arguments exist to refute the real existence of this kind of "psychotechnics". Let's bring one. If these “psychotechniques” are available to new religions, that is, they exist in reality, then why do politicians spend so much money and time on their election campaigns, why do various companies allocate huge funds to advertise their goods, do politicians and businessmen have less financial opportunities than leaders of new religions, to master these "psychotechniques". Hardly! But they could use them to control voters and consumers by pressing the button of a psychotronic weapon, or by tossing the corresponding dope into food.

Another presumption of this kind of researchers should be quoted in full, because accusations are already being used that need to be proven through the bodies of inquiry and investigation, as well as in court proceedings: “The activities of a significant number of neo-cults were accompanied by massive violations of the law in different countries of the world. Some neo-cults degrade the individual, harm the physical and mental health of the population, violate existing laws, cultivate racist ideologies, practice financial abuse and tax evasion, use drugs, etc.” 15 . How it is in other countries is a special issue, but for more than a decade of the history of the spread of foreign new religions in Ukraine, we have not initiated a single criminal case against them, including in connection with such accusations. There are such offenses in almost all spheres of the life of modern Ukrainian society, and in new religious organizations they are not recorded, apparently, and that is why “For employees of the legislative and executive bodies of Ukraine, the experience of European countries and other states that have long and effectively used a whole range of forms of state intervention: the creation of appropriate framework conditions, educational activities, informing the public about the activities of neo-cults, and, if necessary, warning about their danger, assistance to persons who have suffered harm as a result of the activities of neo-cults, the introduction of protectionist policies in relation to traditional churches as carriers of national culture "16 .

In order to ensure national security, after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, the US government took some preventive measures that violate the rights of citizens, but the Constitution was not changed. We are offered to violate the constitutional rights of citizens, including freedom of conscience (especially in the paragraph “implementing a protectionist policy against traditional churches”, and which, in fact, of more than 150 currently operating in the country) due to the fact that the country is threatened the danger posed by the neo-cults. What threatens the national security of Ukraine from the point of view of such a methodology for researching new religions? Cults can expand their influence, especially those whose activities are accompanied by undermining public order, harming the health and morals of the population, using the above psychotechniques. Some, especially militant ones, can get out of control, which in turn can lead to mass deaths of people, riots and terrorist acts, provoking and aggravating conflicts on religious and ethnic grounds. They can be used by criminal structures to launder "dirty" money, distribute drugs, illegal commercial activities, etc., etc.

Let's ask ourselves what can give rise to confidence that such a threat from neo-religions in Ukraine, in general, should not be perceived as completely unrealistic. Yes, first of all, the history of those very traditional religions, the protectionist policy towards which the authors of this accusation are trying to approve on the part of the state. Religious intolerance is largely to blame for the tragic history of our people. Can it be argued that it is absent in the spiritual practice of the leading religious organizations in our country in terms of the number of followers. Unfortunately no. The influence of the most popular religions is much more significant than the new ones, but for some reason preventive measures must be applied, first of all to them.

Of all the possible threats to Ukraine's national security emanating from new religions, the following is also defined as a sentence: "The activities of non-traditional cults and related political circles of foreign states are aimed at using the religious factor as a means of interfering in the internal and external affairs of Ukraine, penetrating into legislative, executive and local authorities and the media. The spread of destructive ideologies poses a threat to the spirituality of the Ukrainian people” 17 .

Finally, an explanation has been found for why, "we can, we can." How many representatives of new religions are there in the Verkhovna Rada, in other government bodies. Neo-cults that they will invent some special means to infiltrate them, but what about the “administrative resource”? It would be funny if it weren't so sad. On the one hand, we are assured that the West and other countries have gained experience in suppressing the illegal activities of HP, which Ukraine needs to implement, and on the other hand, these same states use, it turns out, the same neo-cults to achieve their anti-Ukrainian goals. However, the final part of the accusation is even more terrible. After all, all or most HPs, according to the authors of the concept, have a destructive ideology that poses a threat to the national mentality and contradicts universal human norms. In general theoretical terms, any ideology can contradict the above-mentioned values, with the exception of the liberal one, during the period when it forms them. But some people can. But the most dangerous ideologies, and this has already been proven by human experience, are precisely those that divide the world into ours and not ours, black-and-white or monochrome-black, most likely. These are those ideologies in which the world is divided into two parts, one of which is a threat to the only true doctrine. We (the main part of the population of modern Ukraine) have lived most of our lives in a bipolar world.

One of the biggest threats to the communist ideology that officially dominated the USSR was religion. The danger emanating from it was argued at the same level as in the works cited in this section, the authors. All these arguments have been preserved, but there is no need to refer to them, because their main focus is used, as we see, now not so much to justify social harm religions in general, but only what is to be expected from new religions. Here it turns out to be an "enemy of the people", but not of the Soviet, of course, but of Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian, from whose "defenders" of national security, some Ukrainian researchers of new religions also learned a lot. In Russia, the state is already implementing a protectionist policy towards the Russian Orthodox Church. Why call for the experience of Europe, where the officially dominant church, as in England, for example, does not oppose the activities of other religions at all, but in fact protects the freedom of conscience in the country. After all, Greece, under the dominance of the Orthodox Church, had to comply with the decision of the European court, which recognized the infringement of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to propagate their dogma as inconsistent with the legal values ​​of Europe.

There were, of course, cases in European and other countries of criminal prosecution of representatives of new religions. But it is interesting that only non-believers were in prison with them, and Catholics, for example, or Orthodox, are generally exempted from legal liability on the basis of belonging to specific religions, and from Muslims in Europe, probably, no one was noticed in offenses at all. Does the criminal activity of certain believers cast a shadow on those religions with which they identified themselves before committing illegal acts? This issue must always be resolved specifically, depending on how the offense is motivated by religious beliefs shared by other members of a religious organization. Is there at least one of the new religious organizations operating in Ukraine whose creed would call for those terrible atrocities of which they are accused.

Of course not. And the fact that criminal elements can also use these organizations, who will deny? But after all, they are most often and most of all represented not at all in the new religious ones, and not only in religious ones, but in other public, party, sports, and so on. organizations. Is it necessary to introduce some kind of separate legal regime for some party (especially new) or sports organizations, create special supervisory bodies, etc.? etc. from what the defenders of the national security of Ukraine from HP offer. And most importantly, because any criminal organization can threaten the security of Ukraine. we repeat, it can only threaten whether it is necessary to change the Constitution and deprive citizens of the declared, at least, rights and freedoms. Probably still not possible.

Finally, the third group of Ukrainian NR researchers is the smallest of those who claim to be a "religious scholar". No matter what scientific reasoning they go into, repeating mainly the argument of the 2nd group, you will always find in them judgments of the type: “new religions and their leaders differed and differ today in their propensity for fanaticism and hatred for non-believers. All of them are in opposition to the official churches” 18 .

If we turn to the variety of new religions presented in the Rozzak list, then there is not a single organization in it that has the above-mentioned trait of hatred of other faiths. In Ukraine, thanks to the Constitution, there is still no official (translated into Russian - state) church, so there is no one to oppose the new religions. Due to the bias of such statements, they could not be cited at all, but after all, their supporters also write textbooks in which they pose such questions to students: “Why do many of the non-traditional religions use the practice of manipulating human consciousness and exercise strict total control over their members? How, in your opinion, should the state and society treat this: fight this phenomenon as socially dangerous, or adhere to the principles of not violating the freedom of conscience of citizens and separating church from state?” The very posing of the question requires the student to immediately stop adhering to the principles of non-violation of the freedom of conscience of citizens and the separation of church and state. But is it not possible, observing all these principles, to stop public danger in each specific case by the measures provided for by laws, if such is brought by the competent authorities in accordance with the same laws. Why should the Constitution be repealed for every offense? We will not repeat ourselves, because the deniers of freedom of conscience do not present any special argumentation. religious convergent rationalization cult

We are not members of HP. We are not supporters of their beliefs, but we were brought up in a Judeo-Christian civilization, we honor the values ​​​​created and realized by it at the political and legal level in the second half of the 20th century, first of all, human rights, the main of which is freedom of conscience. And if someone opposes this freedom, whether he is a believer of any old or new religion or an atheist, we consider it necessary to speak out in its defense. Freedom of conscience cannot be limited. Yes, there is always a risk that someone, including those from new religions, can use it for bad purposes. But what about those who do not even think of abusing it. How to find out if freedom is already fettered. According to the well-known tale, in which we are talking about the fact that the most The best way catch six lions - catch ten and release four. Something similar is offered by advocates of restricting human rights in relation to people who profess NR., if they sincerely admit that not all neo-religions are “destructive”.

And how and who can determine whether this or that religion is destructive. In a modern state, it is customary in problem situations to rely on the conclusions of experts. All expert examinations in Ukraine that investigated the dogma and activities of the NR operating in our country did not confirm any of the accusations made in the works of some researchers cited above. It is easy to imagine the conclusions that can be drawn by experts who are prejudiced against HP.

We will not describe in detail the activities of sectarians, because they are not representatives of scientific thought. As we understand freedom of conscience, it allows theologians to be apologists for their own religion and criticize others, not to consider their religion correct, good, but rather to insist on their own rightness, respecting religious feelings, the dignity of the personality of fellow citizens. But the majority of Orthodox sectarians read and refer, for example, to the books of A. Dvorkin, who collected all the real and imaginary cases of moral and illegal behavior of NR believers from all over the world and called them all “totalitarian sects”, obviously following the commandments “love your neighbor” and “ do not judge” in a peculiar interpretation, for everywhere he speaks on behalf of the Orthodox, that is, the Christian Church.

Theologians who follow this way of covering the activities of the NR and guided by the principle of reverse analogy, construct in the mass consciousness the image of not so much a “new” as an “alien religion”. Experience in this kind of constructions sectologists do not hold. Before the revolution of 1917, Orthodox researchers accused Russian sectarians of what sins (cannibalism, ritual murders, sinful sin, etc.) and with what enthusiasm militant atheists picked up the baton of slander from them, adding to all the sins also the protection of the interests of the ruling classes , and then kulaks and, finally, anti-Sovietism, but endowing all believers with this quality. IN last years of its academic existence, “scientific atheism” has moved away from sweeping accusations of all believers, focusing on the fact that there are fanatics and extremists among them, and most of them are people loyal to the Soviet state, which did not have a noticeable effect on some NR researchers brought up in previous assessments .

Obviously, the attribution of all kinds of atrocities and vices to religious minorities has its own epistemological and psychological background. As A. A. Panchenko notes, who for the first time demonstrated an impartial study of whips and eunuchs, explaining the nature of pre-revolutionary slander, "... the mechanism of constructing a" foreign religion "came into play, based on the projection of inverted and repressed meanings and connotations inherent in ritual forms" their "religious and cultural life".

Simply put: by principle, everything that is considered “good” in “our” religion is absent or considered “bad” in “their religion”, and, conversely, what is condemned by us is welcomed by “them”.

As the results of our content analysis of almost all newspaper publications for 1995-2000 showed, most of the mass media distributed in Odessa and the Odessa region rewrite the plots, arguments and conclusions of opponents of freedom of conscience, for the most part use the conclusions of not scientists, but sectologists. Since the bulk of the population draws information about HP from the mass media, we will briefly highlight the results of our study 21 .

between 1995 and 2000, most publications in the secular media contained material that contributed to the creation of a negative stereotype of the representatives of HP, their teachings, practices and organizations;

from the beginning of the formation of a negative image of HP and today, the media use the publications of foreign anti-cultists and give the word more often to those who are hostile to neo-religions in our country, mainly citizens who suffered from the fact that their relatives were converted to HP, and representatives of others in first of all Orthodox, religions;

all the slanders and negative characteristics of HP in the media can be grouped in such a way as to single out from the totality of accusations their main bias towards denial of the presence of religious content in the activities of HP as such. The accusations used for this purpose can be reduced to four groups:

I. Committing intentional crimes (including grave and especially grave crimes up to murder).

II. Encroachment on the freedom and health of new converts.

Sh. An attempt to destroy the foundations of statehood, social structure, religious and cultural traditions.

IV. Other offenses that negatively characterize the specifics of the organizational structure, ritual experience and cult practice of HP (financial fraud, tax evasion, etc., etc.).

In such publications, a type of logical tricks dominates, which leads to a distortion of the image of HP in the secular media - “expansion of the term”, which looks like this in journalistic practice:

in a negative act or offense committed by a representative of one of the NR communities, all adherents of this religion are accused;

if the offenses were committed by any one criminal organization under the slogan of NR, all NRs are accused;

negative actions and offenses that took place in some NRs are qualified as a characteristic of all religions new to Ukraine;

all other religions, to which the author of the publication does not belong to the adherents, are accused of constant offenses and immoral acts, which in logical discourse can lead to the denial of religion in general.

From a legal point of view, the presence of such logical tricks makes it possible to determine that in the legal consciousness of those who create the image of HP in Ukrainian society, the principle of “objective imputation” dominates, according to which the mere belonging to HP is a crime and leads to criminal liability.

The formation of a negative stereotype of the perception of HP in the public mind by distorting their image in the media offends the feelings of the believers of these religious communities, contributes to inciting hatred on religious grounds, testifies to the ignorance of the authors, and even deliberate lies; violates the law on freedom of conscience and speech; poses a certain threat to democratization and the establishment of tolerance in Ukrainian society, and therefore is no less a dangerous social phenomenon than just the alleged threat from the spread of certain HPs.

The phenomenon of non-traditional religiosity as a convergent process in the second half of the 20th century. What can be considered relatively or absolutely new in religion in the previous period of its development? Now the term "convergence", used in its entire lexical completeness (primarily in the meanings of "similarity", "rapprochement" and "merger") can be applied to characterize and classify the processes that have formed or acquired a new actual expression in religious life in the second half of the XX century: acceleration, actualization of social doctrines, actualization of eschatology, Americanization, veltization, virtualization, globalization, dialogue, consumerism, modernism (postmodernism), new religious movements, paxization, privatization, rationalization of cult practice, revivalism, growth of inclusivism, secularization, syncretism, scientism, modern religious pluralism, unification of exotericization, tolerance, feminization, fundamentalism, charismatization, egosintonization, exotericization, ecumenism.

Acceleration- (from lat. acseleratio - acceleration). Against the general background of the acceleration of the development of various aspects of religious reproduction (an increase in the number of believers, an increase in the number of new prayer buildings, an increase in the number of pilgrims, etc., etc.), a special characteristic of acceleration in the religious sphere is the unprecedented early rapid achievement by some of the NRs of the status of world religions (based on accessibility of the cult, rejection of ethnocenrism and geographical distribution): ISKCON, Unity Church, Transcendental Meditation, Scientology, etc.

Americanization. The term was proposed by the German scientist R. Hummel in 1988 to characterize the modern religious situation precisely in connection with the American origin of most HPs. He noted the fact that even the prophets of Eastern cults are becoming known in Europe through American culture. Europe produces and exports ideologies, but it imports religions, mainly from the USA 22 .

Actualization of social doctrines. The obvious connection of many religious traditions with the dominant ideologies of the 20th century (from fascism to liberalism). The search by religious traditions for their place in modern society through the creation of appropriate social doctrines (in which one can see both the influence of secularization and a kind of “secularization”) served as one of the conditions (as opposed to) for choosing a purely religious perception of reality. Probably, and therefore, almost all HPs do not develop social doctrines, although certain concepts of the social structure are visible, but offer an individual way of salvation. Of course, in the conditions of an antagonistic world, HP expressed its ideological preferences (Moon's anti-communism is known, for example, he personally was among the first HP leaders legalized in the USSR in the last years of MS Gorbachev's rule).

Actualization of eschatology. A certain part of the HP is the so-called "doomsday" groups that foreshadow the near end of the world, and sometimes bring it closer to the onset of such actions as suicide ("People's Temple" - for example), or murders (like Aum - Shinrikyo). Such tragedies not only deserve unconditional condemnation, but also attempts to understand the social situation that drives religious people to commit pernicious deeds and atrocities.

Veltization- (from German die Welt - world) - direction in the activities of representatives of various religions to create a worldwide organization that would unite all existing doctrinal traditions on the basis of overcoming the historically existing alienation. The most striking example of this convergent process is the activity of the Parliament of World Religions, established in 1993 in Chicago (USA), in which representatives of HP (Sri Aurobindo, WICCA, Emergence of Maitreya, etc.)

Virtualization- (from English virtual reality - potential, possible = reality, reality - imaginary reality). HP, like all religions, is actively exploring cybernetic space: by opening their addresses and pages, advertising their activities on display screens. In addition, new “online” religious movements are emerging, numbering several hundred or even thousands of supporters from among regular net users (religions of cyber culture: cyber evangelists, for example, etc., “online” horrors, M.K. Church, Rochambeau, technosophy, etc.). This also includes proposals for the creation of a computer God.

Globalization. Among other phenomena that characterize the all-planetary level of development of religious life, one can also include NR, since they were formed both in the bosom of specific religious traditions that have long been recognized for their status of “world religions”: Christianity (Jews for Jesus, etc.), Buddhism (Zen -Buddhism, etc.), Islam (New Muslims, etc.), and on the basis of syncretism (Unity Church, etc.), traditional, widespread beliefs and practices (yoga from Hinduism, for example, etc.). HPs are present in almost all regions of the world and the reaction to their activities is also taking on a global character.

Dialog. Initially perceived solely as an object of criticism from traditional religions, NRs, firstly, allowed these religions themselves to look at themselves in a new way, because in a certain respect they were the result of the development of previous religiosity, and secondly, some of the NRs are trying to include supporters the maximum number of believers of other religions (missionary impulse, see also the rise of inclusivism) and are ready to conduct a dialogue for this with any tradition, thirdly, NRs expanded the number of participants in the dialogue, fourthly, they became an indicator of readiness for a real dialogue of previous traditions, fifthly, they demonstrated (some NRs) - unwillingness to participate in the dialogue, sixth, they have become an element of the pluralistic public consciousness of the new era and thereby exacerbated the very problem of the need for mutual understanding - the path to which dialogue is today, and, seventhly, NRs participate not only in a dialogue with previous traditions, but also lead it among themselves.

consumerism. Undoubtedly, all HPs spread around the world not only, respectively, their creeds, but also some standards of the cultural environment where they received a passionate impulse. In countries that are new to them, they offer a way of self-affirmation that is primarily characteristic of the United States (advertising, bookselling, office equipment, musical culture, etc., etc., including the self-evident status of free worship, free acquisition of real estate, mass media, etc.). In fact, they irritate their religious opponents with this - not only with heterodoxy, but also with an unusual way of life.

Modernism (postmodernism). NRs are, on the one hand, the development of religious modernism (one of its practical incarnations along with changes in traditional beliefs and practices) and its denial, being, on the other hand, an expression of postmodernism in religious life. If we talk about the specific historical framework of postmodernism, then its beginning can be attributed precisely to those 60-70s. years, when new religious movements appeared in droves.

New religious movements. In itself, the formation of the NR is a convergent process, because it reveals the similarities inherent in religious traditions (including all the features of this social phenomenon identified by religious studies). The spread of new religious movements around the world shows that the needs they satisfy are global in nature. And we are talking about distribution in all types of societies where they are not prohibited. This can also be regarded as one of the evidence of the fundamental commonality of mankind. Successful HPs demonstrate the ability to effectively use the opportunities for their activities of the means that appeared in the second half of the 20th century (mass media, freedom of conscience, a high subsistence level, education, etc.) by the convergent processes that we are talking about here. They, too, can be seen as successful users of traditional religious techniques, and as creators of new religious technologies. Although most HPs are already part of our past, they can also be considered as one of the possible models for the future development of religion.

Paxization- (from lat. pax - world). The acquisition of the status of world religions, the path that is now open to almost any religious tradition, as noted above, in contrast to those centuries that were once required to reach this level of religious reproduction for only three religions generally recognized in this capacity (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam), was accelerated for HP ( acceleration). It also turned out to be accelerated in comparison with the millennia of existence for Hinduism, for example, Tao and other traditions habitually attributed by our religious studies to national-state religions. However, in many cases of distribution outside their region, they can be perceived precisely as NR.

Privatization. HPs are also involved in this convergent process, because they increase the choice of the privatizer, and in some regions they also form the corresponding situation of choice. By itself, the position of the individual, expressed by the attitude to religion as a private matter, can also be characterized as an NR.

Rationalization of cult practice. The initial perception of Eastern religious practices by most of their supporters was perceived from the point of view of a rational justification for the need for physical exercises (yoga), self-defense (wushu, for example), diets (vegetarian, mainly, as in ISKCON, for example).

Revivalism. HP is now an indisputable argument in favor of the religious revival that really took place after the Second World War. HP in this revival has its own features, reflecting some of the new needs of believers that they could not satisfy in traditional religions. Now some traditional beliefs have begun to satisfy these needs.

The Rise of Inclusivism. The proselytizing inclinations of the HP, of course, even oblige them to: provide the opportunity to participate in the worship of all comers; appeal to the population, for the most part, adhering to other religious traditions, or not professing any; recognition of the possibility of salvation for believers of other religions. Of course, there are exceptions, but only for a number of HPs whose activities are of an extremist nature.

Secularization. HP can be viewed as a reaction to secularization, and, in some aspects, as a manifestation of secularism, as a new feature of religiosity, which is taking hold in a secular society and therefore reproducing some of its characteristics (freedom of religion, access to the media, etc., etc.). )

Syncretism. There are HPs that can be entirely attributed to syncretic religions (the Church of Unity, for example). Although, according to some researchers, it would be more correct to speak about the eclecticism of the new dogmas, than about the organic unity of the views on the world they preach.

Contemporary religious pluralism. HPs contributed to the formation of precisely the religious pluralism that is inherent in modern society, almost doubling, if not tripling (according to various estimates), the number of active religious beliefs and practices.

scientism. On the one hand, this convergent process characterizes the reconciliation of science and religion (meaning the smoothing of political, ideological confrontation), on the other hand, the emergence of scientically oriented beliefs (UFOs, for example) and practices (Scientology).

Unification of exotericization. A convergent process in modern religious life, which characterizes the same opportunities provided by democratic states in proselytism, missionary work to all religious organizations. Of course, the success of some HPs demonstrates the effectiveness of using new means of self-affirmation, what is called above new religious technologies.

Tolerance. The success of some HPs became possible, first of all, due to the formation of tolerant relations in a multicultural society in interreligious coexistence. In a certain sense, it is in relation to HP that one can state the presence or absence of religious tolerance in the country. In the latter case, they can serve sociologists as an indicator of social tension in society as a whole. A number of HPs are examples of intolerant behavior, but this is nothing new in the history of religions.

Feminization. In an organizational sense, a feature that is little manifested in the HP hierarchies, but the role of women in the family, community, society is noticeably stipulated as exceptional, significant, etc.

Fundamentalism. Theoretically and practically all fundamentalist attitudes can be considered as new and attributed to the NR, but only if the believers themselves break with the religious organization in which they were formed, or she with them. In addition, a significant part of the HP claims to better understand and reproduce the previous beliefs and practices.

Charismatization. Here we can distinguish new charismatic religious organizations (60s of the XX century) as part of the NR, as well as the fact that some NRs are imbued with the same spirit and reproduce religious practices characteristic of earlier charismatic associations (Pentecostals, formed at the beginning of the last century , for example).

Egosyntonization- (from the Greek ego - I, sintes - connection, addition). HP in their practice take into account the growth of the personal principle in the worldview modern man, as evidenced by various methods individual work with the convert. Now an individual approach to believers is again in the price of many traditional churches.

Exotericization- (from the Greek eхoterinos - external). Of course, if any "secret doctrine" is published in mass editions, then there can be no question of any esotericism in modern religious life. There is secrecy in internal activities, there are stages of access to various creeds and practices, but accessibility, purely informational, removes the very level of esoteric perception of religious teaching. All this, of course, also applies to the NR, which in a certain sense contributed to the exotericization of modern religious life.

ecumenism. Since this process characterizes the search for unity within the framework of the Christian tradition, it obviously refers to the NR only in that part of them that associate themselves with Christianity. One can state ecumenical tendencies in relations, for example, between some Protestant denominations and movements like "Jews for Jesus".

New religions in Ukraine. We used to think that the main historical and demographic features of HP in the West can be considered the following:

• 1) appearance in the USA or Western Europe;
• 2) in 60-70 years. 20th century;
• 3) mainly in the youth environment;
• 4) representing the middle class;
• 5) with higher than secondary education.

Unlike, say, world religions that originated in the East, spread among the needy and burdened of all ages and for the most part little or no educated people. Now, when in the same Western societies, some HPs have become part of the establishment, have lost their former alternativeness, it can be argued that the previously identified signs that HPs were endowed with only revealed the main changes in the religion of Western civilization in general. Indeed, now, where in society the majority of the population belongs to the middle class, then a significant part of believers of all religions will belong to it, secondary education in all countries is mandatory and the path to higher education is much easier, therefore, among believers, as in a separate group, the level education has also grown. In general, age is a temporary concept, and in many HPs that began their activities in the 60s and 70s, representatives of three generations now come to meetings.

When talking about the presence of charismatic leaders in HP, then most of the founders of Western neo-religions have already died. In addition, leaders of other religions, in any case, also have charismatic features (for many Catholics and not only for them - Pope John - Paul II, for Americans - Martin Luther King, for some Orthodox in Ukraine - Metropolitan Filaret (Denisenko), etc. etc. If they point to the syncretism of beliefs, which we wrote about above, then in the modern world there is a very high percentage of Christians who believe in karma, for example, or use the services of astrologers, healers, etc., which is condemned by official Christianity, although it accompanies it throughout history.And the spread of world religions would not have been successful if they did not include in one form or another some religious ideas and practices that were previously common in the areas of distribution.

Each individual attribute that religious scholars attribute to new religions, of course, indicates their presence in religious life as such. But if a new religion appears, then, obviously, one should speak of the cumulative effect of the totality of such signs in a concrete historical situation.

By the 90s of the last century, an environment conducive to the spread of HP developed in Ukraine as well. The collapse of the USSR, in which they were persecuted, accompanied by severe, extremely negative consequences for the inhabitants of the entire post-Soviet space, has not yet been overcome in most states that have formed on its territory, and therefore, it seems, there is no need to describe the socio-economic situation in our country by who lives in it, and even studies in many other disciplines. But we consider it necessary to mention this, firstly, because such a collapse did not occur in any of those Western countries where for the first time new religions announced themselves to the whole world. And this is already a difference, and secondly, many researchers refer to these circumstances (economic crisis, political instability, "spiritual vacuum", etc.) when explaining the reasons for the spread of HP in our country. Undoubtedly, the influence of such circumstances on all modern processes in Ukraine, but if on everything, it means that on religions in general and on new religions as well.

All known statistical data point to a very small percentage of the population that became followers of HP (see Appendix II). Most of the citizens identify themselves with the religions that existed in the country before perestroika. Obviously, here you can find the second difference in the spread of HP in Ukraine from the countries where they originated - there they were “alternative” religions, which, due to their novelty, opposed themselves to those religions that appeared earlier. In our country, in the era of the USSR, almost all religions were "alternative" in relation to the officially dominant communist ideology.

New religions, at the beginning of their spread in independent Ukraine, were more prepared to operate under the conditions of the proclaimed freedom of conscience than officially registered religious organizations in the USSR, accustomed to leadership from above. During that period (late 80s, early 90s) they had mostly positive and laudatory publications in all mass media.

Favorable conditions did not last long, and, almost after the Kiev events around the White Brotherhood, and then after the tragedy in the Tokyo subway (several criminals from Aum-Shinrikyo poisoned people who had gathered at the station in 1995. The trial of the leader of the organization continues to this day) , the negative traits described above began to dominate in the press.

The secular press, however, did not change the then-formed tradition, a predominantly positive story about history and modern activities dominating the number of believers in our country religions. If it were not for conflicts within the latter, then, of course, their image in society would be much better, although even now, among all social institutions, Ukrainians (from 45 to 50% according to many polls) prefer the church. In the latter circumstance, there is one more feature of the distribution of HP in our country.

In addition, in Ukraine, as nowhere else where they first appeared, there was not such a number of unbelieving people. It was for their souls, in the first place, that there was competition between old and new religious associations. An interesting insight into the situation around the appeal Soviet people in new religions demonstrated S. Averintsev. He recalled the great dispute for the immortal soul of Adam Kozlevich Ostap Bender with the priests Kushakovsky and Moroshek (I. Ilf and E. Petrov "The Golden Calf"), and accurately noted that Adam Kazimirovich: ”, ... because he received a religious education, which consisted in protecting the educated person from the possibility of encountering a different point of view. The aplomb and unaccustomed words of the commander caused shock among the clergy, replacing all arguments. Kozlevich's grandchildren received an atheistic upbringing, that is, they were protected from the opportunity to listen to a seriously expressed religious point of view. As a result, it is enough for them to say something about Shambhala or Krishna in an impressive tone for the shock effect to do away with their atheism just as it did with their grandfather's religiosity. The mechanism described by Ilf and Petrov works again, only in the opposite direction. And lecturers, who from decade to decade repeated the exclamation of the great strategist in the same intonation, are still perplexed why he succeeded, but they did not, and do not want to understand that it was they who prepared an easy catch for the first occultist who came across.

The next difference between the spread of HP in Ukraine and other countries is determined by the fact that our country has its own new religious groups, the most famous of which was the Great White Brotherhood. Yuri Krivonogov became the organizer of the group and the original author of the doctrine. Prior to that, he headed (1988) the Institute of Man in Kyiv, whose main task was to create a philosophy of integral self-realization of a person based on interreligious synthesis, the use of non-traditional methods of healing and self-improvement, without any special education (medical, humanitarian, etc.). His first brochures and lectures on bioenergetic possibilities human body were more occult than scientific.

Later, an eclectic mixture of all the religious and scientific knowledge that became available to him turned into a constantly corrected, changing teaching, in which the declaration of himself as Yuoan Swami and his wife (Maria Tsvigun) Mary the Virgin Christ - the living goddess (1990) originally took a particularly important place. Such a turn in the development of Krivonogov's understanding of life implies a refusal to recognize other gods, and the social order (disorder) arranged by them as a whole. If not for this, maybe he would have achieved the fame of a healer, like A. Kashpirovsky and A. Chumak, who flourished in those same years, or he would have become a pseudo-academician of which there are many now (eonics, parapsychology, psychotornics, etc. etc. . knowledge), or with his characteristic temperament, would organize a business on the craving of the people for the outlandish, or would be, as before, a programmer, it is now difficult to imagine. One can now sympathize with a man who spent many years in prison, where he was treated as most prisoners are treated, and sometimes worse. In a short period (in the historical dimension) of time, he went from the “living God” to the “excommunication” from the church he created (1994), and the independent rejection of everything that comes from the doctrine and organization he left behind. A critical event for the entire future fate of Y. Krivonogov was the proclamation by him of the date of the murder by the “beast” (Ukrainian law enforcement agencies) of himself and the goddess on November 21, 1993 in Kyiv. As rightly noted by V.V. Grinko: “The capture of St. Sophia Cathedral on November 10, 1993 by a group of members of the brotherhood, led by their leaders, was the logical conclusion of their plan. The action was carried out "to confirm the scriptures" regarding holding "on the eve of the Last Judgment" a prayer service in honor of Mary Devi Christos. For she identified herself with Sophia (the Wisdom of God) and believed that St. Sophia Cathedral was dedicated to her.” 24

Without killing anyone, the law enforcement agencies arrested all the participants in the action, who, in protest, obeying the instructions of their leaders, declared a dry hunger strike until November 25, when Maria Tsvigun began to eat herself, and called on fellow believers to do so. In the following year, most of the supporters of the White Brotherhood broke with him, the activity of the group, which numbered about 1000 converts during its heyday, significantly decreased and was reduced to protecting the leaders who found themselves behind bars, and subsequently to the process social rehabilitation their doctrine and practice.

The one who followed the events that took place on the eve and on the day of the "Last Judgment" on November 10, 1993. in Kyiv, he became an eyewitness not just of a police reprisal against presumptuous members of one of the religious organizations, he became a witness to another tragedy of the Ukrainian people. It consisted not only in the rude actions of the police, who beat young men and women, chained them with handcuffs to radiators; not so much in the position of the authorities, who were unable to oppose the newly-born prophets with anything but force, and they would hardly have heeded any arguments then, but in how the Ukrainian society itself reacted to the acts of the “Yusmalians” and law enforcement agencies. It did not include a single institution of civil society capable of offering a non-conflict solution to the problem and preventing negative consequences. Only "brothers" were guilty. And in the best traditions of the Inquisition, the press accused them all of everything, including direct links with the devil.

Two years later, something similar happened again on the same Sofiivska Square, but this time with a religious organization that claims to be the most traditional church in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate. During the burial of Patriarch Volodymyr (Romanyuk) on the square, the members of this religious association were also dispersed by the police, but unlike the supporters of the White Brotherhood, they had much more trouble in Ukrainian society. more sympathizers, which once again confirms the thesis about the selectivity of our religious and legal consciousness, forgiving our own what seems monstrous in "strangers".

In 1997, V. Yelensky published an article “White Brotherhood as a textbook on the sociology of religion”, in which, using the example of the development of events in the history of the “Yusmalians”, he characterized the main features of the new religiosity, without resorting to explanations of their success rejected by science by “zombie”, “brainwashing” ”, “financing from abroad”, etc., which has not lost its relevance even now, since it is this organization that still serves as the basis for falsifying the activities of HP in Ukraine 25 .

Another of the new Ukrainian religions - RUNvera was founded by L. Silenko in America in 1965. An attempt to create a religion that meets the mentality of the Ukrainian people has not yet found a large number of supporters in our state, and those who followed the new teacher demonstrated one feature of this mentality is quite definite: "After Bohdan and Ivan, everyone went to the hetman." It seems to us that the splits are caused in the sphere of Rodnovers, among other circumstances, by the fact that in teachings of this type people are inspired that their people, in this case the Ukrainians, are located where the origins of civilization are located. The claim to national exclusivity is often accompanied by the perception of oneself as an exceptional person. However, in this faith and in others there is much in common with the fate of religions in Ukraine. Calling his teaching Native Ukrainian National Faith, the founder demanded from his followers that they do not recognize any other deities, including the gods of the ancient Russian pantheon. And Dazhbog, left as a worship, has nothing to do with the information about him that is known to historians of the religion of pre-Christian Russia. Mainly because there was no monotheistic faith among the fore-Ukrainians. L. Silenko founded such a religion, and yet it can be argued that it was mainly through Christianity that the idea of ​​God as one and only was fixed in the Ukrainian mentality. Although this is all, as with other peoples, does not exclude the preservation in one form or another of the previous faith 26 .

Of course, another difference in the spread of new religions in Ukraine was the absence of a middle class. And now, at the crowded meetings of HP preachers, one can often see sick and poor people who came in the hope of being healed, and even eating what they give. Young people get involved in free hobby groups ( foreign language, programming, etc.), and that is to say, consumerism, which we wrote about above, has found its expression, and in our country, the percentage of disadvantaged people is still high.

Summarizing the results of the study of neo-religions in our country, N.P. Dudar and L.A. Filippovich rightly asserts: “The emergence and spread of neo-religions in Ukraine is part of the global religious process. Therefore, it is natural that domestic new religious trends have inherited the features inherent in the NRM (new religious movements - Auth.) in any country: non-denominationalism, polyconfessionalism, syncretism, mobility, denationalism (with the exception of neo-paganism), orientation towards a common mystical experience, openness to followers different religions and religious-philosophical systems, etc.” Today, the combination of these features can be considered another feature of the spread of HP in Ukraine, because none of them received in other countries formed on the territory of the former Soviet Socialist Republic at the beginning of their active (10-15 years) activity the possibility of manifesting all these features . Which undoubtedly testifies that the Ukrainian people, precisely by their mentality, turned out to be much more receptive to the processes taking place in the religious life of the world as a whole 27 .

In the same book, N.P. Dudar and L.A. Filippovich, offer a genetic typology of the whole variety of religions active in Ukraine, referring them to one group or another, depending on the previous traditions within the boundaries of which they arose:

neo-Christianity and near-Christianity;

neo-orientalism;

theosophical, esoteric communities and neopaganism;

scientology;

psychotherapeutic currents.

For example, the authors refer to neo-Christianity both those associations that fall under the signs of neo-religions: the Mother of God Church, new charismatics, etc., and those that are new only for Ukraine: Mormons, the New Apostolic Church, the Salvation Army. This classification is followed by the majority of Ukrainian religious scholars (see Appendix I, II.) But in this case, in the United States, Orthodoxy, which has now received a powerful incentive to spread, can also be considered as a new religion, although in general an attempt to classify new religions based on previous their sources deserves attention, as, for example, we habitually connect the appearance of historically early religions with the beliefs that preceded them.

But after all, they (Christianity, for example) are absolutely not reducible to the sources from which they came, they were precisely new religions. Of course, from the standpoint of science, we cannot even imagine what new religion will become so significant for people, what Christianity has become in two thousand years since the birth of the founder Jesus Christ or Islam after Muhammad. We cannot scientifically substantiate the future of world religions, because for this we must believe that the future is generally possible for humanity if it does not unite to solve global problems, and such an association is still hindered by the division of people along religious lines, if it is accompanied by disregard for others old or new faiths.

More and more people around the world believe that life ends with death. There is no God, afterlife or Divine plan. And this worldview is gaining momentum, despite the lack of joy in it. In some countries, atheism has never been as popular as it is now.

Of course, so far atheists are not in the majority, but their number is constantly increasing. Could it be that this situation is a harbinger of the coming extinction of religion? Could it be that a religion that has not given up its positions for thousands of years will now disappear forever?

Why do atheists appear?

The future is unpredictable, but studying everything we know about religion—including why it came out on top among people and why some people keep the faith while others don't—could be a hint at how our relationship with God will develop in the coming decades.

Scientists are trying to find common causes that lead a person or an entire nation to atheism, and they managed to identify several common features. The attraction of religion is that it gives a sense of security in the world. Not surprisingly, most atheists are in those countries that can provide their citizens with economic and political stability.

Crisis of Faith

Japan, UK, Canada, South Korea, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, France, Uruguay - these are the places where a hundred years ago religion was very important. But now you can see the lowest percentage of believers in the world there. These countries have developed a reliable system of education and social security, a low level of inequality among the population. In general, people are less afraid of what awaits them.

Nevertheless, a crisis of faith is also taking place in places that have hitherto been religious - in Brazil, Jamaica, Ireland. Very few countries are more religious today than they were 40-50 years ago. Iran may be an exception, but this is difficult to be sure, since many secular people hide their true beliefs.

The decline in religiosity does not mean its disappearance. The feeling of security is something that can change at any moment. A tornado might destroy your house, or a doctor might tell you about some terrible diagnosis. Climate change is hurting people around the world, and the disappearance of natural resources could also worsen the human condition in the near future. This suffering and deprivation can fuel religiosity. People, of course, seek to avoid suffering, but if they cannot do this, then they try to find some meaning in it. Religion gives meaning to our suffering, far more than we can find in secular beliefs.

Mind of God

But even if all the troubles and catastrophes in the world miraculously disappear, and we all live in rich and prosperous countries, religion, most likely, will remain with us. And all because God exists in the subconscious of man due to the whim of evolution.

According to some psychological theories, a person has two main forms of thinking - system 1 and system 2. The second system has evolved relatively recently. It is the voice in our head that never seems to stop. It allows us to plan and think logically.

The first system is intuitive, instinctive and automatic. This possibility is constantly developing in people, regardless of where they were born. It is a survival mechanism. It allows us to speak our native language, gives babies the ability to recognize parents, from childhood gives us an aversion to spoiled food, helps to distinguish between living and non-living objects. It makes us understand the world better and look for meaning in random events, such as the death of loved ones or natural disasters. Some scientists suggest that this system contributes to the fixation of religion in our subconscious.

System 1 also forces us to look at things in a dualistic way. This means that we experience anxiety if we think of our soul and body as a whole. Children, regardless of their cultural affiliation, tend to believe that they have an immortal soul, that they existed somewhere else before they were born and always will exist. This opinion is easily assimilated in almost all modern religions. Given all these theories, many scholars are inclined to think that religion arose as side effect evolution.

A habit that's hard to break

Atheists are fighting against the entire cultural and evolutionary baggage of mankind. People want to believe that they are part of something bigger and their existence is not useless. Our mind yearns to have a purpose in life. Given the influence of education, science, and critical thinking, people may not trust their intuition. But she still exists.

On the other hand, science is not just a cognitive pill for mankind. Science is trying to correct our first system of thought. We must admit that the Earth is spinning, although we have never experienced it ourselves. We must admit that there is no higher purpose in evolution, even though our intuition tells us that this is not the case. Science is very difficult to accept. But religion seems to us something that does not even need to be learned, because we already know it.

There is another interesting fact. Many people who call themselves atheists still believe in ghosts, astrology, telepathy, karma, and reincarnation. For example, witchcraft is gaining popularity in the US, and paganism is the fastest growing religion in the UK.

Group

Scholars believe that religion promotes group cohesion and cooperation. The threats of the almighty God (or gods) who watched over those who crossed the line may have kept order in ancient society. This is the supernatural hypothesis of punishment. If everyone believes that the punishment is real, then the group can be more functional.

Unshakable Faith

All things considered, experts think that religion will never disappear. Religion has been able to perpetuate itself using both fear and love.

And even if we forget the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and all other gods, superstition and spiritualism will surely remain. Even the best secular government cannot protect you from everything. As soon as we face the threat of an ecological crisis, a global nuclear war or a collision with a comet, the gods will immediately return to their place. People need comfort in times of pain and suffering. Therefore, many need to know that after this life something will remain. There will always be believers, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are in the majority.

Image copyright getty Image caption

Today, atheism is gaining strength all over the world. But does this mean that spirituality will soon become a thing of the past? The correspondent found out that answering this question is not at all easy.

More and more people - there are already millions of them all over the world - in their own words, believe that life definitely ends with death and that there is no God, no eternal life and no divine providence. Apparently, these beliefs, despite all their pessimism, are becoming more widespread. In some countries, openly proclaiming oneself an atheist has become more fashionable than ever.

“There are obviously more atheists now than ever before, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total number of people on the planet,” says Phil Zuckerman, professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer University in Clermont, California ( United States) and author of the book Worldly Life. After polling more than 50,000 people from 57 countries, analysts at the Gallup International Research Center came to the conclusion that the number of people who consider themselves followers of any religion decreased from 77% to 68% from 2005 to 2011, and those who those who call themselves non-believers increased by 3%, bringing the share of convinced atheists in the world to 13%.

Of course, they do not make up the majority, but perhaps the emerging trend is a harbinger of future changes? If it persists, can the day come when religion disappears completely?

It is impossible to predict the future, but analyzing what we know about religion - including why it came into being and why some people come to faith and some people leave - can help us predict how people's attitudes will develop. to religion in the coming decades and centuries.

Image copyright getty Image caption A Ukrainian priest holds a cross as he stands in front of the damaged building of the House of Trade Unions in Kyiv

Scholars are still trying to isolate the factors that push a person or a people towards atheism, but some common features are already emerging. Part of the attraction of religion is that it provides a sense of security in our unpredictable world. Therefore, it is not surprising that the largest percentage of non-believers is observed in those countries where the level of economic, political and domestic stability is quite high. “It appears that as society becomes more secure, religious beliefs weaken,” Zuckerman argues, adding that in some societies, establishing a capitalist system and giving citizens access to technology and education also leads to a weakening of religiosity.

Crisis of Faith

Japan, Great Britain, Canada, South Korea, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, France and Uruguay - just a hundred years ago in all these countries religion played a large role, but now the proportion of believers there has decreased to the lowest rates in the world. All these states have a developed system of education and social security, they have practically solved the problem of inequality, and their citizens are financially prosperous. "In general, people are less afraid of the vicissitudes of life," - said Quentin Atkinson, a psychologist at the University of Auckland (New Zealand).

Image copyright getty Image caption Yemeni girls display their hands decorated with traditional henna designs on the occasion of the end of Ramadan

However, the retreat from faith is observed everywhere, including where the number of believers is still very large, for example, in Brazil, Jamaica and Ireland. "There are few places where society has become more religious than 40-50 years ago," says Zuckerman. "The only exception, perhaps, is Iran, but there, too, everything is not so clear, because non-believers can hide their beliefs."

It is human nature to want to feel like a part of something bigger, to realize that his life is not completely in vain.

The United States also does not fit into the general concept: it is one of the richest countries in the world, but the level of religiosity of the population there is very high (although a recent study conducted by the Pew think tank found that between 2007 and 2012 the proportion of Americans who believe themselves atheists increased from 1.6% to 2.4%.

However, Ara Norenzayan, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and author of Big Gods, is convinced that "decline" does not mean "disappearance." Physical security is also more ephemeral than it seems. Everything can change in one minute: a drunk driver can hit a loved one, a tornado can destroy a city, a doctor can diagnose you with an incurable disease. If in the future, due to climate change, natural disasters hit our planet, and natural resources begin to come to an end, then suffering and hardship can ignite religious feelings.

"People want to avoid suffering, but if that's not possible, at least find meaning in it," explains Norenzayan. "For some reason, religion makes suffering much more meaningful than any secular ideals or beliefs we know."

Image copyright getty Image caption Religious procession of Filipinos escaping the powerful typhoon Haiyan

This phenomenon is constantly observed in hospital wards and in disaster areas around the world. So, in 2011, in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, the majority of whose inhabitants were unbelievers, there was a major earthquake. Many eyewitnesses of this tragedy suddenly came to faith, while in the rest of the country there was no change in the degree of religiosity. However, there are exceptions to this rule: for example, in Japan after the Second World War, the number of believers dropped sharply. Overall, however, according to Zuckerman, the world is dominated by the model that worked in Christchurch. "If, after witnessing terrible events, a person usually turned into an atheist, we would all be atheists by now," the scientist says.

divine mind

But even if all the troubles of our world suddenly miraculously ceased and we all would live peacefully and happily, religion would probably still not go away. This is because, apparently due to the vagaries of evolution, there is a special place for God in the neuropsychology of our species.

Image copyright getty Image caption A rabbi reads a scroll during the celebration of Purim

In order to understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to study the "theory of dual processes". According to this psychological model, a person has two main forms of thinking: system No. 1 and system No. 2. System No. 2 has developed in our country relatively recently. This is our inner voice, which seems to never stop for a minute and which allows us to think logically and make plans.

At the same time, System #1 is built on intuition, instincts, and automatism. These abilities develop in a person regardless of the place of his birth and constitute a survival mechanism. Thanks to System 1, we have a natural aversion to rotting meat and can speak our native language without hesitation, and babies recognize their parents and distinguish between living and non-living things. This system is responsible for the tendency to look for a system in everything in order to better understand the world and make sense of seemingly random events, such as natural disasters and the death of loved ones.

Image copyright getty Image caption An Indian Sikh lights candles during the celebration of Bandi Chhor Diwas, or Diwali.

Some scholars believe that System 1 not only helps us navigate the dangers of this world and find partners, but also provides an impetus for the development and spread of religion. For example, thanks to system No. 1, we are instinctively tuned in to the perception of vital energy. A few thousand years ago, this propensity probably helped us avoid hidden danger - lions lurking in the grass, or snakes crawling into the bushes. But it also forces us to assume the presence of invisible figures - be it a benevolent god protecting people, or an indefatigable ancestor who sends drought as punishment, or a monster hiding in the twilight.

In addition, system No. 1 contributes to a dual perception of everything that exists - that is why it is so difficult for us to consider the body and mind as a single whole. This tendency appears quite early: young children, regardless of their cultural environment, tend to believe in the immortality of their soul. They are convinced that their essence, their personality, existed somewhere before they were born and will always exist. This perception easily fits into many mainstream religions or - as a result of creative rethinking - sets the stage for the invention of new original concepts.

Image copyright getty Image caption Hindu woman on the eve of Chhat

"A Scandinavian psychologist colleague of mine who is an atheist told me how his three-year-old daughter recently approached him and said, 'God is always everywhere.' Barrett, director of the Prosperity Center for Human Development at the Complete Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (USA) and author of "Born Believers" - The Child Believed God old woman, so it is unlikely that these ideas were inspired by the Lutheran priests."

To get rid of religion, you would have to change the very essence of the person Justin Barrett, director of the Prosperity Center for Human Development

For all of the above reasons, many scholars believe that religion emerged as "a by-product of human cognitive tendencies," says Robert McCauley, director of the Center for Brain, Mind, and Culture at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and author of Why Religion is natural, but science is not." - Religions are cultural systems that, as they developed, began to use and exploit these natural abilities of people.

Habit is second nature

Atheists have to get rid of all this cultural and evolutionary baggage. It is human nature to want to feel like a part of something bigger, to realize that his life is not completely in vain. We are looking for the meaning and explanation of everything incomprehensible. “Having received an education, having become involved in science and having learned to think critically, people may no longer trust their intuition,” Norenzayan says. “But intuition will not go away from this.”

Image copyright getty Image caption Azerbaijani Muslims pray before the end of Ramadan

On the other hand, science - the system that many atheists and non-believers use to understand the world around them - is cognitively not so easy to understand. Science, according to McCauley, is designed to correct the distortions of System #1. We have to take it on faith that the earth is spinning, even though we never feel it ourselves. We have to put up with the idea that evolution is completely indifferent and that the universe has no ultimate purpose or design, even though our intuition tells us otherwise. It is not easy to admit that we are wrong and sometimes biased, that the truth in our understanding is forever changing as new empirical data is collected and tested - all these are the basic premises of science.

As soon as humanity is on the verge of an ecological crisis, a global nuclear war, or an inevitable collision with a comet, it will immediately remember God.

“From a cognitive point of view, science is unnatural, which is why it comes so hard for us,” McCauley explains. “At the same time, religion, for the most part, we don’t even have to learn, because we already know all this.”

"There is evidence that theological reasoning is the path of least resistance," adds Barrett. "To get rid of religion would have to change the very nature of man." This amazing biological feature probably explains the fact that although 20% of Americans do not belong to any church, 68% of them say they still believe in God, and 37% consider themselves spiritual people. Even without professing any organized religion, they are convinced that some higher being or force moves the world.

Image copyright getty Image caption Buddhist monks head to the Sampov Treileak temple in Cambodia

Similarly, many people around the world openly declare that they do not believe in God, but at the same time they are prone to superstitions, such as belief in ghosts, astrology and telepathy. "In Scandinavia, most people say they don't believe in God, but at the same time, superstition and interest in the paranormal have become unusually widespread there," Norenzayan says. In addition, non-believers often find themselves in what can be considered "substitutes for religion" - support for sports teams, yoga, closeness to mother nature, and so on - and rely on an appropriate value system. In confirmation of this, black magic is gaining popularity in the USA, and paganism has become the fastest growing religion in the UK.

The religious experience of unbelievers can manifest itself in other, more unusual ways. Anthropologist Ryan Hornbeck of the same Center for Human Development Prosperity found evidence that, for example, for some players from China, the online game World of Warcraft is beginning to take on a spiritual meaning. “This game seems to provide an opportunity to develop certain moral qualities that are not present in our modern society,” says Barrett. “It seems that people have some space for theological reflection, and if it is not filled with religion, it opens up in an unexpected way."

Group affiliation

Moreover, religion promotes cohesion and cooperation within the group. The threat of punishment from an all-powerful God (or gods) who watches over apostates probably helped maintain order in ancient societies. "It's a punishment hypothesis from above," explains Atkinson. "If everyone believes this threat is real, it will work in groups."

Image copyright getty Image caption Believer at Vegetarian Feast in Thailand

Here again, the uncertainty and suffering of the people can play their role, which will allow religion to establish a more severe moral law. Recently, Joseph Bulbulia of the University of Wellington, New Zealand, and his colleagues analyzed the belief systems of nearly 600 traditional societies around the world and concluded that where weather conditions were less favorable or there was a risk of natural disasters, more likely a more strict religion developed. What is it connected with? Helping one's neighbor in such conditions becomes a matter of life and death, and religion becomes a valuable tool for social life.

“When faced with such a comprehensive phenomenon that appears so quickly in the process of evolution and is so firmly rooted in different cultures, the main explanation, of course, is that this was necessary for establishing interaction between people,” Bulbulia says.

Finally, the prevalence of religion is explained by simple mathematics. Across cultures, more religious people tend to have more children than non-believers. "There is a lot of evidence for that," says Norenzayan. "Even among believers in more orthodox families, as a rule, the birth rate is higher than in more liberal ones." Given the fact that in terms of religious self-determination, children usually follow in the footsteps of their parents, we can safely say that the formation of an exclusively secular society on our planet is still unlikely.

Firm Faith

For all these reasons - psychological, neurological, historical, cultural and everyday - experts believe that religion, most likely, will never disappear. Whatever religion is based on - on fear or on love - it is firmly rooted in the minds of people. If this were not so, there would be no religion long ago.

Apart from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and all other gods, superstition and spiritualism will almost certainly remain commonplace. But even more formal religious systems will not keep us waiting if we have one or two disasters. "Even the best secular state can't protect its citizens from everything," McCauley said. As soon as humanity is on the verge of an ecological crisis, a world nuclear war or an inevitable collision with a comet, it will immediately remember God.

“People need comfort at the moment of pain and suffering, and many need the realization that life does not end with death, that some invisible creature loves them,” Zuckerman says. “Believing people will always be, and I won’t be surprised if they still remain in the majority.

18.09.11 The number of believers in the world - at least in developed, so-called civilized countries - is declining. And the number of people who openly declare themselves atheists is growing year by year.

Such results were obtained by a group of American scientists led by Daniel Abrams from Northwestern University and Richard Weiner from the University of Arizona, after analyzing statistical data over the past hundred years. The researchers reported this at a recent meeting of the American Physical Society, which was held in Dallas.

Statistics were collected from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and a number of European countries. It turned out that only atheists steadily multiplied in all of them. Most of them are now in the US and Holland - about 40 percent. But the leader in this sense is the Czech Republic, in which more than 60 percent of the atheists.

To explain the rise in anti-religiousness, scholars have turned to dispassionate mathematics. And they tried to simulate the situation, armed with a simple hypothesis. It assumes that people tend to join the social group in which membership seems most beneficial to them. For example, someone becomes a believer by watching numerous representatives of this group and realizing that praying and worshiping God is very useful for one reason or another - spiritual or even material.

Weiner explained that similarly, people decide which language to speak if there are several options. Like, say, in Peru: in Spanish or native - Quechua or Aymara. The latter are gradually dying out, since knowledge of them does not promise any serious benefits.

Approximately the same way some people solve the issues of party affiliation. They simply choose the most influential, and are not guided by belief in certain ideals. The situation is similar with religion.

According to Abrams and Weiner, people believe that the benefits of religion are becoming less and less. And in the foreseeable future, this will inevitably lead to the fact that there will be no believers left.

The coming era of atheism is evidenced not only by statistics. The forecast is also supported by a mathematical model (based on non-linear dynamics), which shows almost complete agreement with it - with statistics. That is, the theoretically calculated number of people who abandoned the faith almost coincided with the real one.

However: scientists do not insist that they discovered the truth. And they recognize that the world around them can be more complicated than the formulas that seem to fit it.

No... God is still needed

In 2008, the John Templeton Religious Foundation, which regularly supports scientists involved in the search for God and the scientific foundations of faith, donated £2 million (over $3 million) to find the reasons why people become religious. Money is mastered by Justin Barrett, a well-known psychologist from Oxford University, with numerous colleagues from different countries.

A project with a simple title "Why do people believe in God?" was designed for three years. That is, in the current year, 2011, we can expect final conclusions. But preliminary ones appear from time to time. And they contradict the atheistic mathematics of Abrams and Weiner. There is a lot of data that proves: religiosity is useful.

United by one faith are more tenacious

Canadian psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim Sharif of the University of British Columbia, who are working on the project with Barrett, believe that religious people are better adapted to life. Especially to her hardships. After all, faith unites them. And united are strong mutual assistance. This means that they are more likely to survive in difficult times. And, therefore, to pass on their "religious genes" by inheritance.

As a result, evolution has led to the fact that almost every person has faith in God. This is the opinion of scientists. They found it by conducting a comparative analysis of various closed communes and communities, of which there were many in the United States in the 19th century. Among them were both religious and secular, for example, based on the ideas of communism. And it turned out that religious communities, on average, lasted much longer (see chart).

Religion, - says Ara Norenzayan, - unites according to such principles as loyalty to the community and readiness to sacrifice personal interests for the sake of society. In addition, the survival of religious (but not secular) communities directly depends on the severity of the charter. The more restrictions the community imposed on its members and the more complex rituals they had to perform, the longer it existed. This is good for evolution.

Worshiping the Invisible Leader Keeps Order

French anthropologist Pascal Boyer of Washington University in St. Louis notes another specific feature of human thinking that makes us extremely receptive to religious ideas. This is the ability to obey persons who are currently absent. Without this, large organized collectives could not exist.

What order can there be in a hierarchically organized tribe if people perform their duties only in the presence of a leader or a parent? asks Dr. Boyer. - The ability to maintain a relationship with the “ideal image” of an absent person is a most useful adaptation that allows you to maintain order and follow the rules of the hostel.

In most cultures, the behavior of people is "monitored" by otherworldly beings - deities. That is, they perform the function of an absent leader or parent.

TOTAL

Scientists prove that religion is useful, using the examples of communities of the past. But we live in a different time, in which other trends have clearly emerged. People - especially in the Western world - stop seeing the point in being religious. And they leave the faith. Do they lose their cohesion? Ability to face adversity? Do they lose to those whose faith only grows stronger? Scientists have not yet given answers to these questions.

BY THE WAY

'Genes for faith in God' found in humans

Dean Hammer, director of the National Institute for Genetic Structures and Cancer Control, questioned the religious belief that faith in God is fueled by spiritual enlightenment arising from the influence of divine power. And he announced that it was all about special electrical impulses in the brain. But especially in the genes that are responsible for them.

The scientist's research showed that deeply religious people have in their body a gene they called VMAT2. And atheists do not have such a gene.

It turns out that atheists are mutants.

Such a shocking conclusion was made on the basis of a study of more than 2000 DNA subjects.

According to Hammer, it is possible that Christians could have inherited the “gene of faith in God” from Jesus Christ himself, and Muslims from Muhammad. The doctor, however, also recalls the Prophet Muhammad, whose gene could be inherited by Muslims, and the Buddha, who awarded the Buddhists with the appropriate heredity. Although these respected personalities were not gods.

Following the logic of Hammer, it would be necessary to admit that the Satanists got the genes of the devil, and those who believe in aliens - from aliens. Brad, it seems. Although it may turn out that this same VMAT2 has a universal property and awakens the desire for the spiritual and mystical in general.

My research, - Hammer justifies himself, - does not undermine faith in the Almighty. On the contrary, the existence of a “gene of faith in God” once again proves the genius of the Creator, who “gave” this gene to man.

Then what is happening now? Where does this gene disappear if the number of believers decreases? What is the reason for mutations? Is it the machinations of hellish forces?