R&I – FS
There is a utilitarian argument for Religion: “As long as religion emphasizes the ‘meek’ human virtues, of charity, modesty, love, peace, equality, dignity, etc., whether or not it’s based on capital-T ‘Truth’, it is good for society. It creates a shared set of symbols, a social hierarchy based on education and wisdom, a commitment to long-term social projects, including beautiful art and monuments, a willingness to have faith without results, etc.”
This has an alluring truth, particularly if you’re inside a given religion looking out, where it flatters yourself: “If everyone believed, society would be better.”
But… well instead of swinging the hammer against Christianity, let’s look at Buddhism…
Buddhism is an atheist faith. Its supernatural understanding of the universe does not describe a God, and the actions of faith it requires works just fine in a non-supernatural universe. It describes four noble truths, and an eightfold path to enlightenment, all based off approximately 2,500 year old teachings/revelations of an Indian Prince. And, like any ancient religion there are various sects and syncretic local practices and understandings.
Majority Buddhist countries exist:
- Cambodia (97% Buddhist)
- Thailand (93% Buddhist)… never colonized by Europeans.
- Burma (80% Buddhist)
- Bhutan (75% Buddhist)… never colonized by Europeans.
- Sri Lanka (70% Buddhist)
- Japan (67% Buddhist)… never colonized by Europeans.
- Laos (66% Buddhist)
- Mongolia (55% Buddhist)… never colonized by Europeans.
Consider all those majority Buddhist countries, and what we happily argue are the good, universal, liberal values of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Values that everyone should enjoy!
- Commitment, protection and recognition of women’s rights and equality
- Commitment, protection and recognition of minority ethnic and religious groups rights and equality.
- Commitment, protection and recognition of the importance of general freedom for all people.
- Commitment and protection of an independent judiciary, and rule of law for all people
- Refusal to use torture as part of the judicial system
- Commitment to having democratic legitimacy for government, and universal suffrage
- Commitment, protection and recognition of homosexual rights and equality
The Buddhist countries… are at best a mixed bag an these points… and universally bad on others. They are simply a disaster to look at historically. The Khmer Rouge of Cambodia, and the Imperial Japanese Military are simply among the worst horror-stories of regimes in the 20th Century. Both were Buddhist, and supported by Buddhists. The ethnic pogroms and purges of Sri Lanka, Laos and Burma are an ongoing present-day nightmare. Thailand rocks from military coup to military coup with a figurehead monarch. Bhutan has sealed itself off from the world in poverty.
Oddly enough: Mongolia is probably the best of this batch… but… what does it say about Buddhist majority countries, that the country that venerates Genghis Khan (who was responsible for the deaths of so many people and so much destruction the world experienced climate cooling in the decades after his death) has the best human rights record? And to go with that achievement, Mongolia has the smallest majority of Buddhists in its population?
This is an interesting sample set because the mix of countries that retained independence from Europe. (Unlike a sample of African countries, which might all be postcolonial basket-cases on human rights)
So: if Religion is a social good, why do majority Buddhist countries seem to have such atrocious human rights records? Why hasn’t historic widespread adoption of Buddhist philosophy and values led to liberalism and social peace?
Or, is the problem with the list of rights I’ve put up? Are values like “equality for women” and “universal suffrage” and “protection of homosexual rights” and “don’t torture people” unfairly Christian values, and it’s not reasonable to expect other faiths to ever produce a society where we’d see those things in practice?
Sir Tainley