this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2024
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I don't actually do that because it's a fringe position that would most likely get me shunned, but yes, I think we should be consistent in our treatment towards anti-materialist beliefs, and by this, I mean claims towards the effect of "metaphysical" things such as deities or mysticism in the material reality. And it's an important distinction to me.
The posture shouldn't be condescending towards religion in general, but towards actual material claims derived from religion. You wanna observe Ramadan, or you don't wanna eat pork, or you don't wanna have sex before marriage, or you want to believe that grandma is watching you from above? Go off. These are at best tangential to material reality, and they're more of a cultural system of moral beliefs and traditions, which is absolutely fine and we should fight to preserve.
When it comes to claims on the material reality from anti-materislist beliefs, it's different, and it promotes illogical and unhealthy thinking patterns towards our world. Don't go telling me that there's gonna be a deluge if we don't do X because a deity claims so, or that the stars claim I'm gonna have a shitty Tuesday, or that my palm reads that I'm gonna cheat on my wife. Those are strong, anti materialist claims, that in my humble opinion, a rational society should discourage. By discourage I don't mean "let's forbid these practices entirely", but rather let's not show them on media and newspapers, and most importantly, let's ban people from profiting through these activities. Do you think it should be legal that a fake practitioner tells your grandma that for just $2000 they're gonna give them a massage and a concoction of herbs that will cure her cancer?
Your two last paragraphs boil down to "don't be a condescending petulant Reddit atheist gamer chud". My point isn't "abandon every mystical and religious aspect", it's "let's avoid anti-materislist thought that actively makes claims on reality". I'd understand you'd want to punch me in the face if I told you to burn your religious book and abandon your cultural practices, I wouldn't understand you wanting to punch me in the face if I told you "believing that my personality is X because the stars say Y is idiotic"
People have the ability to contexualize. Revolutions have been won by people who believe a god controls everything. They still found the motivation to act with a group of humans for their material needs.
Your problem is one of priority. I agree these things aren't material, but it truly matters so little. Astrologists still protest, christians still read marx.
I think you should analyze why these specific beliefs cause you so much anger that you call your comrades on this forum idiots.
Calling an attitude idiotic doesn't equate with calling someone an idiot. I've made plenty of comments and a few posts in this community, and this is the first time that I remember that I'm discussing anti-materialist belief, feel free to check my profile and decide for yourself whether it seems like a priority to me.
Revolution is my main goal, but it's not the only goal. Beyond revolution, I want the world to be a better place in many other senses. Revolutions have also been won by majorities of anti-LGTBQ people, that doesn't mean we can't do better than that. Communism can be queerphobe, I just don't want it to be. I also don't want it to support anti-materialist beliefs and behaviours.