How Religions Compete for Money, Power, and People
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- The Michael Shermer Show # 474
Ask a question and participate in future episodes of the show: bignerve.com/s...
Religion in the twenty-first century is alive and well across the world, despite its apparent decline in North America and parts of Europe. Vigorous competition between and within religious movements has led to their accumulating great power and wealth. Religions in many traditions have honed their competitive strategies over thousands of years. Today, they are big business; like businesses, they must recruit, raise funds, disburse budgets, manage facilities, organize transportation, motivate employees, and get their message out.
Economist Paul Seabright argues that religious movements are a special kind of business: they are platforms, bringing together communities of members who seek many different things from one another-spiritual fulfilment, friendship and marriage networks, even business opportunities. Their function as platforms is what has allowed religions to consolidate and wield power, which can be used for good and for harm.
Paul Seabright is a Professor of Economics in the Industrial Economics Institute and Toulouse School of Economics at the University of Toulouse, France. His new book is The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support by making a $5 or $10 monthly donation.
www.skeptic.co...
#michaelshermer
#skeptic
Listen to The Michael Shermer Show or subscribe directly on RUclips, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
www.skeptic.co...
![Eminem - Temporary (feat. Skylar Grey) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZaK9Wi5ho0o/mqdefault.jpg)
From the perspective of the receiver, using public taxes to help people in need is actually more libertarian than private charity. You give struggling people money and then leave them the hell alone; if they recover then they can contribute once again. Private charity almost always comes with conditions: if they make an investment in you they want something back for themselves personally and it's frequently some form of control.
Love the Michael Shermer shows. Been a follower since his writing in Scientific American. He allows his guests to talk.
Good topic! Great interview ❤
one of the interesting aspects of religion is its need for embodiment which we call spirit. I believe this is related to the need for a origin of moral authority which can not be derived by laws of state.
Love your content, but, the link to ask a question "Is not available in your country" - Israel. Why?
It should work… sorry about that! We’ll look into it first thing Monday morning.
i would love to see a law that made public all gross earning and the taxes paid by all entities people or otherwise
Well, it's like Jesus always said, "Follow me, boys, let's go start stacking that paper!"
And political parties. At least conservatives.
1:14:23 Being a Pastafarian, I don't understand they have a problem with it.
My definition of religion is a bit more general than Mr. Seabright's definition. For me, a religion is a world view based on superstition and wishful thinking, rather than observation and science. Most religious world views include ideas of spirits, but not necessarily all of them.
nO, WHAT is the target for the use of themoney. I don't care whether it is the gov. or tithing. I want a greaaaaaater guarantee for the trust I have in the applicaton of the donation/tax
The great thing about religion is that God works everyone of them - for free. And he is a really crappy customer service rep. II think he should be fired. But you can always report him at the BBB.