That’s why traditional religions offer no real alternative to liberalism. Their scriptures don’t have anything to say about genetic engineering or artificial intelligence, and most priests, rabbis and muftis don’t understand the latest breakthroughs in biology and computer science. For if you want to understand these breakthroughs, you don’t have much choice – you need to spend time reading scientific articles and conducting lab experiments instead of memorising and debating ancient texts.
The author, over the course of two books now, is failing to recognize something very important - for instance, the Sermon on the Mount is itself responsible for liberalism, humanism, and even women leaders in the early Christian churches. The core tenets of the Axial Age have in fact given us the inspiration to seek equality and justice for two millennia.
That journey has taken place through multiple technological and cultural revolutions - the core ethic of the Sermon sustains and even grows well outside the bounds of the Church. This has given us strength and community even when nations fall, and perhaps the resilience to experience the incredible, rapid technological and cultural changes of the past two hundred years.
It is in fact in the 21st century, when participation in traditional faith communities has suddenly plummeted in the West, that we see a notable internal unraveling of our social fabric and day to day happiness - we haven't seen the social fabric tear this way since the Great Depression, and yet today is an age of abundance.
Perhaps humanism, liberalism and individualism need the weaver of traditional faith systems to prevent tears in the social fabric? Never before have we had more intimate communications technology, and yet never before have we been more isolated from one another.
