Its indeed a fascinating concept that the whole of human history, in terms of beliefs and concepts is actually playing out today in different parts of the world.
- Religion
- Nation
- World
Religion was the first off the blocks at giving people identity. This concept has already died two deaths. One with the birth of the secular nation state in Europe and the coinciding decline in the role of the church. And then again with the end of the Ottoman empire in WW1. But guess what? Its back. Finally, today we also see in some developed markets, the concepts of a global nation taking shape - The European Union.
In certain other parts of the world, religion as the nation is playing out once again with calls of one arab nation. Now this is hardly an unknown, strange or regressive concept as it is claimed to be. Historically, in Europe, religion was the nation for centuries before the birth of the secular nation. How different is this call of religion to the call for the crusades in Europe centuries ago? Not much, I would think. Its just that X's past is Y's present and that makes X uncomfortable about the whole thing.
Right through the ages, people have always needed something to believe in. The first believable entity was religion. Today it is a geographically defined nation - tomorrow it could be the global nation, again a concept not many are comfortable with today.
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