John Green and Religion

You are probably aware with John and Hank Green's Crash Course videos; short, perky videos that provide a quick sharp look at a particular topic. They are what Khan Academy wishes it could be. Crash Course covers a broad assortment of topics in a chatty manner, but not dumbed down in any way. The brothers have expanded their crew as well (e.g. check out Crash Course Black History hosted by Clint Smith). 

Hank hosts the newest offering-- Crash Course Religions-- and if you live in a state where leaders are trying very hard to push a particular brand of a particular religion into schools, this is a series that will really help you put your finger on why it all seems like such an exercise in futility. I'd start with Episode #2, which is embedded below.

Take the issues being raised in Oklahoma and Florida. In Florida, the law to allow "volunteer chaplains" has raised the entirely predictable announcement by the Satanic Temple that they'd like a piece of that action. Ron DeSantis expressed not a hint of hesitation in declaring that "that is not a religion." Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, when the same issue was raised, education dudebro-in-chief Ryan Walters declared, "Satanists are not welcome in Oklahoma schools, but they are welcome to go to hell."

Americans in general and conservative christianists in particular have pretty clear ideas about what a Real Religion is, right down to folks who believe that not only their religion, but their own particular church, is the Only Real Religion.

In ten minutes, Green makes a couple of important points. The Big Five are "religions" because Europeans carried their definitions of religion out into the world, as well as thei assumption that religion was a necessary requirement for civilization. The Big Five are also not even the biggest five religions practiced in the world. And the whole category of "world religions" is a human construct, right to the idea that the definition of "religion" is based an awful lot on "how I do my worshipping." 

"The idea of religion as this special category, set apart from other stuff people think, believe, and do," says Green, "Well, that's only a few hundred years old." People have a lot of ways of making sense of their lives, and the notion that "religion" is clearly and distinctly different from other ways is kind of suspect. And there is vast diversity within traditions.

It's ten minutes packed with reminders that any time you try to legislate religion on the assumption that there's a clear, concrete understanding of what religion is, you are on wispy low-lying fog that would have to upgrade huge amounts to even dream of being shaky ground. It's not crystal clear, it's not obvious, and it's not simple, and anyone who tells you it is is just showing you how stunted their understanding of religion is.