Tribalism and religions

Hmm... I don't think most Catholics I know would identify Rome as their tribal homeland. Some would, but not many.

I think it's important to realize that some tribes don't have a geographical homeland.

That said, I imagine Southern Baptists might feel they have a tribal homeland in the South, and Lutherans might have a tribal homeland in the Plains states/Upper Midwest area.

I would also suggest that the reason several mainline Protestant churches are in decline is because they have lost the tribal bindings to hold them together. They don't think of themselves as a tribe anymore.

I also find it interesting that in some ways my family (converts before my birth) has picked up the tribal identity of Mormons (we think of the pioneers as our predecessors, even though they are not related to us). However, it's... not so much lessened... as it's tempered by the fact that we already had our own tribal identity before joining the church. My grandfather (who never joined) essentially broke with his family (he was illegitimate and raised by his maternal grandparents) and found his own "tribe". It may be a small tribe, just his grandchildren (and a few great grand-children), but the loyalty is intense. Such that we all tend to think of Seattle WA as our tribal homeland, even when we live elsewhere.

It depends on the Catholic. And it depends on the Mormon.

Some Catholics and some Mormons are not exactly all that committed or concerned about their nominal religious affiliation. Their level of commitment to, and affiliation with their religion may impact whether they really feel themselves a part of the tribe.

As much as I enjoy OSC’s books, his columns are usually just wrong. This one on tribalism is no exception. I can see how the “warm fuzzy” feeling you get when you go in to a chapel that has nearly the exact layout of the last you one you were in, or find the familiar religious artwork, or just find people reading out of the same books, or hear the same melodies, albeit in a different language, might strike you as comforting. However, considering yourself part of a tribe is just wrong.

We no longer live in a world where we can permit more than one tribe: the human tribe. The kind of attitude described by OSC cannot be tolerated. It is true that religion, especially the more conservative faiths, provides a sense of belonging and a feeling of being part of the “in group”. The other side to this is that all others must automatically fall into the “out group”. I’m gobsmacked, although not entirely surprised, to read that OSC (and probably many religious people) seem to almost look forward with delight to a total breakdown of society so “that Mormonism (could) function as a tribe under such circumstances.” How could you get more wrong-headed than that?

What the world needs is fewer in group/out groups. Although this “tribalism” may feel good it, in fact, does nothing to make our world a better place. The “network of mutual dependence” that OSC mentions is actually creating an “us versus them” situation. We are all members of the human race. We all inhabit this world, the only one we have. Religion is at its absolute worst when it promotes such tribalism. And what is even more terrible is you feel good doing it. Such behavior is unacceptable in the global community we live in. Why would anyone look forward to a situation where tribes or even ethnic groups are the result? Just look to Serbia/Croatia not many years ago, or Afghanistan under the Taliban or even today, for that matter. Are you crazy or just stupid?

That may be, Seth, but any "tribalism" leads to intolerance of those not part of the group. Just because your brand of tribalism makes you feel good doesn't justify the intolerance that naturally results.