Religion vs. Technology: A Loss of Western Values

Prompt: Whay Are We at War?

In today’s day and age many foreigners are adapting to the American way of life, thus neglecting the practices of their own culture. In American society, technology has taken a superior position on the way that everything is managed daily. However, foreigners seem to think that religion is being overlooked and technology is taking the upper hand, therefore leading foreign cultures astray from their traditional customs and practices.

In Norman Mailer’s essay, Why Are We at War? he argues about the affects modern technology has had on the Islamic religion . He briefly states that Muslims are undergoing cultural diffusion when it comes to the American culture. He says that prior to adapting to the American culture Muslims were following their practices religiously, but after moving to America they got used to the American way of life. For example, Muslims feel that women are given too much freedom in the American society, because in the Islamic faith they are looked down upon by men. Men are thought of as the dominant figure in the relationship and the women have to follow the lead of the man.

Mailer thinks that the Muslim people have so much hatred towards the American people because they are afraid that they are “going to lose their own people to Western values.” I can actually see why he says this, however, if the Muslims don’t feel that strongly about their cultural beliefs then they obviously are not going to follow them. As a result, they are going to seek out another way of life that is going to suit their desires. He also talks about the Muslims relationship with God, he says, “There is no understanding of Islam until one recognizes that Muslims who are truly devoted feel they are in a direct relationship with God.” I actually agree with this because in order to accept and understand any religion you have to have a personal relationship with God or whomever you believe to be the higher being. If this concept is lost, then the meaning and the way you perceive the religion is lost.

Mailer states “ Muslims also bear a huge sense of shame, because they were a superior civilization around 1200, 1300 A.D., the most advanced culture then, and now they lag behind. There is a deep sense of failure among them.” This can also be a reason why they hate America, and have so much animosity towards our culture because our culture and technology is flourishing, while their culture is diminishing before their eyes, they are just envious. He thinks they just feel ashamed of their own culture, and try to get back at us by going to war.

On the other hand, I think that technology actually does have an affect on religious values. Due to the amount of advances in the American society maybe people seem to just put religion on the back burner. They are probably thinking more about making money than their religious fate. He says, “We in the West have this habit of looking for solutions. Part of the spirit of technology is to assume that there’s always a solution to a problem…” We tend to spend more time on solving new problems than the problems at hand, therefore becoming oblivious to religion.