Love in the Ruins predicted all of this the split in just about every group in America. Religious, political, especially. The Leftpapas and the Knotheads. What more accurate description can you give the state of American politics today? Both 2000 and 2004 elections were essentially 50-50. While Obama seems to be a few points ahead, Im wary of predicting outcomes even now after the last two elections. And, its still too close to 50-50 due to the ideological split in American society.
Why because of paradigm shift a couple of hundred years ago (a la Kuhn) in which science and a literal interpretation of creation and the rest of the Bible seem to conflict. So, what do you have? A group of people (religious fundamentalists and political conservatives) who wont let go of an outdated and disproven paradigm and a group of people who, having faced reality, realize that that paradigm is outdated and disproven, yet have no paradigm to replace it that contains a set of morals and values that can guide our lives and actions (the reason Percy chose the Catholic church). There is no reigning paradigm in America today only the conflict of two.
In the 21st century, a county adjacent to mine actually had a legal proceeding approved to insert into a high school science textbook that evolution was only a theory. The ignorance involved in this is unspeakable. First of all the definition of theory was not understood by any of the parties involved of course evolution is a theory, as is all of scientific paradigms, it is just the best explainable theory we have as it is supported by the most evidence. That is what we call science only the best explainable theory that we have today, based on the most congruence to the evidence available today. Second of all, the insertion of religious paradigms, scientifically unproven and with little congruence to available scientific evidence and facts, into a public scientific classroom funded by taxpayer dollars, is amazing.
This is less to do with the Second Coming (or a second coming) than it is with splits. A lack of moderation in every way. Anticipation of a fulfillment of scriptural prophecy like an Armageddon and the second coming is a scary scary thing in that some say that some conservative politicians will try to precipitate this to fulfill scripture and feel no compulsion to quell (some even say are actively involved in sparking) unrest in the middle east.
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