Interesting discussion on the podcast today.

• The topic was David Cameron’s comments about ISIS. First the west wants to deny narratives in terms of freedom but now facing a threat of a narrative it wishes to return to one. (minute 14 on)
• Phil mentioned a story in the Divine Conspiracy of a Harvard Student who drops out because of the poor moral quality of her fellow students. He then refers to Robert Coles piece “The Disparity Between Intellect and Character“.
• Skye brings in Oz Guiness “A Free People’s Suicide” (minute 19) the argument that for a people to be unrestrained by government they need to be virtuous. As we lose our virtue we need more external constraint.
• Minute 20: the sociological roots of British unrest in the community of immigrants.
• Minute 22: Dyck, we dismiss the recruitment on socio-economic grounds but that doesn’t address Bin Laden. We don’t understand the theological roots.
• Skye jumps in that the economic argument does hold water. The American Dream narrative, if you play by the rules you can be rich and successful, but when that narrative is not available to you, and it isn’t to most of us, the alternative looks good.
• There’s not an alternative narrative that is accessible to everyone (23:20)
• Add of a cute young girl available at hip place… cupcake, this is day you should play the lottery.
• After the abandonment of the Christian narrative wealth and celebrity have taken its place. The disappointment in not having access to this narrative.

In other words Marx was right. Without religion the masses will arise and clamber for the wealth and celebrity narrative.