We on the left have long seen religion as a force in a constant process of revision and transition. Some of us have even proposed that religion in today’s society is obsolete and that we ought to evolve past it. I think there’s a danger in doing so because 1) it further emboldens those who adhere to reactionary conceptions of religion 2) humanity, at least in today’s society, is still uncomfortable in replacing God with itself. I would further argue that we all need something to believe in and I personally don’t feel as though I have complete control over my own affairs.

Religion is itself a conservative concept. Instead of relegating it to the scrapheap of history we need to acknowledge that there’s a very human desire within each of us to seek deeper meaning beyond ourselves. The more we move away from it, the less we are capable of relating to others for whom orthodox religion is a powerful force.