tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post6533058402023221479..comments2023-10-31T10:57:37.652+00:00Comments on Epiphenom: Wondering why the markets have gone tits-up?Epiphenomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-19913722184356858802008-03-29T19:59:00.000+00:002008-03-29T19:59:00.000+00:00Probably one of the two! The Clinton generation ar...Probably one of the two! The Clinton generation are in their 20s now, and they're probably decidedly less religious than their parents. Then again, the 'new Atheists' are probably having some impact - shaking things up a bit. The impact of 911 - it probably turned a lot of people off religion. Lots of potential reasons.Epiphenomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-11936841843657382532008-03-29T17:12:00.000+00:002008-03-29T17:12:00.000+00:00Good point. So either Americans are feeling more s...Good point. So either Americans are feeling more secure - which seems very unlikely - or it's the power of reason. <BR/><BR/>Unless you see another possibility?David Flinthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11063189611159076891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-9687667950388918782008-03-28T19:36:00.000+00:002008-03-28T19:36:00.000+00:00I think that's absolutely right. Religion helps by...I think that's absolutely right. Religion helps by providing an emotional safety net, and church membership provides a practical one. Both factors drive religious affiliation. It's interesting, then, that religious affiliation is dropping in the US, same as elsewhere.Epiphenomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05420404206189437710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051713021757781960.post-47793157514346495472008-03-28T08:57:00.000+00:002008-03-28T08:57:00.000+00:00"When people feel that they have no control over e..."When people feel that they have no control over events, they will suspend their belief in the rational and step into a world where the rules seem more flexible."<BR/><BR/>I believe that this is one reason that religion is so strong in the US. The lack of a social safety net makes people very exposed to the vagaries of the market. They respond by adopting (organised) superstitions and joining a church that may help them in adversity.David Flinthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11063189611159076891noreply@blogger.com