Pretendians and Trustafarians

 

There are some phenomena from the spiritual and religious end of things I find...annoying.

For instance, people joining religious groups despite not really believing in their stated message. Then, they try to change said message from within, to better suit their own priorities. Another approach is to identify with a religion (without actually joining its mainstream or official branch) and, once again, radically change its message. Still another is to "reconstruct" a dead religion, but in a very modern way no ancient practitioner would ever recognize. 

Now, I do realize that this really "normal procedure" as far as religions go. Religions always change. They are always reinterpreted. Christianity was probably reinterpreted by Paul. Mormonism was recast during the lifetime of its founder, Joseph Smith! Islam split into several factions at the death of Muhammad. And so on. So from a strictly objective historical viewpoint, I suppose I can´t stop radical-liberal Californians from LARP-ing Asatru or Celtic religion (two concepts that are probably modern anyway), claiming that Odin gave them permission to be Queer.

And yet, I still can´t shake the feeling that something unserious is going on. For instance, cultural appropriation is clearly a thing (although the term has been misused by woke activists - as have everything else). The phenomenon of Pretendians is real, for instance. Why would White people want to LARP Native American religion? Sometimes, enterprising Natives form new cults to attract Trustafarians, but in other cases, the Natives feel that Whites are encroaching on their territory. Which they indeed might.

It´s as if the California individualist has become a crazy version of Faustian Man, who thinks he can become whatever he feel likes at any time...and then change again to something else tomorrow. There is clearly a connection to gender-bending here, but also to more frivolous activites such as "Otherkin" or "Furries". Just as Steve thinks he can become Eve simply by declaring it so, some people apparently imagine they can become American Indians, Vikings or Zoroastrians in pretty much the same way. 

Or what´s the point of a radical liberal joining a traditionally conservative religion and then demand that it turn radically liberal? What´s going on there? (Note also that at least one religion is off limits even to such people: Islam!) 

Just because radical reinterpretation and LARP-ing is common (see Simon Magus wanting to buy Peter´s magical powers), doesn´t mean I have to like it. Just as I don´t like a plethora of other religio-spiritual phenomena either...