All trough Cornel’s chapter, he tries to champion and advocate for a more accommodative people, and flexible thinkers. People who are able to understand others’ view of life not from their own perspective, but theirs’. These groups of people include the atheists, and the agnostics. He notes that it is indeed a very fragile experiment, especially in democracy, that would not only depend on the character traits of an individual. West clarifies that we use both science and religion in most aspects of life. He claims that people use their imagination and empathy in religion by establishing feeling and meaning structures when the subject is on death, whereas in science, imagery and empathy are used to control and predict the nature when in mystery. The reason for our existence has to have a prophetic meaning. He notes that we are called upon to hear the voice of the less fortunate and help them.
West adheres to our reason for existence by tying it to the prophetic reason for our being in the world. He also agrees to the fact that one does not have to be in a cognitive relationship to God, as long as justice prevails. This is due to the prophecy attached to justice that is written I the book of Leviticus, that one should love their neighbors as themselves. West has a strong belief in empathy and Justice. His main idea is on equality for all human race, regardless of religion, color, or race. He fears for a situation where there will be no voice by the people to keep checks the moral decay of the country, and those in power who are misusing the state’s resources. He also feels that there is no empathy in Christian churches, and that most are not open minded. Overall, West fears that the dominant religion is designed to oppress and extort resources and the future of capital civilization is at stake due to the insensitivity and decay in the society.
- West, Cornel. Prophetic Religion and the Future of Capitalist Civilization
