Pluto, Capricorn and Religion

A somewhat disturbing article in our local newspaper led me to reconsider my thoughts on what Pluto's move into Capricorn might have in store during the next few decades. I had previously surmised that Pluto moving into old fashioned Capricorn, which represents established institutions such as "the church" in whatever flavour or guise, would herald a gradual transformation - but a transformation which would reduce religious fervour, and more especially seemingly inevitable religion-driven wars. However, this may have been wildly over-optimistic.

The article in question was written by one Terry Mattingly. He is a director of the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and leader of the GetReligion.org project to study religion and the news.

Mr. Mattingly's piece bore the title "On religion, Europe out of step with rest of world". The basic premise put forward is that because populations are declining in Europe, where there has also been a decline in religious fervour, when compared to the state of things in the USA, Latin America, parts of Asia and Africa, where birth rates are not declining, then in the future "the whole religious question is going to become even more important in terms of global affairs". Mr. Mattingly seems to relish the thought as he adds with some glee, "When it comes to weighing the role of religion in world affairs, Europeans who worry about America have to ask "Who looks strange now?" (Neener neener neener....?)

A better question for Europeans to ask, in my opinion, would be "Why haven't you caught up with us yet? Our planet is sick, part of the reason for this is over-population. Is religion going to solve this problem? And why hasn't the high percentage of American people who say that religion is very important to them (senators and representatives included) stood up and demanded that the war in Iraq where one million lives have been squandered needlessly, cease immediately?"

I'm tempted here to wonder whether it's relevant to point out that the USA is a very young country, less than 300 years old, as against Europe's long, long background of history and experience. Perhaps Europe has learned some lessons along the way, grown up as it were, evolved even! The other countries quoted by Mr. Mattingly are mainly under-developed. Countries whose populations are likely to be, in the main, under-educated, probably under-nourished and badly governed.

The article goes on to explore the question of how Europe will respond to high rates of immigration by religious believers, can Africa avoid being shaped by Christian/Islamic conflict, how will the move of more Catholics into high octane Pentcolstalism inside the Church of Rome and in Protestantism affect Latin America, Central America and finally North America ?

In a nutshell, if Mr Mattingly's ideas are anywhere near correct, Pluto's visit to Capricorn will be transformative in quite the opposite way from that for which I was hoping. There will be more, not less, religious conflict arising.

We may have to wait for The Age of Aquarius to roll in before a sufficient amount of good sense develops on this our blighted planet. That's going to be a long time coming - well into the next millennium if some astrologers are correct in their calculations. But can the planet wait that long?

I found an on-line version of the full (obviously syndicated) article HERE