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Democracy needs to defend itself from the many immediate threats - technology, imperialism,
global economic powers, human passivity and reactionary religion. Reactionary religion has
taken the lead worldwide in rejecting pluralism and democracy, viewing both values as gateways
to secularism and decadence. Both modernism and post-modernism have failed to fully address
the success of the continued political advances of the religious right worldwide.
A new, postmodern politics of meaning is needed to address basic human needs currently served
by the cosmology of traditional religious orthodoxy. Progressive thinkers in philosophy, religion
and in critical theory must work dialectically to retain the good of religion and spirituality, the
need for ultimate meaning, and the challenge of reducing negative, anti-democratic impulses.
These impulses are embodied in theocracy and a fear of life. Until religion is totally reinvented
or evolves to a higher level we will have to defend many democratic values from religious
extremists. A live and let live political philosophy is a good defense of democracy.