Atheism and agnosticism have always existed in human history but Europe is the first place where it was able to become the dominant view. One simple explanation (amongst the more complex explanations) is that the Europeans - and Westerners in general - were the first to be living within an urban matrix divorced from the natural world like never before. Atheism and agnosticism thrives in an artificial environment.
"When people want to be rid of Heaven, it is logical to start by creating an atmosphere in which spiritual things appear out of place; in order to declare successfully that God is unreal they have to construct around man a false reality, a reality that is inevitably inhuman because only the inhuman can exclude God".
- Frithjof Schuon
Source: Understanding Islam, page 25
As other cultures undergo modernisation (a euphemism for Westernisation), we will undoubtedly see a rise in atheism and a rise in the ecological crisis.
Art
In order to judge whether a civilisation possesses Truth or not, we can begin by scrutinising their sacred texts or we can simply observe if they are producing beauty or not. To quote Plato, "Beauty is the splendour of Truth". A civilisation possessed by the Truth will inevitably produce beautiful souls and beautiful works of art.
"Could anyone really look on the paintings to be found at Ajanta and in countless Japanese or Tibetan temples and still believe that the impulse behind these things stemmed from a basic error? The same argument would apply to the art of the Christian and Islamic, as well as of countless tribal traditions existing all over the world until recent times, to say nothing of Hindu art in all its exuberant glories. Contrarywise, the sheer ugliness of the modern civilisation as displayed in its most typical products bespeaks an underlying error.."
- Rama P. Coomaraswamy
(Source: The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, p. 13, published 2004)
King Charles III once described modern architecture as "satanic" and we would certainly agree with his observation. Such architecture would be abhorrent to ancient people who considered beauty to be a human necessity rather than a luxury. Even the garments and basic utensils found in traditional cultures were beautiful. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy has discussed this subject in depth.
The Sacred was an experience felt when human beings lived in the bosom of nature surrounded by natural and man-made beauty. The modern ambience dominated by machines and ugly edifices is incapable of giving birth to an experience of the same order.
Notes
1. When people wanted to paint an angel [during the Middle Ages] they simply adorned the angel in the flowing clothes of their time. One could hardly paint an angel in modern clothing because we no longer dress with nobility or dignity. We have forgotten that our garments are the closest environment to the human soul and have an incalculable effect upon it, as the ancients well knew.
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