Concerning Jordan Peterson’s insistence on the need for religion

Jordan Peterson, as we know, is a devout follower of both Nietzsche and Jung.  As we also know, both Nietzsche and Jung believed our culture was suffering from an existential crisis because of our de-christianization.  “God is dead” Nietzsche famously wrote.  To address this, both believed individuals should try to perfect themselves and by so doing improve culture.  Nietzsche also wrote that just as one summons a physician to improve an ailing body, so too we must be physicians to cure our culture’s ailments.  Ailments that have been brought upon us by the assassination of our religion, a religion that has been living with us for two thousand years.

The problem with Dr. Peterson in my opinion, is that he—and to bring about an example from politics—like Bernie Sanders insists on a cure that will not work.  Socialist policies will not make our economy better, strengthen our liberties, and injustices disappear.  In the same manner, our existential dread, our frivolous values will not improve by insisting on dogmas that have lost respect and admiration.  In our age we need a new holy book (i.e. set of shared values) that may draw upon many of the values the Gospels teach us, but we must not insist on being hostage to a single religion with many faults and doubters.