The Big Lie, Going Local, Getting Religious

ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS, whatever happens among humans, can be explained in terms of chemistry, in terms of physics, or in terms of biology, or any or all of the above. someone told me long ago that in her view, the entire universe can be, in fact must be explained in terms of human psychology, since, after all, it is the human mind which has been for ages and continues to be deeply engrossed in the daunting enterprise of figuring out the universe. Makes sense, if you think about it. Think about it too much and it begins to hurt. Fair warning. Among humans, sociology comes in handy when examining and explaining the behavior of large groups. Of particular current sociological note is the apparent evolution of election denial into....a religion. Election denialism of course began with Trump, stemming from his big election lie, to which he yet clings, and will, likely, forever more, the lie which began long before teh actual election in which Trum falsely claimed, in advance of the actual vote counting, that the election had been "rigged", stolen from him. The lie went viral, as we say these days, and what greater comfort to the sore election loser than to earnestly brainwash the self into believing that an actual victory was stolen? But now, more than a year and a half in, the lie which morphed into a movement, the movement, which, much like the Christian religion, began as a political revolution to overthrow the existing government, is morphing into...a religion. On christianity, Goethe said: "The Christian religion began as an abortive political uprising, and, when that failed, turned moral". Trump's lost cause stolen elction is now beginning, among its "votaries" (pun intended), to assume the nature and magnitude of a holy crusade, a lost cause, whose vindication must ultimately occur. It is becoming, has become, a holy crusade of religious proportions. A socio-economic, ethnic, or religious group, subjected to oppression (percieved or real), relegated to second class status, seethes with frustrated anger and looks for ways to escape, and for a great leader to lead them to freedom and glory. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a big talking, charismatic stron person (always male) appears, talking big, offering salvation. Naturally people flock to him. Jesus knew full well that he couldn't possibly deliver on his followers fondest, deepest desire; liberation from the Romans, by wny means necessary, presumably violent and divinely inspired and guided. So, he used a strategy of substitution, promising something even better than liberation from roman oppression. He promised them salvation for all eternity, beyond death, beginning at death. A strange fact of human nature is the bigger the talk, the greater the belief and devotion. Of course, there is never any evidence that the messiah fulfills his promises. But the words, and theh hope, remain. Eventually something dreadfulhappens to the great leader, somebody, society or the world turns on him, and he becomes a martyr for his now fully indoctrinated cult followers. Then the great misinformation machine kicks into high gear, the dogma is established, and the aborted political revolution turns moral, and begins its steady ascent to the status of "religion".