The Marxist Conversion: From Saul to Socialism

In this episode of Fascinating!, Rik from Planet Vulcan examines one of Earth’s most intriguing phenomena—religious conversion—through a lens you didn’t see coming: Marxism. Inspired by tales like Saul’s blinding light on the road to Damascus, Rik dives into how the radicalized vision of Marxists mirrors religious awakening. With Vulcan wit and dry humor, we explore how moments of revelation—from spiritual epiphanies to social justice “aha” moments—can transform worldviews faster than you can say "false consciousness."

But it’s not just about the conversion. Rik draws curious parallels between religious and political movements, from the emotional rollercoaster of belief adoption to the communal bonds forged in the fires of dogma. Whether you're into divine intervention or class struggle, this episode offers a cerebral yet playful look at how humans seem wired for conversion—be it to gods or ideologies. Tune in for insights, stay for the wit.

Transcript

Good day to you, and welcome to Fascinating!  I am your host Rik, from Planet Vulcan.  My continuing mission on Planet Earth:  to search for signs of intelligence and to encourage its spread.

There is a phenomenon on Planet Earth which Vulcans consider especially fascinating:  religious conversion.  Conversion involves adopting, often quite suddenly, an entirely novel Weltanschauung, or world view, including how perceptions are to be framed and how to practice ethics, such that group membership is created more or less informally, under a commonality of perspective.

One of the oldest accounts of religious conversion in Earth’s history is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was to become Paul the Apostle, on the road to Damascus.  Here is the story:

Before his conversion, Saul was a zealous Pharisee, an early version of ultra-orthodox Judaism, and a fervent persecutor of early Christians. He believed that the followers of Jesus were blasphemers who threatened the Jewish faith.

The story goes that Saul was on the road to the city of Damascus with the intention of rounding up Christians and bringing them back to the high priest in Jerusalem to be punished; but then an extraordinary event allegedly occurred.

A bright light from heaven suddenly shone, striking Saul blind and causing him to fall to the ground.  He heard the voice of Jesus, who instructed him to continue on to Damascus, where he was to wait for further instructions.

He soon did receive instructions from one Ananias, a Christian living in Damascus, who had been told in a vision to go to Saul, and tell him that he had been chosen by the Lord to make it his life’s mission to spread the gospel of Christianity, not only to the Jew but also to the Greek.

Ananias knew of Saul’s reputation, so he must have needed strong faith to overcome his trepidation at the prospect of presenting himself; but present himself he did. He got off on the right foot by immediately curing Saul’s blindness.  Saul agreed to be baptized and to be renamed Paul.

Paul felt himself to be qualified to call himself an apostle - even though he was not among the twelve original apostles who had known Jesus during his lifetime on Earth - on account of his personal encounter with Jesus on the road.

Paul's missionary journeys and his epistles to Christian churches in various cities form a significant portion of the New Testament and have had a profound impact on Christian theology and the spread of Christianity.

In many evangelical Christian traditions, conversion is described as being "born again." This is often characterized by a profound sense of forgiveness and a personal relationship with Jesus. It might involve an emotional experience, often during prayer or a worship service, leading to a feeling of renewal and a commitment to follow Christian teachings.

And it of course includes a feeling of connection to a community of believers in the “one true faith”.

Christians in the Catholic tradition are more likely to describe conversion as a process rather than a single event, although there are also Catholics who describe themselves as “charismatic”, meaning they experience strong emotions attributed to communion with the Holy Spirit. 

The slower variety of Catholic conversion involves a deepening understanding of faith, participation in sacraments, and a gradual transformation of life. Conversion might be seen as a return to the church, experiencing God's grace, and committing to a life of virtue and service.

Many other religions have their own versions of a conversion experience.

Many Muslims describe conversion as "reversion," reflecting the Islamic belief that everyone is born in a state of submission to Allah.  The conversion experience often includes the declaration of faith and a sense of coming home to one's true faith. Converts may describe feelings of peace, clarity, and a strong sense of community.

Jews do not normally recruit converts, but there are people who are drawn and who choose to convert.  Conversion to Judaism is typically a rigorous process involving study, living according to Jewish law, and immersion in a mikveh, or ritual bath. Converts often describe the experience as a profound commitment and a return to the Jewish people. The process emphasizes intellectual, spiritual, and communal integration.

In Hinduism, conversion is not a common concept as it is in Abrahamic religions. However, those who adopt Hindu practices might describe their experience as a spiritual awakening or a realization of their true self. The journey often involves learning about various deities, rituals, and philosophies, leading to a deep connection with the divine and the cosmos.

In Buddhism, conversion is often referred to as "taking refuge" in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (community). 

This experience can be marked by a sense of enlightenment, understanding of the Four Noble Truths, which focus on the nature of suffering and how to avoid it; and commitment to follow the Eightfold Path, a list of “right” things. 

The aim of existence is seen as the achievement of dying once and for all, no reincarnation, so as to finally putting and end to suffering.

What about the political ideology known as Marxism?  It seems pretty clear that what might have started out as a political ideology has morphed into something that has many things in common with religious beliefs, including dogmatism and imperviousness to evidence and reason.  

Many scholars and commentators have noted the similarities between religious conversion and the attainment of what Marxists call “radicalized vision”. 

Both experiences often include a moment of revelation or awakening. For religious converts, this might be a spiritual epiphany or divine encounter. For those becoming radicalized, it can be a moment of seeming clarity about social injustices or the nature of class struggle.

Both processes can involve intense emotional experiences, including feelings of passion, conviction, and a sense of purpose. Religious conversion might bring feelings of peace, joy, and love, while radicalization might evoke strong emotions like anger at perceived injustice and a deep commitment to social change.

Conversion and radicalization often lead individuals to join a new community where they find solidarity and support. Religious converts might join a church, mosque, temple, or other religious community. Those who are radicalized often become part of political movements, activist groups, or ideological communities.

Both experiences involve adopting a new set of moral and ethical principles. Religious converts align their lives with the teachings and commandments of their faith. Similarly, individuals who attain a radicalized vision adopt new ethical stances based on their political ideology, such as principles of equality, justice, and collective ownership, all founded on the shaky notions of class struggle, zero-sum transactions, and characterizations of who are the bourgeoisie and who are the proletarians, not an easy thing to do in the real world.

Both conversions and radicalizations often lead to a reorientation of life goals and priorities. Religious individuals might dedicate themselves to living according to their faith, engaging in practices like prayer, charity, and evangelism. Radicalized individuals might commit to activism, advocacy, and efforts to intelligently design and bring about a restructuring of society.

Both groups often feel a strong sense of mission or calling. Religious converts might feel called to spread their faith or live out its tenets in daily life. Those with a radicalized vision might feel driven to enlist others in their crusade against what they call the “capitalist” system, with their own peculiar characterization of what capitalism is.

In both experiences, there is often a rejection or re-evaluation of previously held beliefs and values. Religious converts may turn away from secular or different religious views, while radicalized individuals might reject prior political or economic beliefs, often criticizing what they now see as false consciousness or capitalist indoctrination.

These comparisons illustrate that, despite differences in content and context, both religious conversion and the attainment of a radicalized vision share similar processes of personal transformation, community integration, and ethical commitment.

I call your attention to Michael Shermer’s book “The Believing Brain”.  

Shermer examines various beliefs, from religious and paranormal beliefs to political ideologies and conspiracy theories, demonstrating how the same cognitive processes underlie diverse belief systems.

Shermer argues that humans form beliefs first, and then seek evidence to support those beliefs. This process is driven by both innate cognitive biases and social influences.

He introduces the concepts of "patternicity," the tendency to find meaningful patterns in random data, and "agenticity," the inclination to attribute agency and intention to these patterns. These cognitive processes have evolutionary roots and have helped humans survive by quickly identifying threats and opportunities.

Once a belief is established, confirmation bias comes into play, leading individuals to seek out and favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence.

Emotions play a crucial role in belief formation and maintenance. Beliefs are often intertwined with personal identity and emotions, making them resistant to change even in the face of conflicting evidence.

Beliefs are reinforced through social interactions and cultural contexts. Shared beliefs create social cohesion and identity, further entrenching them.

Shermer’s book advocates for a scientific and skeptical approach to understanding the world. Shermer emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and the scientific method in overcoming cognitive biases and arriving at more accurate understandings of reality.

We Vulcans believe that Earthlings will be better served by adopting an attitude of humility, and by applying evolutionary thinking to all questions, than by committing deeply to a belief system that purports to answer all question with authority and finality, and which calls for intelligent design solutions to the challenges facing humanity.

I invite you to have a listen to the next Fascinating! podcast and a look at the next video on our YouTube channel, Fascinating@pregodenada.

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Theme music: “Helium”, with thanks to TrackTribe.

Live long and prosper.  

Savor your experiences; treasure your memories; anticipate a happy and rewarding future.  

And respect nature’s wisdom.