- The world is getting worse, not better. There is limited use in improving society.
That sounds like 19th century fire and brimstone revivalism. Most Christians are not that nihilistic. The sects that survive and flourish tend to be those that don't impose a fatalistic view of the world.
I agree with the sentiment, but in this specific case, the "nihilism" is more of a green card to do whatever to better your own life, as there is no point improving anyone else's, just focus on yourself and survive.
So here it could be seen as an excuse to not only exploit existing systems, but also to avoid attempts at fixing them.
So in a way, holders of such fatalistic believes are ironically flourishing
Is that religion or that just a popular social sentiment held by religious individuals and communities? I understand how it might be hard to tell the difference with heavily fractured Christian sects. Are pastors writing theological treatise on this, are they addressing it in sermons or is this just a shared attitude reinforced by other small town attitudes?
Very good question and I'm not sure, we should investigate it further
but what I'll push back a bit on is that not all fatalistic convictions result in the death or collapse of the sect holding them, and sometimes it could be the main driver of their success
That sounds like 19th century fire and brimstone revivalism. Most Christians are not that nihilistic. The sects that survive and flourish tend to be those that don't impose a fatalistic view of the world.