We should have come a long way since 1664 but in some respects we are regressing. The underlying theme of Tartuffe, the play, that the official church of the period found distasteful and bordering on heresy might today be considered as only a little amusing or even apropos, as the “official” church of the 2000’s is secularism and group-think. Laws today condemn practicing a religion when it affects the conduct of public commerce even if that practice is kept inside the walls of their own businesses and doesn’t coerce or attempt to sway the opinions of anyone. There is a general anti-science movement in the alt-left and alt-right political circles and many universities, once bastions of freedom and progress, seem to be moving back in time.
There are several famous cases now of businesses like Chick-Fil-A who come under public censure for being closed on Sundays and at least two businesses whose owners have gone to jail because they felt they were committing sins against their religions if they did trade with groups whose conduct not just offended them, but they consider as mortal sins. They are punished for religious mores common in the 1600’s and the Supreme Court of the U.S. has just recently decided to rule on one
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There are many today who decry scientific advances in food production, insect control of crops, and bio-engineering crops to be resistant to drought and disease. Some espouse only growing food organically as would have been done in Moliere’s time. Were they preaching only to their choirs and leaving the scientific establishment alone to feed the rest of the world, it would be easily overlooked but some have become powerful advocates in positions of mighty influence on the political stage and in mass media. But for purpose of greed alone and not because it is good for man as proof abounds that ancient farming techniques fall far short in feeding a burgeoning world