Outdated and Far Too Modern

After finishing Godwired, it seems clear that for Wagner, virtual reality is capable of performing all the functions that were once exclusive to religion. I was excited by this prospect, and I suppose I still am, but Wagner's handling of the material seems terribly out dated. By this I do not mean that she uses examples that are no longer relevant. In fact, I was impressed by her broad knowledge of contemporary digital media. No, what is outdated is her understanding of religion as an all encompassing category capable of swallowing up every bit (pun intended?) of culture and tradition. Such treatments are the vestiges of modernity in which conflict was resolved by denying differences. Racial tension provides an easy example. If skin color is a problem for us, then we must become color blind. Today we realize that ignoring the color of someone's skin easily leads to ignoring the person. We see that to really know someone or something we must be open to everything and especially that which makes them or those things unique. Wagner's definition of religion is a kind of cultural color blindness. "Religion" becomes a way of making peace between Judaism and Islam and Christianity by ignoring the conflicting elements in each. In so doing, Wagner ultimately loses sight of the particular manifestations of her abstract category. By speaking of religion in the abstract, Wagner alienates herself from Judaism, from Islam, from Christianity, from the actual content of her abstract category. Attempting to speak to everyone she ends up speaking to no one and it is tragic because we all feel like she has something very important to say.