Oriental Orthodox

The actual, true Orthodox church, established by our Lord Jesus Christ through the holy Apostles, which has carried the true, uncorrupted apostolic faith through the ages.

The Oriental Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church.

by Amo Antonius January 10, 2024

Scientific Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs, methods, theories, and practices that define "normal science" within a given field or across the scientific enterprise as a whole. Scientific orthodoxy represents the consensus view—what most scientists accept as true, what textbooks teach, what funding agencies support, what journals publish, and what counts as legitimate scientific work. Like all orthodoxies, it serves necessary functions: providing shared frameworks, enabling cumulative progress, and maintaining standards. But like all orthodoxies, it also resists challenge, marginalizes dissent, and can persist long after evidence has shifted. Scientific orthodoxy is maintained not just by evidence but by social structures: peer review, grant funding, professional advancement, and the natural human tendency to defend what we've built our careers on. Understanding scientific orthodoxy is essential for understanding how science actually works—not just as an ideal of open inquiry but as a human institution with all the conservatism, politics, and power dynamics that entails.

Example: "His theory contradicted scientific orthodoxy, so he couldn't get funding, couldn't publish, couldn't get a job. Twenty years later, the orthodoxy shifted, and suddenly he was a visionary. That's how orthodoxy works: it protects consensus first, and evaluates evidence second."

by Abzugal March 16, 2026

Atheistic Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs, arguments, and practices that define mainstream atheism—what counts as "proper" atheism within secular and skeptical communities. Atheistic orthodoxy includes core commitments: the belief that God does not exist, the conviction that religious belief is irrational, the preference for scientific and naturalistic explanations, and specific arguments (problem of evil, contradiction of scriptures, lack of evidence) that are treated as definitive. Like all orthodoxies, it serves necessary functions: providing community, shared language, and intellectual resources for those who reject religion. But like all orthodoxies, it also resists challenge, marginalizes dissent, and can become dogmatic. Atheistic orthodoxy determines what questions are worth asking, what arguments count as good, and who counts as a "real" atheist versus a heretic or compromiser. It's maintained not just by evidence but by social structures: atheist organizations, publications, conferences, and online communities that police boundaries and enforce orthodoxy.

Example: "He questioned whether the standard arguments against religion were as definitive as everyone claimed—and was immediately accused of being a 'religious apologist' by the atheist community. Atheistic orthodoxy doesn't tolerate doubt about its own foundations."

by Abzugal March 16, 2026

Antitheistic Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs and practices that define mainstream antitheism—the view that religion is not just false but harmful, and that active opposition to religion is morally necessary. Antitheistic orthodoxy goes beyond mere atheism (disbelief) to include specific commitments: that religion is a net negative in human affairs, that religious believers are intellectually deficient or morally compromised, that religion should be actively opposed rather than merely disbelieved, and that secularism requires the elimination of religious influence from public life. Like all orthodoxies, it provides community and shared purpose for those committed to opposing religion. But like all orthodoxies, it can become dogmatic, resisting nuance and marginalizing those who question its assumptions. Antitheistic orthodoxy determines what criticisms of religion are acceptable, what forms of opposition are legitimate, and who counts as a "real" antitheist versus an appeaser or religious sympathizer.

Example: "She suggested that some religious communities provide genuine social goods alongside their problematic beliefs—and was denounced as a 'religious apologist' by the antitheist community. Antitheistic orthodoxy doesn't allow for complexity; religion must be pure evil to justify pure opposition."

by Abzugal March 16, 2026

Materialistic Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs that define mainstream materialism—the view that matter is the fundamental substance of reality and that all phenomena, including consciousness, can be explained in terms of material interactions. Materialistic orthodoxy includes core commitments: that the physical world is all that exists, that mental states are brain states, that explanations should be couched in physical terms, and that any appeal to non-material entities or forces is unscientific. Like all orthodoxies, it serves necessary functions: providing a unified framework for scientific inquiry, ruling out supernatural explanations, and enabling cumulative progress. But like all orthodoxies, it can become dogmatic, resisting challenges and marginalizing views that question its assumptions. Materialistic orthodoxy determines what questions are worth asking, what explanations count as legitimate, and who counts as a "real" scientist versus a mystic or dualist.

Example: "He suggested that consciousness might require explanations beyond current materialist frameworks—and was accused of being a 'woo-woo mystic' by his colleagues. Materialistic orthodoxy doesn't tolerate questions about its own foundations; it just assumes they're settled."

by Abzugal March 16, 2026

Naturalistic Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs that define mainstream naturalism—the view that nature is all that exists, that supernatural explanations are illegitimate, and that scientific methods are the only reliable paths to knowledge. Naturalistic orthodoxy includes core commitments: methodological naturalism (science should only invoke natural causes), ontological naturalism (only natural things exist), and epistemological naturalism (scientific knowledge is the only genuine knowledge). Like all orthodoxies, it serves necessary functions: enabling scientific inquiry, ruling out supernatural explanations, and providing a unified worldview. But like all orthodoxies, it can become dogmatic, resisting challenges and marginalizing views that question its assumptions. Naturalistic orthodoxy determines what counts as legitimate inquiry, what explanations are acceptable, and who counts as a "real" intellectual versus a mystic or theologian.

Example: "She suggested that indigenous knowledge systems might offer valid insights that don't fit naturalistic frameworks—and was accused of 'abandoning science' by her colleagues. Naturalistic orthodoxy doesn't allow that there might be other ways of knowing; it assumes its own methods are the only legitimate ones."

by Abzugal March 16, 2026

Western Orthodoxy

The established, institutionalized set of beliefs, values, and practices that define mainstream Western civilization's self-understanding—the often-unexamined assumptions that shape what counts as normal, rational, and legitimate in Western societies. Western orthodoxy includes commitments to individualism, democracy, capitalism, human rights, progress, science, and secularism—not as contingent historical developments but as simply "how things should be." It frames Western history as the story of progress toward freedom and reason, non-Western societies as catching up or falling behind, and Western institutions (markets, elections, courts) as the natural models for all societies. Like all orthodoxies, Western orthodoxy serves to provide coherence and identity, but it can also function as ideology—making Western dominance seem natural and inevitable, obscuring violence and exploitation, and delegitimizing alternative ways of organizing society. Understanding Western orthodoxy is essential for recognizing the assumptions that shape global politics, economics, and culture—and for imagining alternatives.

Example: "He assumed that democracy and capitalism were simply the best ways to organize society—not because he'd examined alternatives, but because Western orthodoxy had made them seem like common sense. The orthodoxy was invisible to him because he was inside it."

by Dumu The Void March 17, 2026