Should we ditch religion? Often when I look at religion I see the good in it. Every religion is full of doctrine and essentially rules that the members are supposed to follow, and often these are things that encourage people to do the right thing. However I feel that when people take a religion too seriously it gets in the way of doing the right thing. Humans inherently know right from wrong, and often religious thought can help to encourage us to make good choices. However, if taken any farther than this and religion becomes dangerous. And I think that Sam Harris, Author and CEO of Project reason would agree. He argues that religion concerns us with things that really are not important and that will better the human experience on earth. Such things as being concerned with pleasing a God with performing rituals, and placing rules and limitations on our lives. This is seen in politics as religion often comes first (not politics) and initiates conflict and keeps just initiatives from moving forward.
Sam Harris would argue for us to give up on religion as it does not seem to help humans in moving forward. This goes along with what is discussed in the article "Why We Believe" from The New York Times Magazine (March 4, 2007). Religion seems to not have a particular function in the survival of the human race; It consumes energy and takes up time. One explanation is that it is a byproduct of the development of our advanced brains. Which makes sense when you look at the fact that less intelligent creatures do not seem to involve themselves with seemingly useless religious matters. Also, it seems strange that we would adapt to believe in things that are not objectively true, such as when someone dies and we go to thinking that they are still with us in some other way.
To me, it seems that God is a byproduct of our development; however we makes use of this byproduct and use it to better our experience as humans because it does have benefits on the communal and individual level. Yet, when the religious experience is taken too far it becomes detrimental to our lives, and yet it is often taken too far by many people. Perhaps we should ditch religion because we cannot seem to manage it and keep it from hurting others.
Perhaps religion does not appear to have a function in the basic survival of the human race because it takes up time and energy etc.,however it is important to remember that since humans do have higher functioning brains than many animals and also have fewer mechanisms of defense against potential predators that things such as cooperation and group unity become especially important to human survival.
ReplyDeleteAs far as believing that someone who has died is still with us in some other way, this way of thinking helps people cope with the idea of death, because death is scary to humans and losing a loved one to death can be devastating emotionally. Even though the human brain is supposedly very advanced, it is also extremely difficult, if not impossible for us to imagine what it is like to be dead-- to not think anymore, to not breathe anymore, to not exist in some way other than a pile of decaying flesh and bones. Therefore we would rather believe that people who have died still exist in some capacity or another. Afterall, it is easier than thinking about the alternative.
I agree with a lot of your points, however, I tend to disagree on your point of someone taking their religious practices too far. How does one define another person taking their practices too far? I understand what you are saying by the unrest Muslims have against Christians and any other religion for that matter. The Koran can offer confusion and also be very controversial when taken too literally. That being the Koran's views against viewing other gods outside the religion of Islam. For someone raised in a Western culture, it is very difficult for us to understand the way life works in a predominantly Muslim country. That being said, it is difficult for us to tag someone or some group as taking religion too seriously. What defines someone taking religion too seriously?
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of your points but I believe it is impossible for everyone to completely throw out religion. It seems to be pretty necessary that religion play a role in society. I DO think there is a point where religious practices go too far. I understand that there are so many differences in cultures that we probably can't even begin to understand them, but, I think injuring a fellow person is TOO far, I don't think anything is worth that.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that religion taken too far is a negative way of life, I feel that you don't give quite enough thought to the neo-atheists being overly orthodox in their own non-beliefs. I myself am an atheist, but I find it irksome how much a no-compromise attitude can be damaging and simply reduce the amount of understanding humans have of each other. Fundamentalist religion has caused problems for thousands of years, and fundamentalist atheism can do the same, despite the "good" intentions that Dawkins and Harris seem to boast.
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