A crackpot preacher with a tiny band of 50 zombie followers has caused prominent religious leaders with wildly contradictory claims to huddle together for support, enraged one fourth of the world’s population and attracted the attention our most powerful political and military figures.
Somehow the lesson is lost that religion divides us as families, tribes, regions and nations. Yet, leading clergy cautiously assure us we must show “respect” for the religion of others, by venerating competing unfalsifiable claims as if they were legitimate.
Every religion can produce wisps of wisdom, but belief systems are not exclusive, or even reliable, for discovering truth. If they were the sun would still be orbiting a flat earth. The fact is truth will stand on its own. Truth does not require faith, let alone revelation or inspiration. Truth requires knowledge, the exact opposite of faith.
We might well benefit from this self imposed fit of bewilderment if we were to pause and ask ourselves an important question. Would humanity be diminished or enhanced, if instead of becoming a world community of believers, we opted instead to become a world community of knowers?
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Charlie said, "A crackpot preacher with a tiny band of 50 zombie followers has caused prominent religious leaders with wildly contradictory claims to huddle together for support, enraged one fourth of the world’s population and attracted the attention our most powerful political and military figures."
ReplyDeleteYou may be missing an important point. If you can accept the religion of others, this is the first step to admitting maybe your religion is no better than the next. The next step might be admitting your own is just one of the thousands of traditional faiths. You then have no reason to want to kill to protect your religion. Just a thought.
Jim
Jim Said "You may be missing an important point. If you can accept the religion of others, this is the first step to admitting maybe your religion is no better than the next. The next step might be admitting your own is just one of the thousands of traditional faiths."
ReplyDeleteIf believers can take the first step, then there would be no reason for, say for example a Baptist dropping off one of his kids at a Catholic church or mosque on the way to Sunday school, or a Catholic allowing one of theirs to attend prayers at a mosque.
Something tells me we that adherents of different faiths will never get beyond the first step. The next step "admitting your religion is just one of the thousands of traditional faiths" is self evident.
That one is better swept under the rug.
Charlie said, "Something tells me we that adherents of different faiths will never get beyond the first step. The next step "admitting your religion is just one of the thousands of traditional faiths" is self evident."
ReplyDeleteYou must not look at just my generation and the one that is following mine, you must look at the present generation. When 70% of that third generation stops believing by age 23, what will Christianity look like in 30-40 years? They may not drop their children off at a Catholic church or Mosque, but instead simply go to the park with others whose grandparents were Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Church of Christ etc. By the way, white European citizens of the USA will be just another minority. If I am wrong on this, I'll owe you a beer in forty years (and that from a non-drinker).
Jim