Why Religion Won't Go Away

[Agondonter]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing. When pressed for a final explanation, many atheists simply end the discussion with a vacuous 'I don't know.'

Of course they don't know. No one knows, but consciously or unconsciously, we all have beliefs that provide us with a conceptual frame in which to think and base values. The question, then, is what atheists deduce from their experiencing of the world. What beliefs constitute their conceptual frame of reference? Why are things the way they are? How do we originate? Without a conceptual frame of reference, with 'I don't know' being the final answer, one is destined to be an intellectual parrot, a social automaton, and a slave to scientific or religious authority.

Secularism revolted against the tyranny of institutional religion; atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism. But religion and God will be with us long after the collapse of modern secular society.

 

[Riverwolf]

Religious behavior seems to be pretty central to being human, so it won't "go away" so long as we're homo sapiens sapiens. It's just part of who we are as a species.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing. When pressed for a final explanation, many atheists simply end the discussion with a vacuous 'I don't know.'

Of course they don't know. No one knows, but consciously or unconsciously, we all have beliefs that provide us with a conceptual frame in which to think and base values. The question, then, is what atheists deduce from their experiencing of the world. What beliefs constitute their conceptual frame of reference? Why are things the way they are? How do we originate? Without a conceptual frame of reference, with 'I don't know' being the final answer, one is destined to be an intellectual parrot, a social automaton, and a slave to scientific or religious authority.

Secularism revolted against the tyranny of institutional religion; atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism. But religion and God will be with us long after the collapse of modern secular society.

I hope so- as long as we have free thinking humanity- there will be faith. Where it has been most oppressed - e.g. USSR, communist China, etc, faith has returned with freedom of thought.

But politics will always be with us also, and personal faith is often a target of it.

 

[Agondonter]

You're both right, but you'd never know it judging from some of the things said in this forum.

 

[Vouthon]

I think that the human tendency towards reverence, quest for meaning and self-understanding in life and propensity for ritual means that religion or spirituality on some level - even if secularized - will always exist.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing.

In which related field is you degree?

 

[Agondonter]

In which related field is you degree?

<yawn> ignore </yawn>

What on earth has that to do with anything?

 

[Walter Russell]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing. When pressed for a final explanation, many atheists simply end the discussion with a vacuous 'I don't know.'

Of course they don't know. No one knows, but consciously or unconsciously, we all have beliefs that provide us with a conceptual frame in which to think and base values. The question, then, is what atheists deduce from their experiencing of the world. What beliefs constitute their conceptual frame of reference? Why are things the way they are? How do we originate? Without a conceptual frame of reference, with 'I don't know' being the final answer, one is destined to be an intellectual parrot, a social automaton, and a slave to scientific or religious authority.

Secularism revolted against the tyranny of institutional religion; atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism. But religion and God will be with us long after the collapse of modern secular society.

I do feel as though at some point in the future science and religion will marry. It won't be easy but it will be necessary.

Science will have to accept that such perfect universal interchange is orchestrated, not accidental and come to a new renaissance era of trying to understand gods creation rather than trying so hard to exclude him from it.

On the flip side, Religious ppl of the world will have to come to understand that all of todays religions are just human concepts with cultrural uniqueness of a creator they have longed to understand. The creator is no more Muslim than Christian, no more Black than White.

He/She has no favorites and has given nothing to one man that he hasn't given another.

 

[Agondonter]

I agree with you, Walter, but I make a distinction between religion as such and the ideas that serve as its vehicle.

 

[George-ananda]

atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism.

I like this statement from the OP. Many atheists rant against the Old Testament God concept. As a non-dual Hindu I agree with them on much of the rant but then want to ask 'so were do we go from here'.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing.

In which related field is you degree?

<yawn> ignore </yawn>

What on earth has that to do with anything?

So you'd rather talk about my custom title that you credibility when it comes to evaluating cosmological theories. I wonder why.

 

[Agondonter]

I like this statement from the OP. Many atheists rant against the Old Testament God concept. As a non-dual Hindu I agree with them on much of the rant but then want to ask 'so were do we go from here'.

Most of those who do the ranting seem to focus on popular notions of God and are unaware that classical theism is radically non-anthropomorphic.

By the way, IMV, the similarities between Brahman in the Hindu tradition and the notion of divine simplicity are such that they shouldn't be overlooked. They are just different vehicles for the same basic realization.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Multiverse theory as a final explanation for the way things are is the last refuge of atheism, but it is so full of holes that it's not even worth discussing. When pressed for a final explanation, many atheists simply end the discussion with a vacuous 'I don't know.'

Of course they don't know. No one knows, but consciously or unconsciously, we all have beliefs that provide us with a conceptual frame in which to think and base values. The question, then, is what atheists deduce from their experiencing of the world. What beliefs constitute their conceptual frame of reference? Why are things the way they are? How do we originate? Without a conceptual frame of reference, with 'I don't know' being the final answer, one is destined to be an intellectual parrot, a social automaton, and a slave to scientific or religious authority.

Secularism revolted against the tyranny of institutional religion; atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism. But religion and God will be with us long after the collapse of modern secular society.

Explain the holes your talking about. You seem to be well informed as to what they are.

Simple no?

 

[Agondonter]

What part of "not even worth discussing" don't people understand?

 

[jeager106]

I've read and agree that human kind has an innate need to worship something
greater than mankind.
After all history teaches that almost all human groups have worshiped something.
The sun, the moon, the wind, rain, stars ad nauseam. ( iz at how it's spelt?)
I could google and find all sorts of psychological references but I'm not going to
bother.
You can feel free to do so if you like.
It would all be opinions that can't be proven in the scientific sense anyway.

 

[LuisDantas]

Secularism revolted against the tyranny of institutional religion; atheism is in no small measure a revolt against anthropomorphism. But religion and God will be with us long after the collapse of modern secular society.

I don't think you understand how spontaneous and ultimately uncommited atheism is in and of itself.

 

[Agondonter]

I've read and agree that human kind has an innate need to worship something
greater than mankind.
After all history teaches that almost all human groups have worshiped something.
The sun, the moon, the wind, rain, stars ad nauseam. ( iz at how it's spelt?)
I could google and find all sorts of psychological references but I'm not going to
bother.
You can feel free to do so if you like.
It would all be opinions that can't be proven in the scientific sense anyway.

The idea of one God in place of many gods was a radical departure from traditional religious concepts and didn't catch on right away, but only the concept of one God in the place of many gods enables man to comprehend the Father (to use a colloquial term) as a universal upholder embodying man's highest ideals and loftiest aspirations. It is an idea that is still evolving and will continue to evolve. It will never go away.

 

[Agondonter]

I don't think you understand how spontaneous and ultimately uncommited atheism is in and of itself.

The same can be said about rocks. What thinking person wants to emulate rocks?

 

[Subhankar Zac]

The concept of multiverse actually has a place within vaishnava religious texts that is 2500-3000 years old.
And also many religions do not have a God... Being religions they are either atheistic or agnostic

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I like this statement from the OP. Many atheists rant against the Old Testament God concept. As a non-dual Hindu I agree with them on much of the rant but then want to ask 'so were do we go from here'.

Once that's asked, they enter the next stage of maturity and natural human growth of "I don't know."