Religiosity - eternal?
Discussion
I am a firm atheist, and weighing things up based on scientific evidence I believe the case gets ever stronger to be so, as human understanding and knowledge continues to increase.
I would argue that modern, Western cultures have been the most scientifically successful (hence our knowledge of medicine, space exploration etc etc) and have also become more secular as a result (see dwindling church attndances for evidence). I wonder - what would it take for the increase in modern secularity to reach the point where religiosity is no longer considered 'normal?' Even if the time came where every human on Earth was aware that we'd discovered every last truth of the universe, including how it started, what came before it, and what happens next, and if we found irrefutable proof that human evolution followed Darwinian principles - perhaps by finding the 'missing links' - would religion still be 'allowed'?
Comments prompted by this alarming thread about what seems to me to be a completely unnecessary slaughter of 300,000 animals by a less educated, less developed people that don't know better, and who still live by the principles and traditions forged in times where religion answered questions that science could not.
So - religion - even with 'total' human understanding, could it ever be replaced by secularity?
No intention to incite racial hatred here, just discussion about theoretical 'future history,' all sides of any argument should be put forward and responded to in a calm and intelligent manner.
I would argue that modern, Western cultures have been the most scientifically successful (hence our knowledge of medicine, space exploration etc etc) and have also become more secular as a result (see dwindling church attndances for evidence). I wonder - what would it take for the increase in modern secularity to reach the point where religiosity is no longer considered 'normal?' Even if the time came where every human on Earth was aware that we'd discovered every last truth of the universe, including how it started, what came before it, and what happens next, and if we found irrefutable proof that human evolution followed Darwinian principles - perhaps by finding the 'missing links' - would religion still be 'allowed'?
Comments prompted by this alarming thread about what seems to me to be a completely unnecessary slaughter of 300,000 animals by a less educated, less developed people that don't know better, and who still live by the principles and traditions forged in times where religion answered questions that science could not.
So - religion - even with 'total' human understanding, could it ever be replaced by secularity?
No intention to incite racial hatred here, just discussion about theoretical 'future history,' all sides of any argument should be put forward and responded to in a calm and intelligent manner.
Religion is too good a justification for wrong doing (or non-moral acts if you like) and there are too many people who don't question anything for religion to disapear.
Some people need something to believe in and religion happily fills the gaps in many people's lives. I can't see it going away.
I don't not like religion (i don't understand it fully, i guess you have to believe) but it's something that's always interested me.
Refering back to the other thread or suicide bombers or holy wars... none of it makes sense without religion and is wrong on a moral basis.
Some people need something to believe in and religion happily fills the gaps in many people's lives. I can't see it going away.
I don't not like religion (i don't understand it fully, i guess you have to believe) but it's something that's always interested me.
Refering back to the other thread or suicide bombers or holy wars... none of it makes sense without religion and is wrong on a moral basis.
I suspect they will continue to juggle with words from the various 'sacred' texts to demonstrate that they are still, um, right.
I suppose my only direct experience was a real interesting discussion with a Franciscan friar that I knew quite well. His argument about the 6 days of creation actually being 6 of whatever period you care to choose struck me at the time as somewhat fitting the question to the answer. Had some good chats with him, mostly in the pub, about matters religious. I'm not a believer by the way but that didn't matter to the discussion at the time, or this one.
Better that I suppose than to simply adopt the creationism(sic) that we see in some parts of the US of A.
I suppose my only direct experience was a real interesting discussion with a Franciscan friar that I knew quite well. His argument about the 6 days of creation actually being 6 of whatever period you care to choose struck me at the time as somewhat fitting the question to the answer. Had some good chats with him, mostly in the pub, about matters religious. I'm not a believer by the way but that didn't matter to the discussion at the time, or this one.
Better that I suppose than to simply adopt the creationism(sic) that we see in some parts of the US of A.
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