RE: Do you trust people enough to not have any religion?
February 21, 2012 at 12:03 pm
(This post was last modified: February 21, 2012 at 12:06 pm by NoMoreFaith.)
Hmm, I have to say I have had uncharitable thoughts about a theist whom depends on the absolute moral good argument for God, and if God was suddenly utterly disproven I think the biggest danger would be through grief as if a family member has died.
We can call religious belief delusional, and we can point out that sincere personal belief offers validity being no greater than illusion. This does not change the fact it is SINCERE and this must be recognised.
The loss of God would be genuine grief, equal and as valid as the loss of a family member. Combined with a general feeling of being lost, and I think there is a strong argument that serious social complication would arise from it. I simply lack the faculty to imagine what form the social complications would take.
I view religion and society in the same way I view drugs and the individual. Society needs to continue its current leaning towards secularism and future generations will further ween us off the "belief" drug.
It needs to be a gradual change.. but I confess I feel guilty for my lack of faith in people to take it in a rational and nondestructive manner.
That being said, since we know fine well that a sudden disproof will almost certainly never happen, its not something we need worry about, and society will take the course it is on.
I think its also worth noting, proof would have to be completely undeniable, and I'm even less skeptical about declaring that an impossibility. If the proof has any way of being denied, I think for first reaction will always be denial.
I am also of the freely admitted unsubstantiated opinion that the cult of celebrity is correlated with the decline of the cult of theism, and sudden removal of the faith structure would see a rapid explosion in alternative faiths and "quasi-deification" of individuals to fill the gaps instead of a mass conversion to skepticism.
Now that you made me think about it, I'm bloody pessimistic and a little condescending about the mental faculty of the general public. I may not be entirely fair, so I'm going to reserve the right to spend some time to consider this a little more.
We can call religious belief delusional, and we can point out that sincere personal belief offers validity being no greater than illusion. This does not change the fact it is SINCERE and this must be recognised.
The loss of God would be genuine grief, equal and as valid as the loss of a family member. Combined with a general feeling of being lost, and I think there is a strong argument that serious social complication would arise from it. I simply lack the faculty to imagine what form the social complications would take.
I view religion and society in the same way I view drugs and the individual. Society needs to continue its current leaning towards secularism and future generations will further ween us off the "belief" drug.
It needs to be a gradual change.. but I confess I feel guilty for my lack of faith in people to take it in a rational and nondestructive manner.
That being said, since we know fine well that a sudden disproof will almost certainly never happen, its not something we need worry about, and society will take the course it is on.
I think its also worth noting, proof would have to be completely undeniable, and I'm even less skeptical about declaring that an impossibility. If the proof has any way of being denied, I think for first reaction will always be denial.
I am also of the freely admitted unsubstantiated opinion that the cult of celebrity is correlated with the decline of the cult of theism, and sudden removal of the faith structure would see a rapid explosion in alternative faiths and "quasi-deification" of individuals to fill the gaps instead of a mass conversion to skepticism.
Now that you made me think about it, I'm bloody pessimistic and a little condescending about the mental faculty of the general public. I may not be entirely fair, so I'm going to reserve the right to spend some time to consider this a little more.
Self-authenticating private evidence is useless, because it is indistinguishable from the illusion of it. ― Kel, Kelosophy Blog
If you’re going to watch tele, you should watch Scooby Doo. That show was so cool because every time there’s a church with a ghoul, or a ghost in a school. They looked beneath the mask and what was inside?
The f**king janitor or the dude who runs the waterslide. Throughout history every mystery. Ever solved has turned out to be. Not Magic. ― Tim Minchin, Storm
If you’re going to watch tele, you should watch Scooby Doo. That show was so cool because every time there’s a church with a ghoul, or a ghost in a school. They looked beneath the mask and what was inside?
The f**king janitor or the dude who runs the waterslide. Throughout history every mystery. Ever solved has turned out to be. Not Magic. ― Tim Minchin, Storm
