Religion as opposite to atheism is a much discussed topic of this forum.
The roots of religion are largely explained in TGD.
I would like to underline an important issue linked to religion, namely, irrational thinking.
The human mind is of course an intrinsic part of the body but it has some features which apparently separate it from the animal world one of them being irrational thinking.
Animals must have some rational thinking .The predator following his prey shows a certain way of rational thinking which helps him to achieve his goal.
Do animals have also other forms of thinking? May be. I don't know.
But if human mind can think in a rational way as well as in an irrational way one must conclude that both are a result of evolution of life.
Which form of thinking prevails in our daily life is a matter for psychologists but our personally experience shows that we some times think rationally, logically or illogical and some times irrationally, which is essentially illogical, and some times a mix of both.
Irrational thinking touches almost all aspects of human life, as an individual-
for instance feelings of love, hatred ,despair ,compassion, etc,, or in society –
politics, history, philosophy and of course religion.
In history, for instance this phenomenon is expressed by the creation of national mythical figures as Ulysses ,Romulus and Remus, Eneas or national/religious figures as Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and so on.
Modern times are not exempted from mythical historic positive figures like Jean D'arc
or demonized figures like Richard III.
In literature we have innumerable examples of mythical –irrational figures.
One can not deny that there are some feelings which humans are compelling themselves, inner in their minds, to express them in a supra natural irrational form, no matter if this phenomenon is an evolutionary trait of human society or something intrinsic to human nature.
Humans are tending, if they are satisfied with their life to give thanks to some supra natural entity, or if they are in despair to cry out to the same entity, or if they are afraid of something (especially sickness or death) to rely on the same.
They do it by creating in their mind a "believable" God in the image of man based on tales, legends, holy scriptures and alike, and after this act of instant creation they willingly believe that this God really exists otherwise all expectations would be in vane.
In my opinion this act of creation of God is therefore a non deniable trait of irrational thinking which cannot be appreciated by simple rational arguments,
The evolutionary "roots of religion" might be explained from a parallel to Darwinian point of view but the permanent recurrent creation of God in the minds of people has his roots in irrational thinking of humans .
Therefore the most important way for atheism in opposing religion seems to me to be to expose it as an exclusive creation of human beings, God being existent only in their minds, never in nature..
The roots of religion are largely explained in TGD.
I would like to underline an important issue linked to religion, namely, irrational thinking.
The human mind is of course an intrinsic part of the body but it has some features which apparently separate it from the animal world one of them being irrational thinking.
Animals must have some rational thinking .The predator following his prey shows a certain way of rational thinking which helps him to achieve his goal.
Do animals have also other forms of thinking? May be. I don't know.
But if human mind can think in a rational way as well as in an irrational way one must conclude that both are a result of evolution of life.
Which form of thinking prevails in our daily life is a matter for psychologists but our personally experience shows that we some times think rationally, logically or illogical and some times irrationally, which is essentially illogical, and some times a mix of both.
Irrational thinking touches almost all aspects of human life, as an individual-
for instance feelings of love, hatred ,despair ,compassion, etc,, or in society –
politics, history, philosophy and of course religion.
In history, for instance this phenomenon is expressed by the creation of national mythical figures as Ulysses ,Romulus and Remus, Eneas or national/religious figures as Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and so on.
Modern times are not exempted from mythical historic positive figures like Jean D'arc
or demonized figures like Richard III.
In literature we have innumerable examples of mythical –irrational figures.
One can not deny that there are some feelings which humans are compelling themselves, inner in their minds, to express them in a supra natural irrational form, no matter if this phenomenon is an evolutionary trait of human society or something intrinsic to human nature.
Humans are tending, if they are satisfied with their life to give thanks to some supra natural entity, or if they are in despair to cry out to the same entity, or if they are afraid of something (especially sickness or death) to rely on the same.
They do it by creating in their mind a "believable" God in the image of man based on tales, legends, holy scriptures and alike, and after this act of instant creation they willingly believe that this God really exists otherwise all expectations would be in vane.
In my opinion this act of creation of God is therefore a non deniable trait of irrational thinking which cannot be appreciated by simple rational arguments,
The evolutionary "roots of religion" might be explained from a parallel to Darwinian point of view but the permanent recurrent creation of God in the minds of people has his roots in irrational thinking of humans .
Therefore the most important way for atheism in opposing religion seems to me to be to expose it as an exclusive creation of human beings, God being existent only in their minds, never in nature..
