(March 26, 2022 at 12:59 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote:(March 26, 2022 at 10:17 am)HappySkeptic Wrote: There is nothing wrong with the concept of allegorical religion. We all have stories that define our place in the universe, our values, and our purpose.
The issue is "what do the stories say"? Accepting 2000 year-old stories to be true or meaningful may also mean discarding the stories of a modern liberal culture.
Are modern ideas always better? No - but for FSM's sake, come up with your own stories that combine the best of all that you read, experience and believe.
The stories that define our places in the universe, values, or purposes may almost appear to be a religion, but few would really call them religions unless there a fundamentalist advocacy for it.
For me the term allegorical religion is nonsensical because fundamentalism is what makes religion a religion.
That is not to say all or most followers are dyed in the wool fundamentalists. But the religion would Peter out if there is not a core of people attempting to impose fundamentalist interpretation and justification to keep the religion alive. I would caveat that by saying the core of people attempting to impose fundamentalist interpretation and justification may not even be fundamentalist themselves in the literal sense, but “while I may not think the Bible is the literal truth, you must believe it is the literal truth or else I lose control, or else the world would go to shit, etc, etc”.
Is it possible the bible holds many truths, but also fails in other areas without destroying the basic message? Many believe it should be read from a spiritual perspective and not a literal one.
