(August 24, 2012 at 5:48 am)Tempus Wrote: I don't think religion disappearing is necessarily a good thing. Perhaps the disappearance of the more dogmatic religions (or sub-sects of) is a necessary precondition for a more flourishing society. I don't know. I object to the notion that prayer and other religious practices are always a waste of time.
Very good point. Potentially prayer can be a ritualized opportunity to open oneself to deeper insight. Logic has its place but is only of any use for building upon what you already consciously know, and for vouchsafing insights obtained in a non-rational manner. Intuition, feeling, inspiration, reflection, dreams perhaps, maybe prayer .. are all non rational ways of sniffing out what is significant or understanding the greater contexts of ones milieu.
I wonder what limits there may be to understanding rationally the workings of these non rational processes. All I know for sure is being open to them is what makes me feel most alive. Einstein said "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant." There is value in rationally concluding that there are limits to rationality. Rationality serves the intuitive mind by looking for what case can be made for the hunches which it presents. Rationality without humility is sterile.
Seeking to eliminate religion when prayer done correctly can be so powerful is an example of rationality over-reaching.
(August 24, 2012 at 5:48 am)Tempus Wrote: My own opinion is that religious roles can be fulfilled outside of the context of religion. I think many (Western, at least - I'm pretty ignorant of Eastern religions) religious attitudes are ultimately limiting. At the end of the day you still need to accept some core propositions which can't be contradicted. Whereas in my own worldview, for example, I can question and totally overturn anything; nothing is off limits. I imagine the reason many people, consciously or unconsciously, adopt a pre-existing, somewhat limited view is because it's a lot of work to figure out your own and the freedom (which so many people supposedly value) is dizzying and frightening. Also, if you're in pursuit of truth, you may encounter inconclusive answers / shades of grey and have to tolerate the ambiguity. The search for truth is antithetical to the presuppositional religious traditions, which is why I consider them limited.
That is what I object to about religion. So many religious people make no use of prayer as openness. They have no faith whatsoever in a greater intelligence which can make itself known to them. Instead they read the bible like a lawyer examining a contract. Religion fails to create for them a context in which they can consciously and rationally serve their intuitive minds because they cling to the revealed facts of the bible. But just because religion done poorly has no value doesn't mean it doesn't also have the capacity when done correctly to deepen human experience and provide meaning. I'm not ready to condemn religion to the garbage heap until we understand all this much better and can find adequate alternative means to the same higher ends.
