Because as evidenced by the millions who do Haj yearly and the millions who go to Jerusalem or millions who pay respect to Graceland, pilgrimage is part of the human species and a secular scientific enlightenment pilgrimage is a way to communicate the values that you and I probably share, and truly embed and codify them in any society. American citizens 'civic' pilgrimage to Washington DC is not sufficient and should not become a place of awe since enlightenment politics should not be deified. There is huge value in my opinion of a holy site where common people can stand in awe of the 10000 years of recorded human history and millions of years of evolution -- where those who believe these things can celebrate the shear awesomeness of such a history compared to the shorter and sillier timelines that the Abrahamic holy sites promote. Only then can we move on from the Abrahamic era. Until the common man with his daily struggles can feel pride for his past and his future in the system of 'secular' life and death, where evolution and secular survival is celebrated as a thing of wonder not just science, then modernity might finally have won. Until you displace the feelings of pride and awe that Abrahamic faiths provide people, the modern world will continue to live with them. And let's start with throwing out the year 2013.
(December 7, 2013 at 10:17 am)I and I Wrote:(December 7, 2013 at 6:54 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: Why would we want a "new holy place"?
My beef with the enlightenment is not that it has moved us away from "holy places" but the opposite, my complain is that is not moved us away from "holy places". Modern holy places have replaced old ones and are just as stupid. Instead of looking to old made up stories we look to new trend in fashion, idolize "worship" celebrities spend hours watching them in weekly rituals in front of tv. The churches of sports stadiums and the gods of celebrities and the cult of "the individual" are just as utterly stupid as the old religions and traditions they have replaced.
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(December 7, 2013 at 6:54 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: Why would we want a "new holy place"?
My beef with the enlightenment is not that it has moved us away from "holy places" but the opposite, my complain is that is not moved us away from "holy places". Modern holy places have replaced old ones and are just as stupid. Instead of looking to old made up stories we look to new trend in fashion, idolize "worship" celebrities spend hours watching them in weekly rituals in front of tv. The churches of sports stadiums and the gods of celebrities and the cult of "the individual" are just as utterly stupid as the old religions and traditions they have replaced.
Next
