(November 24, 2021 at 11:39 pm)Ferrocyanide Wrote:(November 24, 2021 at 5:43 pm)Brian37 Wrote: If you accept that religion won't go away, and I agree, then why are you "astonished"?
I'd only use the word "astonished" in the context that people cling to the past so much. But I've always accepted to greater or lesser degrees, humans are tribal and superstitious.
I agree. There is no reason to be surprised, once you know humans well enough.
It is a big planet with billions of all sorts of people living in all sorts of conditions.
Some are curious, some are less curious, some want an education for education sake, some just want a diploma and a nice paycheck.
Not every human is going to be a genius.
If some of them are comfortable with a certain religion, then let them enjoy their religion.
I think everyone has a certain natural state. Some are attracted to helping others cross the street, some don’t want to work and prefer to steal purses, some will kill you for 100$ and less, etc.
I remember a part from a Richard Dawkins video. I think he was in the UK. There was a certain teacher and he said something like this:
Without religion, I don’t know how to teach these boys morals, how to teach them that stealing is wrong.
There was a boy who told me, before taking this class, it had never occurred to me that stealing was wrong.
Then the camera shifts to Richard Dawkins alone, facing the camera and I think he said:
I did not know what to tell that guy. Certainly, religion can be used to control the behavior of those boys.
^^^^^I think that Richard Dawkins or me can give them reasons why building a society that works together is better than a society of thieves.
You can also invite some 70 y old from prison who has been there most of his life for a murder. Maybe that will start a spark in their mind.
It’s just that it is too time consuming. Maybe christianity is a nice shortcut:
Tell them to behave or they are going to hell, since the big cop in the sky is watching.
It isn't a matter of "enjoying" a religion. There is always a difference between freedom of thought, and tribalism. Hitler convinced his followers to worship his absolute power, and that cost the world over 50 million lives.
