quote:Originally posted by zippadeedoodah:
Religion evolves. It seems we may be at some sort of cusp where many people are re-defining the role of religion in their lives. We no longer cower in fear at the wrath of the God of Thunder. When Thor began to fade in power, there were those who went a little crazy because he was being questioned.
Now fundamentalist christianity is being questioned about the origin and nature of the universe, and that threatens many of its adherents. Poor Thor, relegated to history now that we understand charged particles and the shock wave generated when a lightning bolt passes through the air are the cause of lightning and thunder. Imagine being a priest of Thor-ism and finding yourself out of a job because you can't understand and adapt to a new paradigm.
Religion still has a useful role in society; it just isn't the wisking away of scientific truth in favor of supernatural tales. Rain is NOT angel's tears. But philosophy is still needed as a balance to science. Religion--philosophy, if you will--can supply guidance and perspective to the application of science. Is it good? Is it right? Is it moral? Even if we had the capacity to grow human clones for organ sources, is it the right, just, or moral thing to do? This is a question science is as ill-equipped to answer as religion is equipped to answer about the influence of comets.
My personal hope and belief is that there will be fluctuations in the balance between science and religion, and eventually it will settle into a meta-stable equilibrium. It hasn't yet in the history of man, really, but I have hopes. Perhaps we can forget about the rice bowls one of these days and get on with the business of living without this particular conflict.
We are not the height of evolution. Hopefully. If we can continue the social, intellectual, and philosophical evolution we have been experiencing for the past several hundred years perhaps we can get a bit closer. Who knows?
Hi Zip,
Spoken like a good Secular Agnostic!
Would you say a Christian believer has a religion -- or a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
