Thursday, December 24, 2015

Religion without god 2

I do not think that god exists. Assuming I am correct, what do I lose by not participating in religion?

Nowadays we separate religion from philosophy, science and practical skills. At some point religion became formalized, with static dogma frozen in holy texts that could not be expanded or corrected, full of received knowledge, separate from our human ability to learn. Science and philosophy took on the task of correcting and expanding knowledge about our world.But they also became more specialized, separate from the experience of ordinary persons. People still need to apply these insights in their lives to interpret their experiences. Religions help people integrate ideas into their lives, such as:

  • Spiritual experience (awe).
  • Morality.
  • Passion? Motivation.
  • DIY psychology. 
  • Dissemination of practical knowledge.
  • Community.
  • Charity.

This is a personal experience that we cannot delegate to someone else.

The church used to provide a counterbalance for the state. Fugitives and refugees could take sanctuary in the church. The military exempt conscientious objectors from service.
How is this different from government?
  • Government uses coercion. Religion (nowadays) must rely on persuasion.
  • Government tends to let the winners impose their solution on the losers. Religious dissidents may give their own answers and make their own mistakes.
How is this different from a union? How is this different from a club or charitable organization? These organizations tend to focus on a specific mission.

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