Thursday, 3 July 2014
The end of religion?
People sometimes ask me if I would like to see the end of
all religion across the planet. I say it depends.
It depends on what these religions would be replaced with. There
is no guarantee they will be replaced with reason, tolerance and universal observance
of human rights. They could all too
easily be replaced with something even worse. We must never forget the law of
unintended consequences…
In any case, the elimination of all religion is a fanciful
objective. Some people do seem to need the reassurance of a powerful, imaginary
friend who is looking out for them. Maybe it will always be so.
But there is a more limited objective that I would subscribe
to. I would like everyone to see their
religion in context—to understand it is one of 22 major religions today and one
of thousands of religions throughout human history. I would like them to
understand there is no more reason to believe their religion is true than any
other religion.
I would like to see every believer have a little more humility.
And whenever they feel compelled by their religion to harm another person, I
would like them to stop and remember that humility. Should I harm this person
for a god that may not be real?
The answer should always be “No”.
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Nildogma, the blogga
About Me
- Nildogma
- As a 20-year-old I was insatiably curious about the world and passionate about rejecting superstitions and all kinds of false beliefs. I still am today. Sometimes when people believe things that are not true, it make little or no difference but sometimes the consequences can be disastrous and deadly. Now, I do what I can to help people improve their thinking skills, especially in how they impinge on core beliefs, such as cultural values and religious beliefs. I have an active Facebook page for which I create memes and write articles almost daily. I also engage people in on-line debates. You can find me here: https://www.facebook.com/bill.flavell.1 I lecture at universities around the world and present or debate at public meetings. I also, draw on my management consultancy background to help freethought groups, almost anywhere in the world, to get organised, develop strategy and improve their media and presentation skills. If you would like me to present at your university or for your church group or freethought group, please contact me.
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Love your posts!
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