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Ahhh.. Religion.
It seems to me that religions - and we are talking about the thousands of well established religions -
have plusses and minuses.
I think we can all agree that we - as a presumably sentient species - do not *know* everything.
The mysteries of the Universe continually boggle this writer providing many of the joyous moments of wonder
that make life worth living.
Some would call this sense of Universal Wonder Spirituality. Let's go with that.
Spirituality is what brings us together, drives us to cooperate and support one another. To be one.
From all we can determine at this time we hunmans are just the latest alpha species on an insignifigant
water-logged orb circling a minor star
in a non-descript corner of one of the trillions of galaxies in this Universe
trillions of galaxies in this Universe
So, what's the problem? Who could possibly disagree with Spirituality? After all, we are so similar that we can
interbreed.... and THAT IS important. What could tear THAT bond asunder?
Religion for one.
First the upside of Religion
Churches sometimes provide a local or even global community organized - ostensibly - for the good of all.
Many Religions have charities and food drives, holiday festivals, and even emergency housing for the needy. All in return for
un-accounted tax-favored tithing from their particular market share of the religious.
Religions also do very well in what has gently been described as "the eleventh hour". Most folks would love to have the afterlife demystified
and spoon-fed gently... because the clock is ticking.
Great.
But, people will be people...
Where Religions get my craw is when they claim to know the unknowable. History is littered with the abandoned prophecies
of current and past religions... Never a nod to rational thinking. Never a testable hypothesis.
There won't ever be because Religions are based upon explaining the unknowable... as soon as a mystery (think Copernicus or Bruno)
is sufficiently explained, Religion moves on to yet another unknowable. Science is doing prety well, seemingly forcing
I have a good friend who, because of his blind acceptance of his religion, claims to know the unknowable... and worse,
believe the impossible. No amount of pointing out the obvious can disuade him from his certainty that Noah
had an Ark that held a valid breeding couple all the specied in the world.
When he tires of Noah, his Religion has loaded him fully with a large repertoire of similar scientific impossibilities.
Wonderful.
Religion has made him unapologetically - indeed proudly and aggressively - anti-science.
How can you have an intelligent conversation with someone when that someone can go off the rational rails so easily?
Indeed, why bother?
Hate to lose a guy that way.
But Religions go far beyond just 'making up stuff' to explain eclipese or where babies come from...
they are devisive. Very devisive.
Again, history is replete with examples of Religious leaders urging their flocks to annihilate theeir competition.
The same souls that openly mock another Religion (think Book of Morman) will clam up tightly when asked how their
Religion would handle similar mockery.
Those Religions that openly proclaim opposition to other religions tend to have an abbreviated "use by" date.
But that doesn't stop them. Protestants kill Catholics. Popes burn heritics.
Pilgrims blow themselves up in order to maim and kill... others.
Why?
Us vs. Them. and it sucks.