I was raised traditional Roman Catholic, yet something never worked for me in the framework of dogmatic thinking. Ignoring it during my teen years it has caught up to me as an adult. In the pursuit of the studies I failed to have in my tenure with the education system, I came across some writing about faith & science. So I adapted the list which reflects me as an adult, no longer choosing to live a dogmatic life. I realize that some people I know may think I'm going straight to Hell now. But as my grandfather told me before he passed away, "What's so great about Heaven anyway? At least in Hell I'll be with all my friends..."
Why I choose science vs faith:
- The idea that life can only have meaning through faith religion, and is rewarded by eternal life, falls far short of the meaning of life. I find that life is imbued with meaning by being really & fully lived in the now.
- The greatest crimes of humanity have been/are the products of political, religious & nationalistic dogma run amok. They are not perpetrated as products of unbelief.
- There are claims of the texts of Muslim, Christian & Jew that are unjustified and enter the ridiculous. One does not have to take anything on faith to reject such beliefs.
- As I advance my understanding of science, nature & history, I find it erodes my dogmatic beliefs in religious faith. Science is not based on faith. And what society has ever suffered from becoming too reasonable?
- True scientific thinking admits what it does not know. Not to is a profound liability in science. With religion , claims of all manner are made in regards to the cosmos, physics, biology, nature and history, and are made without actually knowing. This phenomena is the foundation of faith-based religions. Further, since claims are made in a state of unknowing, they are unfounded. One does not need faith to reject unfounded claims.
- Spirituality transcends religion. Experiencing love, ecstasy, rapture and awe are shared by all and are by no means exclusive to faith-based beliefs.
- I have found that the sphere of the possible increases outside of religious faith. Not the other way around. I am free to admit the limits of my understanding of this universe in a way religious people are not. The beauty & immensity of the universe takes on a new facet of awe and magnificence for me when viewed without the veil of faith based beliefs.
- There are plenty of examples to be found of positive and good effects of religion. But emphasis on the good effects of religion is in no way proof positive of the truths of any religious doctrine. There is a profound distinction between ‘consoling delusion’ and truth. Which is more moral? Helping the poor out of concern for their suffering, or because you believe the creator of the universe wants you to do it, will reward you for doing it, or will punish your if you don’t?
- Ethics & morals come from contemplating the possibilities of human happiness. Humans have a ‘moral intuition’ that is, at some level, hard-wired in us. If a person does not understand that cruelty is wrong, he won’t discover it by reading the Bible or the Koran. Both are bursting with celebrations of cruelty.
- I’ve embarked upon a study of history, anthropology, astronomy, mythology and my own spiritual nature. I’ve come to find that I no longer wish to live in the world of a dogmatic, faith-based belief system. I shall walk a path of intellect, art and language with a regard for the true scientific process.
If I think of the different “ists” I’ve encountered in my study I would form the following as part of my ideals: Naturalist, scientist, humanist, pragmatist & existentialist. "I am part of all that I have met." - Alfred Lord Tennyson, ‘Ulysses’
"Love does not desire to possess, but to be a continuing channel of grace. Each person takes account of the other, which means each brings to the relationship an originality that belongs to each alone. This originality is not lost in love. It is shared. Within this form of love is a transforming relationship without destruction of individuality. Individuality is retained while at the same time being involved in the other and participating in the other." - Charles Birch
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