Originally posted by: Future Shock
I'm amazed by this thread - it's been remarkably civil.
What I am not amazed by is the lack of human understanding that is evidenced by so many forum members, possibly because so many of us have such strong left-brain skills as we are predominantly techies. So let me expound...
IMHO, Religion exists because people:
1) Want to believe that they don't die
2) Want to BELONG - usually to a group, and usually to a group that enables them to feel slightly superiour to their bretheren
3) Want to CONTROL - take any random group of humans, and there is always a small but vocal minority that feel they MUST be in control of others.
The first two are reasons why people seek out religion - it satisfies some basic human social needs. There is, IMHO, absolutely nothing wrong with either of those two reasons to join an organized religion, especially if you are honest to yourself as to your reasons for wanting to join, and realize that you are setting yourself up to gaming yourself. But if it makes you feel better, then I have nothing against it...
It's the LAST reason, #3, that is highly interesting. There will always be people that want to be politicians, managers, CEOs - leaders. Some of them do this because they know that those in control live the best (usually), others just have a deep seated need for power and control in their psyche. Whenever someone needs to be in control, they need to form a hierarchy - either in business, politics or, you guessed it: religion.
Hierarchies in business can only offer you interesting work and/or compensation. Hierarchies in politics can only offer their followers a better life - on this earth. But religious leaders, mindful of points 1 & 2, can offer their followers both immortality, and a profound sense of belonging and even superiority - "OURS is the only true religion - all others will burn and rot for eternity!" Sound familiar?
The problem with this is of course that leaders of heirarchies are ALWAYS trying to expand their hierarchy. And a heirarchy that isn't growing is usually in the process of failing. So religious leaders are trying to expand their flocks - evangelizing, missionary work, etc. Nowadays it's advertising, 24x7 satellite religious shows, you name it. But the message is always the same - "I have items #1 and #2, for real, unlike that guy down the street in the black smock."
As someone has pointed out, a "true religion" can't be seen adjusting it's folklore to be in accordance with modern understanding - otherwise it couldn't be "true". So this folklore becomes out of step with modern understanding. These hierarchy leaders are, in many cases, powerful and wealthy - so quick, let's try to subjugate modern understanding! We can pay to set up Intelligent Design institutes. We can pay for the support of school board elections for members who may help us change the curriculum. Ad infinitum...
And of course, what happens when these religions have saturated the human race? Why then, they MUST come into conflict, so that the leaders of each can expand their position. They will try to outbreed each other, they will fight for territorial control - and they will even convince politicans to take that fight to the political level if they can, and fight a political war over a religious agenda.
And that's where we are -except now the modern understandings are coming up faster and faster, and the churches are fighting dirtier and dirtier to delay or prevent a mass-understanding that their "true religion" folklore is just that - folklore. And the organized religions are coming increasingly into conflict to try to amass as much territory under themselves as possible, except we WILL soon have religious militias with nuclear or biological weapons.
I believe that the future of the human race will be fought out over the next two centuries, and these two issues will be at the heart of all that happens...
Future Shock