Interesting take on religion

by MulaiAzhagi Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:56 pm

The statement that the world will not advance without the abolition of religion is (a) not literally true at all, and (b) a comment that is meaningless given the immense complexity of the subjects it takes on. In all, it suffers from the very fault often ascribed to religion itself: the need to avoid thinking by resorting to answers that are simple, clear, and frequently wrong.

http://www.salon.com/2012/04/19/the_sound_of_sin/singleton/undefinedsingleton/#comment-4192991

by Kris Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:36 pm

Interesting article! It is astounding this guy has been able to adjust to the real world at all. Hasidism may not be violent but at least the brand this author describes seems to parallel the taliban's outlook. Religion is not going away anytime soon, because it gives people hope (and in that it occupies a different space in human life than rational analysis). That being said, it most certainly has to change to keep up with the times. The attraction to eastern religions and philosophies with their lack of 'hard and fast' modes is probably an indication of this tendency.

by charvaka Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:43 pm

Kris wrote:Hasidism may not be violent but at least the brand this author describes seems to parallel the taliban's outlook.

Mohammed borrowed extensively from Judaism. In a sense, the Arabs of Mecca and Medina circa the 6th century were country cousins of the Jews. The Jews themselves became more civilized through exposure to various aspects and parts of the Roman empire -- otherwise, they might as well have ended up the country cousins of the Arabs. If Moses and his tribe had not settled so close to the sea and the Romans had not colonized Jewish lands, the modern history of the Middle East would have been very different.

by Kris Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:48 pm

Yeah, the European influence tempered the world-view and continuosly so. That makes this all the more ironic in that the author's trials and tribulations are in the middle of new york city- a sect so inward looking amidst (perhaps because of) all the tumult.

by charvaka Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:13 pm

Kris wrote:That makes this all the more ironic in that the author's trials and tribulations are in the middle of new york city- a sect so inward looking amidst (perhaps because of) all the tumult.

Yes, to be in the middle of the world's greatest experiment in bringing together the best -- and the worst -- of the human species, and then be so dissociated from it all, well, that's the problem with a lot of orthodox religions (including the one I was born into).

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