tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post110357584143167877..comments2023-10-31T10:50:08.358-04:00Comments on Bulworth: Getting ReligionBulworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06506195561153519897noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post-1103681934738942842004-12-21T21:18:00.000-05:002004-12-21T21:18:00.000-05:00Religion has now become part of the cultural civil...Religion has now become part of the cultural civil war and therefore is getting brutalized along with everything else. I am heavily suspicious that long ago most major religions were "Disneyfied" in their narratives and moral codes and that Moses, Solomon, Jesus, and Mohammed would shit themselves in disgust if they heard what their followers were pushing in their name. Even still, until recently, religion would strive for social justice and give people a moral code. Now all the major religions seem to have been turned into an excuse for people to disguise their barbaric actions as religious virtues. What a twofer for them!<br /><br />Evolution does not try to explain the origins of matter - that's physics and not biology - but very nicely explains the development of multicellular life. Consider that the eyeball, an incredibly complicated mechanism, developed independently in 40 isolated cases, for example. Evolution says that genetic mutation, shaped by responses to external situations, plus mutual cooperation and competition led to life forms developing into what we see now. The funny part is that it would fit very well in a theist worldview because it doesn't explain how life got started.<br /><br />How did we (life) get here? I don't know: does it really matter? A better question is: why are we conscious and sentient and most of the rest of life apparently isn't? A really cool adaptation? Better neural pathways that link cause and effect?<br /><br />What happens when we die? I think there's a lot less mystery here than people think. You're dead, you cease to exist. No soul, no afterlife. Kind of makes living a little more important from that perspective, don't it?<br /><br />Better question: what happens to us before we are born? Is that any different than being dead? If not, what are we worried about death for? Seems like a bit of misdirection from the religious Powers that Be.<br /><br />What is the purpose of life? It's whatever you want it to be and figuring it out is each person's greatest journey. Isn't that obvious from the infinite number of ways that people live their lives? <br /><br />Better question: Is there one purpose to all life/human life? Ah, as a humanist I have to say yes and that purpose is so obvious and so good, when you think of all humanity it becomes self-evident.The Rogue Progressivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09707830911134111769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9450543.post-1103580124275094662004-12-20T17:02:00.000-05:002004-12-20T17:02:00.000-05:00Like many noble concepts and movements, Christiani...Like many noble concepts and movements, Christianity has been altered as it has been introduced to the masses.<br /><br />A similar thing happened to Zen Buddhism in Japan. The Zen's decided that materialism including intellectualism were leading people to unhappiness through a cycle of wanting and suffering. Since the world was an illusion, they theorized that by paying attention to details and ignoring emotions and deep thought, they could reach enlightenment.<br /><br />As this practice hit the mainstream, the public went through the motions, but forgot about the substance. They ignored emotion, paid attention to detail, but forgot that this was an anti-materialist movement. The Japanese ended up becoming cold hyper-obsessed materialists instead.<br /><br />Christianity's point is to better mankind. No eye for eye, but instead tolerance bu turning the other cheek. No stoning of the sinner, but forgiveness for we are all sinners. No protection for just the chosen people, charity for all.<br /><br />Unfortunately, these concepts were too much for the masses to take and a number of people starting thinking a few lines in Leviticus were more important than John 13:34.American Dilettantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03472564552584674891noreply@blogger.com