Religion
Related: About this forumAn agnostic approach to religions and the afterlife
By James Kirk Wall, today at 11:32 am
Religion attempts to provide answers to life after death and the purpose of mankind. It’s time to take an agnostic approach towards religion. Let us clear our minds and begin with a solid foundation. A good initiation is a general study of major Eastern and Western faiths. This would be our broad and shallow Religion 101 foundation of knowledge. This education is everyone’s individual journey. This is a solid beginning, and then obtaining deeper knowledge of a particular belief that peaks our interest is the next logical step.
The Agnostic Approach:
• Begin with uncertainty and doubt, question everything
• Properly define terms
• Take a non-biased neutral approach
• Look at the situation from all angles
• Gather and validate the facts
• Keep it Simple
• Make an informed decision
I once heard it argued that religious desires come from some sort of evolutionary track of the human brain. There is an innate desire by most people to adopt a religion. Is there an innate part of the brain that feeds this desire? I would argue that aside from tradition, the primary desire to be religious comes from something that we and all animals have in common. It’s known as the survival instinct.
In order to survive we need to secure the most basic necessities. We need to secure food and shelter. We also need to secure safety. The survival instinct includes the need to secure our basic necessities for living and reactions to situations that are dangerous to us such as the fight or flight response. Other animals do not contemplate their own eventual death. The survival instinct only applies to their current lives on Earth.
Humans understand that no matter how secure we are in food, shelter and safety that we are all going to die. No matter how much money you have in the bank, how secure your home is or how much food you have in storage, you will eventually die just like everyone else. What does this do to our survival instinct? Our brain goes into overdrive searching for continual existence. Religion allows for the perception of continual existence after death. For many, this satisfies the survival instinct and brings peace of mind.
http://www.chicagonow.com/an-atheist-in-illinois/2017/03/an-agnostic-approach-to-religions-and-the-afterlife/
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Doreen
(11,686 posts)that in the dictionary "religion" is defined as a person or group of people who worship a deity or deities. Buddhist do not worship deities. We are considered to have a "spiritual philosophy." Yes we do believe in after life and coming back until we get it right. We eventually become all understanding in a god like way but we do not worship others who have reached that existence.
rug
(82,333 posts)Buddhism and Daoism strike me as more a way of life, or philosophy, than a religion. Still, I think the term "religion" has taken on a more flexible meaning.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)It is amazing how close ( except on a few issues ) how close we are to an agnostic belief. We live on common sense. I do see why we are shoved into being called religion though. One of people's biggest mistake when they put us down is their claim that we worship the statue we have of Buddha. They seem to refuse to understand that the statue is ONLY a representation of our teacher as others may have a cross for their representation. I actually to a point despise religion because people use it to make what they do right even if it is bad.
rug
(82,333 posts)If not supernatural, it is at least extranatural, isn't it?
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I realize that it is a way that one person or group of people choose to believe and it is a way to come to their own terms in life. Buddhists are taught to accept everybody of all religions or lack there of because everyone has a right to handle life as the want or need to. I see nothing wrong in anyone beliefs as long as they do not try to force others into it or get into their face about others being wrong. As far as natural and supernatural people come to what they believe by many things such as being brought up to believe that way or things that may have happened to them in their life or simply because they find comfort in it.
