space exploration and the Polynesians!

I agree with you. What we call "religion" is just superstition-in-
the-making. We need science and science is advanced. What I meant
was that "religion" is used only for OLD beliefs, and ancient beliefs
are, by their nature, less advanced. There has been progress in
world society for thousands of years. A religion is merely a closed
system of thinking built up from answers to 4 questions. When the
four answers are advanced and self-consistent, they form a foundation
for society. Christianity formed a firm foundation 2,000 years ago
in a world which believed in thousands of gods. Now, we need a
scientific "foundation" which answers the 4 questions
without "spirits" so we can build a new civilization like the
Christians once did.

2exiles

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "Subscriptions"
wrote:
> > I am agnostic, that is, I believe that knowledge of
> > God is beyond human capabilities, or that we will
> > never know about it. My personal attitude is: perhaps
> > God does not exists, but how much I miss him (or it).
>
> I don't miss that ... 'thing'. Better of without it. Brrr...
>
> > However, I do believe that religion has a human
> > purpose. The world is full of uncertainties, and it's
> > quite obvious that our fellow human beings sometimes
> > are very uncaring about us. For the sake of mental
> > health, people need the certainty that this chaos is
> > controlled and that life has a purpose. That need
> > exists, and science does not answer the questions
> > people really want to get answered: who I am, where do
> > I came from, where will I go after death.
>
> Religion has no purpose to me. In fact, I consider it scary and
dangerous.
> To each his own. I don't want to add to the world's uncertanties by
adding
> a capcrious and draconic deity to it all, imposing his moral
superiority
> over
> me. The whole idea of a god is detrimental to my mental health; if
you take
> the more original concepts of the monotheistic religions, i.e. the
orthodox
> interpretation, I go to hell, no second chance. I don't want people
who
> believe
> in that kind of horrible metaphysical fascism governing my future.
The whole
> idea that a god has anything more to say than common sense and
science is
> horrid. Don't these people get it? The god they believe in sends
people to
> HELL. No court of appeals. No change of ideas. Finito. Infinito.
>
> > So, while people remain afraid of life, religion will
> > continue with us. It will evolve, for sure. I believe
> > it will pass from being dogmatic to symbolic. From
> > teological to ritualistic.
>
> One can only hope medical science will remove the need for a
religion.
> It will take a while, and after that everyone can choose his own
mental
> makeup; with out without psychotic fantasies; with or without
religious
> beliefs. Hey, it might even be a marketable good ! Chips with
religious
> experiences, insert buddism, take it out, then insert sufi islam.
Nice for
> cocktail parties.
>
> > I think it is a great idea to write about the search
> > of "the purpose of life". And, as any other human
> > being, I wish I would know the answer.
>
> Well, do realise you might be staring at fata morgana. This
question has
> the same trappings as asking "what's north of the north pole?".
Nothing.