Philosophical phidgeting [View all]
I was fumbling through some philosophy today and read something from a 19th century philosopher Emile Durcheim (an atheist/agnostic) who said, and I'm paraphrasing from memory so no quotes... The avid atheists are wrong in saying that religion is false. Religion is not about knowing the world factually but about feelings and experience... end. It's an interesting concept if I can rework it a bit.. what if I said religion is not about reality. Religion is a human artistic expression of our view of reality and our questions about it. It seems humans have been terrible artists when trying to force expression into an absolute reality which we have done since Thales and Heraclitus until the present day, swinging from the mystical to reason and back like a pendulum for thousands of years. When doubt is allowed along with freedom of expression there has been relative peace and advancement. When absolutism and mysticism as reality has been forced we have evoked the worst of human nightmares.
I offer the question :
If religious traditions could remain within the realm of human expression, art, and freedom, would you think it useful? Do you think it's even possible? Do you think we are too culturally vulnerable?
Just thinking....
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