--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine <salsunshine@...> wrote: > > On Mar 25, 2011, at 8:22 AM, wayback71 wrote: > > > > am not sure that the idea of relative utility applies to all aspects of > > religion or spiritual belief - altho certainly to some aspects. I think > > there is something about religious belief (which may not mean you are a > > church member) that is part of being human for many but not all people. > > There just is a need or tendency to believe in something beyond the obvious > > and in something that orders our seemingly unfair and cutthroat world. > > I'm not convinced at all there is any inherent > "need" to believe in some kind of unseen "order," way. > Supposedly humans have to be seriously > indoctrinated in the idea of a deity because the > brain on its own just doesn't want to go there, > as it were. What the brain is mostly concerned with, > it turns out, is survival and reproduction~~unsurprisingly. > And it's not the "finer aspects" of our nervous system > or metabolism (whatever that is) that's concerned > with garbage like religion and spirituality, it's the stupider > aspects. And that includes all of it~~religion, "spirituality," > ~~or any other crap that doesn't contribute directly to > our well-being.
It is hard for determine just what in life makes people turn to things that are not practical. > > And as far as people needing explanations for why life > is so often unfair, maybe I have more faith in people > than you or some others, because I'm pretty sure most > people can see pretty clearly why it's unfair: some > people have a lot fewer qualms than most about taking > advantage of the system and screwing over everyone > else. And that goes for any time or place. You'd have > to believe in a pretty mean-spirited "God" > to think that he/she/it is going to ever get around > to dispensing any kind of justice whatsoever, in this > world or whatever may come next. Unfair goes beyond people taking advantage. It's death, accidents, sickness. Thinking life is all one big random free for all without any bigger purpose is realisitic, but I find it difficult to find pleasure in that idea. More than that, honestly, it frightens me a bit. Altho I entertain the idea. > > I doubt religion has ever provided even much real comfort, > which is why so often people have to be forced into it. I think religion has comforted loads of grieving people who believe. Even if it is a lie. At the same time, it and all the other "isms" have also, of course, killed millions and millions and created misery for so many with their rules and guilt. In the end, I think religion is not good. And simple spiritual belief is less likely to harm others. > > Sal >
