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This topic was covered on a couple of episodes of South Park. Much more intelligently I might add.
The only way to eliminate religion is to conquer death. I know you like to hold up religion as the origin of everything Mickiel. The fear of death is the shaping force behind all religions. As long as we have death we will have religion to one extent or another.
I agree with this. I'd even go as far as to say that the most likely reason religion still exists and is widespread in the world today is because of death.
It's the reason that old people are usually more religious than younger people. And also the reason that people usually become more religious as they grow older. If death were eliminated, then religion would probably cease to exist.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 01-29-2012 at 07:40 PM..
I'll assume that, for this to happen we'd have to first get rid of the blatant illiteracy that religion flourishes in like mold in a warm, moist environment. If that were to happen, there's probably no end to what we could achieve. Imagine: a population limit of say 2 - 3 billion, good education would end over-population and sexually transmitted diseases, male chauvinism (aka: Islam), our vast over-consumption of our obviously limited resources, perhaps even our silly "Stuff" oriented overconsumption.
"Dub-Ya-Bush" type wars based on "My Religion is Going to Dominate Your Religion!" would be gone. Thinking would replace yelling. Abortions would likely be significantly reduced because people would think their initial motives for sex through, and would not be guilted out by their arrogant priests (who would also be gone, so young boys would be safe again...).
I think it's conceivable in one way. And it's something that humans have been already doing for millenia, at least for a small number of privileged people.
A major reason that people fear death is that they don't want their lives to end and for themselves to be forgotten. So faced with the reality of death, what do they seek? That they will be remembered forever, or at least for long after they're dead.
So, if a society can somehow accurately record and preserve the life records/legacies of each of its members who ever live and make those accessible to all future generations, then that might satisfy people's need for immortality, so to speak.
I agree with this. I'd even go as far as to say that the most likely reason religion still exists and is widespread in the world today is because of death.
It's the reason that old people are usually more religious than younger people. And also people usually become more religious as they grow older. If death were eliminated, then religion would probably cease to exist.
Interesting point about death; yet in my view, the reason religion exist in the world today, as it did in yesteryears, is because its " Ingrained behavioral belief." I think it was programmed into humanity. Just to help others understand that, here is a list of other behaviors that I feel were also programmed into humanity;
Survival.
Curosity.
Romance.
Consciousness- and much more things I could list can be derived from consciousness alone.
What would a world entirely populated by Atheist be like?
Hmmm.... Provided the world was entirely populated by atheists for at least the past few centuries, we'd probably be practically immortal, hyper-intelligent, incredibly scientifically advanced, peaceful, highly motivated achievers who all had at least PHD degrees and would be actively spreading out across the galaxy.
So, if a society can somehow accurately record and preserve the life records/legacies of each of its members who ever live and make those accessible to all future generations, then that might satisfy people's need for immortality, so to speak.
I would argue that society has already achived this, so I don't think it is relevant to something an Atheist society could achieve.
Hmmm.... Provided the world was entirely populated by atheists for at least the past few centuries, we'd probably be practically immortal, hyper-intelligent, incredibly scientifically advanced, peaceful, highly motivated achievers who all had at least PHD degrees and would be actively spreading out across the galaxy.
I would give you the scientifically advanced, because that would be true in my view. Under Atheist rule, science would obviously hold a much more advanced place in the world. The peaceful is up for debate, but an interesting thing to imagine concerning world relations. Would Atheism achieve world peace? And why?
I would give you the scientifically advanced, because that would be true in my view. Under Atheist rule, science would obviously hold a much more advanced place in the world. The peaceful is up for debate, but an interesting thing to imagine concerning world relations. Would Atheism achieve world peace? And why?
Humans aren't peaceful creatures by nature. We're flipping apes, for hells sake!
Atheism wouldn't create total world peace but it WOULD be more peaceful because the lack of religion would remove the catalyst for the vast majority of organized conflict in human history and remove huge perceived "noble cause(s)" from figuring into people's willingness to do war in the first place.
If we only fought over more mundane things directly like resources or power, large scale wars would be unsuccessful because people just don't fight for the sake of making other people rich and powerful. They have to be duped into fighting for ideals like Sharia Law, or God, or Jesus, ect. Even the Nazi's and Imperial Japan created warped pseudo-religions for the same purpose.
Humans aren't peaceful creatures by nature. We're flipping apes, for hells sake! Atheism wouldn't create world peace but it WOULD be more peaceful because the lack of religion would remove the catalyst for the vast majority of organized conflict in human history.
One could argue that religion has historically also been a catalyst for world peace, and that would be correct in my view.
I don't " Like" holding up religion, I am not even a religious man myself; I " Like" the facts of a matter. The fact of the matter is that religion, or a search for the divine, is the orgin of many things; which I have listed. Thats just history, and I do like history.
Yet your point about eliminating religion by conquering death is interesting. Some religious people would argue that their religion actually helped them remove their fear of death. I think its obvious that many are religious because they fear death, or this imaginary hell. But who's to say that fear of death is just exclusive to Theist?
Can an Atheist society remove the fear of death?
There is a group in CA headed up by some Microsoft retired guru. Its called the singularity group or something. They are maintaining that the rate of progress in computer technology is accelerating to such a degree that very soon, we will be able to ask key tech questions and get perfect answers from the computer....The idea for the group is their expected intention to transfer their consciousness into an android or what ever. So my point then is that a hypothetical Atheist society would virtually have the same objectives as a religious society in areas of immortality. They would emphasize hope in a here after within a robot. Or other creative ideas.
Man will always try to beat degeneration-death, no other objective is so attractive at hasty glance . An Atheist society would prob give birth to many creative after-life cults. Séance's and so called gifted people surfacing with great popularity in the search for meaning beyond the material. My guess is that if some machine hovered over planet earth and zapped all God ideas from everyone, in time systems would evolve centered on the potential escape of the human self or spirit in man from the body...innocence in goodness and so forth would wind up right back where it was with religion.
We don't really know what the properties of a God would be...who can possibly answer this question in an accurate way....we also don't have any eye witness accounting of a month or two stay in the heavens with snapshots and utubes for reasonable verification.
So when everything is brought down to the irreducible criteria , i think in time...the zapping of god belief will make little difference.
How do we know, a god belief is not entirely instinctive. An instinctive known through cause and effect whose consequence can only be a some-thing, or intentionaly ignored .
Last edited by Blue Hue; 01-29-2012 at 08:10 PM..
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Perfect, I tell you!
