Scientifically and logically speaking, RELIGION appears to be the simple result of WISHFUL THINKING! – In order to be truly happy, we humans need to believe in immortality and “ultimate meaning” (We can’t be truly happy if we think we’re mortal or ultimately meaningless), -And, religions tell us that we’re IMmortal and ultimately meaningFUL – But modern science and logical thought don’t accept either claim
Also consequently, Western schools are quite reasonably teaching our kids that CAUSE AND EFFECT RULES
So, for the sake of honesty, Western schools are undermining our kids’ happiness (number 2 above)
I’m all for honesty — and actually respect the schools’ attempt — but there really is significant evidence for immortality and ultimate meaning that our mainstream schools just haven’t recognized, and are consequently doing our kids a crucial disservice…
MAYBE, there is no such thing as free will or God – but there actually IS SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY…
It’s just that the significant evidence FOR religion is not as OBVIOUS as the significant evidence AGAINST– and we need to POINT OUT the significant evidence FOR to our kids
Said another way, what makes a “social-cultural system” a religion is an underlying belief in “MAGIC”
And most of us well-educated westerners DO NOT believe in magic.
Or at least, most of us do not THINK that we believe in magic.
BUT THEN, MOST OF US ACTUALLY DO — we just haven’t made the necessary cognitive connections…
For instance, reality is EITHER a deterministic machine – or, it is at least somewhat “magical”
There is no other possibility.
But if there is such a thing as FREE WILL, reality is not a deterministic machine.
In other words, if you believe in free will, you already believe in magic.
And, in still other words, if there is such a thing as free will, modern science must be missing a WHOLE DIMENSION (or something) …
But modern Western kids are more dependent upon science and reason than ever before
And, they are abandoning religion in droves
Consequently, the objective of this column is to show why modern science, and even logical thought, are PROBABLY MISGUIDED — and that despite the current, apparent, ill-logic of religion, there really are substantial reasons to believe in one…
By “one,” I don’t have a particular religion in mind – I’m just suggesting that religions in general, despite whatever mistakes, are all based upon some of the same, or very similar, truths…
The first, (wee) bit of logical support for religion is the possibility that WE HUMANS ARE NOT NEARLY AS SMART AS WE THINK WE ARE — and our current scientific/logical rejection of religion is simply the result of our own intellectual innocence/naivety
The second bit (maybe closely related to the first) is the possibility that we can FEEL TRUTHS that we cannot “REASON” to…
Looking briefly, but carefully — it would seem that modern science/thought is somehow missing a DIMENSION (or something)
But most of our public schools and universities in the West have been discounting religion…
And in general, the more education we receive in the West, the less religious we become (Note that this is not the case in the East)
And our churches and synagogues aren’t doing much better — they tell us what to believe, but they don’t tell us why to believe — they don’t tell us what supports the existence of “magic” (God and the rest)
But again, religious belief is essential for real human happiness
And, if we want our kids to be happy, we need to PASS ON THE EVIDENCE OURSELVES — we can’t count on schools, churches or synagogues to do it for us
