My father recently wrote an article about the role of religion in society and how God is indeed a man-made proposition. I would like to offer my unbiased support for his article with the following thoughts: Firstly, I am not a religious person nor am I an atheist for the same reason I am not a non-astrologer or a non -believer in Greek mythology.
The word atheism really has no meaningful purpose. It is important to note that even religious people are atheists with respect to other religions except for their own. Over the course of time, there are many Gods including Thor, Zeus and Osiris who have faded into non-relevance. It is not as much about who is right or wrong, it is about who is most willing to compromise.
For clarity, when I mention the word religion I am referring to the Abrahamic religions. When it comes to the big questions such as the origins of the universe, or the destiny of the human race, religion claims it already has it all figured out.
Science on the other hand, calls it a work in progress. What is wrong with saying, we don’t have all the answers? Most respected scientists including Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson, admit they don’t have it all figured out. Instead they are committed to expanding what we know about our existence. This is why science books are constantly rewritten, which is a financial nuisance, just ask any university student. Phenomena such as where the sun goes at night and the abundance of hydrogen in the universe, have become truisms. In other words, we have come to a general consensus that certain things are simply agreed upon. With other more difficult questions, scientists continue to reach a better understanding of the world in which we live — this is the fundamental principle of research and the scientific method. Religion simply trusts itself to a book, one which is never updated, rather reinterpreted.
What is perhaps most discouraging about religions is that they claim to have many, if not all, of the most important answers figured out already. This defeats the purpose of looking for more answers in the first place. Religion provides theories that absolutely do have historical relevance and importance. It would behoove us to be open minded and learn from every religion and scientific endeavor to reach the most informed perspective possible.
Is it that difficult to say we don’t have it all figured out yet? For me, it certainly is not. Remember, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Jan Best
Duncan