re: #124 Fozzie Bear

I understand, and generally think you are the kind of person who can hold a religious belief and introspect to divine (pun intended) the implications of those beliefs to find moral and logical rules by which to structure your life.

I just don’t think the vast majority of people can do that without succumbing to the temptation to seize power through divine appeal, when given the opportunity to be the one charged with keeping the faith.

I guess I might say my problem with religion isn’t really a problem with religion. It’s sort of like communism, in that it sounds great, but human frailties too easily fuck it all up. My lack of faith in God is in equal measure a lack of faith in humanity, since ultimately, the two are inseparable.

If there is a just God, its about fucking time it showed its face and did some smiting of the wicked. Honestly, I would be the first to say “sorry big guy, I was wrong”.

While I can’t speak for LVQ, I believe you might be misreading his intent.

We do not need God to tell us not to murder, or rob, or beat people over the head. Those are moral matters than can be derived without a deity.

What God offers believers is a sense of meaning and purpose. That is to say, our life and time here matters beyond simply following the rules of the road.

There is a reason God has not been discarded- in fact, a inordinate number of people on this planet are believers in a deity. Clearly, they find more than just comfort. For many, faith serves as a springboard for charities and good deeds. For many, faith inspires study and moral discipline (and yes, those things are related). For still others, faith is an alternative to materialism and fads and remains a link to our common history.

Here is another way to put it it: Francis Fukayama and Marshall Berman see progress through very different lenses. Berman wants to eradicate the past and start over. Fukayama wants to keep the best from our collective past and move forward based on the good we have done as a species.

You can extrapolate from there. Religions might not be perfect expressions of mankind but religions, like all people can be flawed at times. That does not negate the good religions have accomplished.

Religion would not exist today if it offered adherents nothing meaningful.