What Comes After Religion

[skepticalbip]

What Comes After Religion

People will deal with life encumbered with one less unfounded belief, sorta like people dealt with life after belief in Santa Claus.

 

[DrZoidberg]

It was this reason I joined this

http://syntheism.org/

Ehh... didn't you make that up, on the intertubes, with a few friends, just like Jesus (G's US) did (xianity) in the 1880s, prior to the great wars to cover up the existence of the intertubes (I mean Babel) so the next generations would learn not to act like assholes?

I have no ambition to teach people behave. As far as I´m concerned we´ve all got our own incentives not to be cunts. That´s not why I joined. But sure... we just made it up. Which is the same for any religion. We´re just open about it.

 

[Kharakov]

What Comes After Religion

People will deal with life encumbered with one less unfounded belief, sorta like people dealt with life after belief in Santa Claus.

I went to the store to get milk yesterday, and this girl threw a few Oreo samples into my cart because I got milk. Of course, the time I was at the store before that, I had thought about getting some Oreos, but I didn't want to get a whole container because I try to watch my consumption of calories. I thought she threw the cookies because of this post from the day before:

In fact, exactly 11.723 members understood the question as it was put, although the (1 + 3.891111i) members that did not will all get cookies and milk anyway.

But I saw the Oreo display again. So it was because of Oreo gravity. And Santa always get's milk and cookies.

 

[Draconis]

It's odd to think that something that doesn't exist could leave a hole when removed.

For instance, my neighbours cat died and I miss him. Oh hang on, he didn't have a cat. So what am I missing?

 

[DrZoidberg]

It's odd to think that something that doesn't exist could leave a hole when removed.

For instance, my neighbours cat died and I miss him. Oh hang on, he didn't have a cat. So what am I missing?

That´s not the point. The point is that religion is a collection of concepts and activities. Some are good. Some are bad. We´ve come to associate certain activities unnecessarily with religion. When we remove the religion we lose these activities and it creates an emotional hole. Stuff like rituals surrounding death and marriage. Or traditions and festivities that span generations that everybody joins in on. Or putting up buildings whose entire purpose is to be a refuge from the outside world. A space for introspection and mental calm. Religions are by tradition good at these. Botton´s entire argument is that we can lift the good stuff out of religion and keep doing them while we reject the stupid stuff. ie not everything about religion is bad.