Religions Come From Cultures, It's That Simple



Here is an interesting take on the argument I make often. If you were born to Christian parents the odds are you will be Christian. Sometimes it does not happen. But on average, a child that is Christian, Hindu or Muslim came from parents of that religion.

I mention this because it is contrary to conventional wisdom. Most Christians, Hindus and Muslims believe their religion is the only true one. They talk themselves into believing they by themselves have figured out "the truth" and it just happens by chance it is the same "truth" their parents thought they had discovered independent of the culture.

That people tend to acquire the beliefs of their parents there is a supernatural world does not by itself prove that world does not exist. It does require the believer to justify the supernatural. For some reason, believers often say it is atheists who are required to prove there is no supernatural. This is backwards. Atheists do not make claims of the supernatural. They stay within the realm of observation of nature. Believers must present evidence of events outside the realm of natural and logical events.

In Muslim countries over 95% of the people are Muslim. This illustrates the culture in which Islam flourishes is one keeps the faith alive and growing.

Another way of saying it is this. The Christian argument does not stand on its own. Neither do those of Hinduism and Islam. This even though believers are certain their faith is the true one and all others including atheism are false.

Studying cultures is a domain of the intellectual world that is under valued. Wars of all kinds including wars over religion come out of cultures and the more we know about them the better we can cope with them.

Comments

  1. Ardy BAugust 9, 2019 at 5:35 PM

    “If religious instruction were not allowed until the child had attained the age of reason, we would be living in a quite different world.”, Christopher Hitchens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. little helperAugust 10, 2019 at 5:42 AM

      "Allowed" ?

      If many things "were not allowed " before age of reason , the world indeed would be quite different. Things like; manners, respect, modesty, thrift, self restraint, etc. Actually , the result is quite evident in the news today. Abrogation of parental responsibility would be the same as. That would be just a part of Jon's culture change.

      Delete
    2. Ardy BAugust 10, 2019 at 5:48 PM

      Fair enough little helper. Some of us do not see good manners, respect, modesty, thrift, or self-restraint in today's political expression of fervent evangelism.

      Delete
    3. little helperAugust 11, 2019 at 5:33 AM

      Ardy; It goes much much farther than your " political expression of fervent evangelism. Read all headline news. Not just the political page, or Jon's favorite; Christian post." I don't believe you know my / our position on this subject.

      Delete
  2. Jon LindgrenAugust 9, 2019 at 7:46 PM

    Quite a different world indeed. It is interesting that religious instruction is not working as well today as it did in the past. I think that is because the culture that once supported Christianity has changed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ardy BAugust 10, 2019 at 5:59 PM

      re: "I think that is because the culture that once supported Christianity has changed." I see the pursuit of the American ideal, “with liberty and justice for all”, as a cultural bellwether. This quest seems to be the flywheel driving our dynamic culture. The ideal is essentially countercultural. Its pursuit lends momentum to the evolution of societal norms. Its expression in our society confronts the status quo stimulating reaction and division. One nation, ‘indivisible’, with liberty and justice for all, seems self-contradictory. Furthermore, in light of this ideal the dictum “under god” is exposed as ambiguous and oppressive. Ideals are nice but liberty and justice in our nation will always be asymmetrically applied. It is prorated, dispensed by measure, and often goes to the highest bidder. Our system generates and requires strife. “Time spent arguing is, oddly enough, almost never wasted.” ― Christopher Hitchens, Letters to a Young Contrarian.

      Delete
  3. Jon LindgrenAugust 10, 2019 at 6:35 PM

    Ardy B--Great post. Good point that "united" is likely not possible with liberty and justice for all. And under God, unless we obey God we're sinners. Since we can't agree on what is sin we're bound to be arguing.

    ReplyDelete

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