Quote:
Originally Posted by detbuch
[Originally quoted by detbuch: "Perhaps there are different types of "magic." There is the magic of the unseen that moves the human spirit, and there is the flim-flam slight of hand magic that tricks us into seeing what is not there."]
Well . . . no. Different religions and different types of religions "work" in different ways.
Though there are flim-flam clerics, there are also true believers. I see true believers in their religion as an expression of spirit and its connection to a Creator. The trappings of religion may seem silly to non-believers, but may be seen as a beautiful human creation to those who do not know how other to connect their spirit to their "unseen" Creator.
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Well actually.....yes.
You grasp only part of it......the bit about religion being a means of connection to something greater, which clearly humans long for whether you call it God, and Creator, Love, or Common Humanity (in the case of secularists).
The trouble is that organized religion codifies that connection. This makes it easier for its members to find the connection, but it also serves to separate them from the remaining majority of humanity. History is full of examples of the inhumanity that results, and certainly Christianity is right up there with the worst offenders.
The means of codification entails creating a deterministic, anthropomorphic "God", who speaks to his priests and conveys his wishes to those who have created him. This empowers those who interpret God's wishes for the rest of us. When humans are empowered bad stuff results more often than good stuff. Flim-flammary at its worst, for sure.
An excellent read for anyone interested in the process of organized religion is the "History of God". It is a fascinating recounting of the history behind the major religions and how religious dogma evolved to reflect the hand (and agenda) of man far more than the hand of God.
This is not to bash religion. I go to church and get a lot out of it. Religion at its best is wonderful stuff, but religion at its most literal is not.