Religion, Science, Mythology and Progress

What do you think of atheism?  Many people who turn away from religion preach this idea that we do not need a god.  If we understand the world and grasp our power of intelligence and reasoning we can establish fair societies and a moral code for everyone on this earth.  Traditions and religions will just define our ancestry and our past.  Basically there could be a Jewish atheist or a Muslim atheist.  I find this idea is worth exploring.

In my wondering thoughts about religion and science I found the book "God is not Great. How Religion Poisons Everything." by Christopher Hitchens. 

He was a journalist that spent most of his time talking to people in war zones trying to explore the possibilities to negotiate peace.  In this book he preaches atheism by bringing much evidence that all scripture is based on mythology.  Hitchens explores all different religions and stresses the element of mythology in all of them.  Not only in the monotheistic religions, but also in Eastern religions and various cult worships.  He goes so far as tracing customs like circumcision Virgin births and sacrificing children to gods to old mythologies of early men.

 He believes in the power of the telescope and the microscope and he uses scientific findings of the past 500 years to show that we can strive to life without wars. But people would have to be able to think freely and critically.

 

          If you think mythologies belong to the past just check the excitement in the reception for the new Star Wars movie trailer.  Some internet websites crashed!  I heard from many young people that this creation of George Lucas is a modern day mythology.  My son had to enlighten me that this story was absolutely meant to be told as a mythology.  The heroes, their struggles and triumphs, the super natural effects and most importantly the sequels!  There is immense anticipation to the fate of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and the others…

What is the importance of myths in human life?  I do not have an answer. 

I do not believe that religions are all bad.  I can see that the rituals and traditions of religion are essential for many people.  If we want to strive to a new world without wars, I think it is essential to have an interfaith dialogue.  I have already spoken of the church purchased by Muslims and turned into a community center.  Young people need places to meet socially and engage with others.  These meeting places should have clubs with activities such as chess, literature, poetry, dancing, science, astronomy, hiking or fishing.  There are so many common areas of interest for youth.  This is the best way to bring people together and use their collective intelligence.

In the conclusion to his book Hitchens talks about the need for a new Enlightenment.  I agree with his vision:

This new Enlightenment will not need to depend, like its predecessors, on the heroic breakthroughs of a few gifted and exceptionally courageous people.  It is within the compass of the average person. The pursuit of unfettered scientific inquiry, and the availability of new findings to masses of people by easy electronic means, will revolutionize our concepts of research and development.  Much of this new research, for the first time in our history, is within the reach if not the grasp of everyone.

However, only the most naïve utopian can believe that this new humane civilization will develop, like some dream of “progress,” in a straight line.  There are bound to be struggles and setbacks along the way. 

I know this from my various biological studies.  It is a daily search for the truth.  The scientist starts with ten ideas but after five years of work only one of them will be correct.

I believe this progress will be more linear if more and more children around the world will be educated and trained to think freely and pursue knowledge.

Paris ISIS and Petrodollars

Today I don't have any message.  I have mainly confusion and will try to pass along the fog surrounding me.

I am not an expert on political commentary or history or economics.  I only have some experience in the basic science of biochemistry and protein chemistry.
I try to keep up with current events by following different sources.  Radio, TV, international news.  It is ever more confusing to understand what the truth is especially after the Paris attacks of November 13.
Who is Isis?  How did it it begin?  Whose fault is it?  Who is funding it?  What is the best way to fight it?  You will hear as many opinions as there are commentators.  And all commentaries come with some bias: political right or left.  Religious orthodox or secular.   Emotionally the hard and the soft.
I like to follow an Israeli radio program that reviews the world newspapers.  This week most front page articles were about the Paris attacks.  Yitshak Noy, certainly with his own bias mentioned an exceptional article in the New York Times by an Algerian writer. 

Saudi Arabia, an ISIS That Has Made It:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/saudi-arabia-an-isis-that-has-made-it.html?_r=0

Kamel Daoud

This article is exceptional as it talks "On the Religious Industrial Complex of Saudi Arabia", a sensitive topic in an oil dependent world.  In the newspaper that usually holds left wing opinions.

Here is an excerpt:

"It is worth reading certain Islamist newspapers to see their reactions to the attacks in Paris. The West is cast as a land of “infidels.” The attacks were the result of the onslaught against Islam. Muslims and Arabs have become the enemies of the secular and the Jews. The Palestinian question is invoked along with the rape of Iraq and the memory of colonial trauma, and packaged into a messianic discourse meant to seduce the masses. Such talk spreads in the social spaces below, while up above, political leaders send their condolences to France and denounce a crime against humanity. This totally schizophrenic situation parallels the West’s denial regarding Saudi Arabia."

I see this article as pointing out a reality in the Arab world.  I have read many of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's writings.  I have been following this Somali woman who grew up Muslim.  She is considered an infidel and Muslims are threatening her since they murdered the Dutch director Theo Van Goch.  She insists that Islam must have a reformation and specifically the problem of "preaching teachers."  

 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Another opinion published in the same newspaper by Thomas L. Friedman is showing a softer point of view:

 

Cabs, Camels or ISIS

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/opinion/cabs-camels-or-isis.html

 

Thomas Friedman

In this article we hear about positive innovations in the Arab world and the need to strengthen good non ISIS Sunnis.  But he ends the article so:

"Turkey cares more about defeating Kurds; Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf allies care more about defeating Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Syria; Qatar cares more about promoting the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria and annoying Saudi Arabia; Iran cares more about protecting Shiites in Iraq and Syria than creating a space for decent Sunnis to thrive; and many of the non-ISIS Sunni activists in Syria and Iraq are still Islamists — and they’re not going away. How do you weave a decent carpet from these threads?

I don’t know — and until I do I’d be cautious about going far beyond what we’re already doing. Paris may be totally different today. The Middle East is not."

Each of us can read these articles and figure out what should we do next.  Many people agree with me that we should insist on sustainable sources of energy.  Heard from a friend how to take personal action:

http://www.fuelfreedom.org/

-started by successful Israel entrepreneurs to fight the energy establishment that steers the US policies to support the Saudi Kingdom.

And we should remember to be thankful.

 

Interfaith Solutions for the Secular Minds

How do we bring more understanding among people from different parts of the world and opposing traditions?  I have already stressed the importance of knowledge and understanding our physical world.  I believe empowering women is also essential for progress of humanity as I have already spoken about women.

This time I want to talk about traditions, rituals, and faith.  I have been watching people closely, hearing many stories and reading a lot.
I can see that some people need rituals and some have no need for it at all.  I know many Jewish or Christians families where one brother lives his life going to weekly services, feels great about bowing down, waving different kinds of wands or a brush, and following age old traditions.  These are traditions that "have passed the test of time" as they say.
At the same time, a second brother in the same family laughs at the whole thing.  This brother has no need for any rituals.  The tradition has no magical or spiritual power over him. 
In the old world the community leaders would frown upon this second brother.   They would call him to a meeting and question his absences.  Even worse, there would be an internal police to spy on the activities of such people and shame them in public. But in recent times this brother happily stays away from rituals.  He stays home to read a book or go to a football game, a hike in the mountains, a surf in the ocean. 
In the old world large resources of the community would go into building massive lavish cathedrals or mosques or monasteries.  The rituals and ceremonies would be enhanced by the beauty of the structure and this would be the main meeting place for the community.
So we have two brothers, the traditionalist and the rebel.  In the wider world this creates a serious conflict between the "faithful" and the secular.

In Europe many of these lavish cathedrals are losing their grandeur as more and more of the young generations do not find the rituals comforting or necessary.  These young people are asking for a replacement of the churches as community centers and meeting places.  As I was pondering this sort of news for many years I heard this article on NPR about a 19^th century church in Bolton, England that was abandoned.  Then it was bought by the local Muslim community and everyone was wondering if it would turn into a mosque.  But it was turned into a secular community center.  “Now, amid stories about religious friction and ethnic tensions, the transformation of All Souls Church provides a story of harmony and integration in one culturally diverse community.”

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/03/390286095/in-english-town-muslims-lead-effort-to-create-interfaith-haven

The Old:

Here is the article in the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/07/abandoned-churches-find-new-secular-life

In the remodeled building there are now “halls for clubs and hobby groups, a garden for a local grow-your-own project, a concert space and a business and training center for local startups.”

 

The New:

This is the kind of solution that I feel will bring people together, will help cohesion and integration.  People will focus on their similar interests and common goals rather than stressing their differences.  Both brothers, the faithful and the rebel will belong here.