I recently watched Ben Stein's documentary, Expelled. Like most documentaries, it is manipulative, lacks much information, and makes up for it with spin. However, through it I was introduced to the magazine, The Skeptic, founded by the perpetual agnostic and science watchdog, Michael Shermer. I was exploring their site when I stumbled on this statement:
Two of the most important questions in the culture wars today — Is Religion a Force for Good or Evil? and Can you be Good without God?
I was shocked. These are two of the most important questions for our society?! I thought. Then why haven't I been thinking about them? asking them? attending lectures on them? hearing them in college, in art? If these are two of the most important questions in the culture wars, I must have never been drafted into either army.
Of course, I have been drafted, or volunteered rather. I'm a spy, deep undercover, setting plastiques on enemy bridges and gathering information about weapon stockpiles. You don't know which side I'm fighting for. Not yet anyway.
Back to the point, I want to justify myself for not getting involved this crucial culture question earlier by making this claim (thanks to Brett for getting to the bottom of this with me): "Is religion a force of evil or good?" is a stupid question.
Because what does “good” mean? And what does “evil” mean? And what does “religion” mean? There are many different "religions," but they all claim very different things. Even professors in World Religions have a tough time defining the word "religion." What makes, for example, Sikhism part of the same category as Mormonism? Who's the authority that says Sikhism is to Mormonism, what Coke is to Pepsi? Same type, different brand?
On the surface, the word "evil" seems pretty simple. I think Michael might say "evil" is aggressive violence, the opposite of good, which is peace (by the way, what does "peace" mean?) and freedom (freedom?). It's not simple though. The Spartans--revived by the movie 300--had a different idea of what was "good." They valued aggressive violence and thrived. Another example, for the past 50 years, aggressive violence has been viewed as "good" by many if it spreads Democracy (or Communism), and who is the authority to say they are wrong?
"Science!" says Michael Shermer. No, Michael, down boy! Pursuit of science has done much to hurt people, too. Ben Stein says it has blood on its hands. "God is the authority!" says the religious right. Richard Dawkins replies that God is guilty of infanticide, genocide, and many other "cides," not to mention being very unpleasant. Who's to say Richard is wrong?
It's a mess. It's a disaster. It's a very stupid question.
But Michael and The Skeptic is right about one thing, it is a WAR.
Check out Michael’s magazine, The Skeptic. For those of you listening at home, I'm making a postmodern argument. Don’t ask me why its postmodern (I like to call it pomo), just file it away in that little brain of yours for use later. Also FYI, Dawkins is a modernist, and Michael is a little bit postmodernist and a lot modernist. This is my own interpretation and is therefore worthless (another postmodern conclusion… aren’t you learning so much!).
Two of the most important questions in the culture wars today — Is Religion a Force for Good or Evil? and Can you be Good without God?
I was shocked. These are two of the most important questions for our society?! I thought. Then why haven't I been thinking about them? asking them? attending lectures on them? hearing them in college, in art? If these are two of the most important questions in the culture wars, I must have never been drafted into either army.
Of course, I have been drafted, or volunteered rather. I'm a spy, deep undercover, setting plastiques on enemy bridges and gathering information about weapon stockpiles. You don't know which side I'm fighting for. Not yet anyway.
Back to the point, I want to justify myself for not getting involved this crucial culture question earlier by making this claim (thanks to Brett for getting to the bottom of this with me): "Is religion a force of evil or good?" is a stupid question.
Because what does “good” mean? And what does “evil” mean? And what does “religion” mean? There are many different "religions," but they all claim very different things. Even professors in World Religions have a tough time defining the word "religion." What makes, for example, Sikhism part of the same category as Mormonism? Who's the authority that says Sikhism is to Mormonism, what Coke is to Pepsi? Same type, different brand?
On the surface, the word "evil" seems pretty simple. I think Michael might say "evil" is aggressive violence, the opposite of good, which is peace (by the way, what does "peace" mean?) and freedom (freedom?). It's not simple though. The Spartans--revived by the movie 300--had a different idea of what was "good." They valued aggressive violence and thrived. Another example, for the past 50 years, aggressive violence has been viewed as "good" by many if it spreads Democracy (or Communism), and who is the authority to say they are wrong?
"Science!" says Michael Shermer. No, Michael, down boy! Pursuit of science has done much to hurt people, too. Ben Stein says it has blood on its hands. "God is the authority!" says the religious right. Richard Dawkins replies that God is guilty of infanticide, genocide, and many other "cides," not to mention being very unpleasant. Who's to say Richard is wrong?
It's a mess. It's a disaster. It's a very stupid question.
But Michael and The Skeptic is right about one thing, it is a WAR.
Check out Michael’s magazine, The Skeptic. For those of you listening at home, I'm making a postmodern argument. Don’t ask me why its postmodern (I like to call it pomo), just file it away in that little brain of yours for use later. Also FYI, Dawkins is a modernist, and Michael is a little bit postmodernist and a lot modernist. This is my own interpretation and is therefore worthless (another postmodern conclusion… aren’t you learning so much!).
|