8.0.8.1 Religious Attributes

Version 1.1 August 2014                               (Previous Version)

Philosophy, science, history, religion and art can provide us with the insight, knowledge and understanding to follow a reasonable way of life in personal practices and politics.  Because they address the fundamental questions common to our shared humanity, the key conclusions of these global beliefs conform to the basic structure of a religion:

a)      An explanation of our origins:

●       Beginning with the Big Bang, science is explaining more and more how the universe, life, love and consciousness evolved.  These explanations are more satisfying than those from any other religion, because they explain much more, in more detail, with fewer incomprehensible anomalies.  The stories they provide are wonderful now, but will only get better, and be replaced by even more refined explanations, as science continues.

In many traditional religions, the gods (or one god) created or formed the world out of chaos, then made humans and other animals.  In other religions there is no god but they still have some other story of creation.  These don't explain the details in the way the scientific explanations of our origins tell a comprehensive story.

Nor do the religious tales of our origins really help to decide how we should behave now – copying an ancient practice is not in itself a good enough justification.

No one can explain existence itself.  Saying God is self existent does explain it.  Existence remains an ever present mystery.

b)      An explanation of suffering:

●       Pleasure and pain became intrinsic parts of life as animals responded to stimuli and became sentient beings, with nervous systems and brains. 

●       Many animal species became either predator and prey, introducing fear and aggression. 

●       As minds evolved further they acquired altruistic and selfish tendencies that both contribute to the survival of the individuals and the species, 

●       As consciousness evolved we became aware of our separateness, and because we survived better in cooperative groups we developed a need to belong, to be included, to be part of and connected to a greater narrative. 

●       The same feelings develop as infants mature to discover their separateness and vulnerability and need to be loved, protected and nurtured.

All religions have some concept of an initial “dreamtime� or “paradise� when everything was good and there was no suffering.  In some religions humans once mingled with the gods and animals.  Then something happened to bring evil and suffering into the world, but their explanations and solutions are unsatisfactory.

c)         A set of values and guidelines for behaviour: 

●       Our philosophy explains that goodness and beauty come from within.  We seek the truth; we choose life, love, responsibility, equality.  We value justice, compassion and mercy.

●       Science explains how evil and suffering arose, how altruistic tendencies evolved, and what drives us to share certain core values. 

●       History explains how these core values must be reflected in social action for human fulfilment.  We support freedom, democracy and a sustainable environment.

         In most traditional religions, values and rules of behaviour are selected from the sacred texts or the words of prophets or other religious leaders, purporting to reduce suffering, provide redemption, regain paradise, or get back to god.  Many of the values and rules cause more suffering than they alleviate or are simply ineffective.  We can all share the values and rules which are realistic and work, and we don't need religion to discover these.

d)      Exemplary models and inspiring stories:

Rather than sacred books, saviours or prophets to be taken literally, for inspiration we can:

●       study philosophy and understand that we do choose the path we follow,

●       study science and see nature in its immensity and its complexity,

●       study history and learn from the fates of other societies and lives,

●       study religion to empathise with other attempts to seek this truth,

●       use these studies to guide us in our personal lives and our political action, and

- to join in the artistic and cultural expression, and

- to seek or understand spiritual experiences of the All. 

Traditional religions have a specific set of sacred texts: the Rig Veda, the Upanishads, Buddha and the Dharma, Lao Tzu and the Art of War, Confucius and the Analects, Moses and the Torah, Jesus and the Bible, Mohammed and the Koran.

We can be inspired not just by the story of the Good Samaritan but also by the story of Oskar Schindler and Ishtak Stern, not just by the story of Krishna in the Bagavad Gita but also by Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

e)      A universal narrative in which we have a part to play.

●       This gives us meaning and purpose, which is just as satisfying as any other religion.

●       We are part of life, significant to ourselves and others.

●       We choosing to follow the progress of science, push for progress in history, seeking truth, love, freedom; sharing, because that is what we are and who we want to be.

In some of the great Eastern religions there may be no god but in their narrative people are on a cycle of birth and death which is broken only by achieving enlightenment after which we become one with the All.  In the great Western monotheistic religions the narrative begins with God creating the world and humans within it.  But there is no evidence for either of these.

f)       For those that have them, valid interpretations of spiritual experiences:

We can provide interpretations of so called ‘spiritual’ feelings, the ‘oceanic feeling’ of connection to the majesty and awe of the universe that many of get when watching the sea.

●       Spiritual experience itself is common in many cultures: the interpretation is based on the perceiver’s background.  We can accept and revel in spiritual experiences without adopting any supernatural explanations.

●       As we learn more about brain functions we understand more about wordless feelings, and how they can arise in normal human beings, with normal psychological health.

●       Many of us who have such experiences often feel calmer and more content with the world after them, and more rejuvenated and hopeful – generally good outcomes. 

These experiences are comparable to nirvana or enlightenment or Brahmin in the great Eastern contemplative religions.  In the great Western monotheistic religions such experiences are interpreted as experiences of God or perhaps Jesus as part of the Trinity.  These interpretations are misleading and often lead to inappropriate behaviour.