I think religion's next trend will be a lot like religion's last trend. Each religion will strive mightily to - gain more adherents, so it can - raise more money, so it can - influence the social system.
I think religion's next trend should be to pack it in so people can start living in the real world. But I know it ain't gonna happen. Too many people would rather deal with imaginary beings. They find real human beings too difficult to deal with.
Posts: 6253 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
1. I think religion's next trend will be that more people will use reason instead of faith.
2. I think religion's next trend should be that reason instead of blind faith continues to become more and more prevalent. I can't swear to it, but as best I recall, Sir Julian Huxley opined on the future evolution of man: "If man is to make any further progress he must cease to put off onto the shoulders of mythical gods and metaphysical absolutes responsibilities which are rightfully his own". We need to grow up, IMHO.
Maybe it should be greater reliance on reason, but the rise of Christian and Islamic fundamentalism shows a flight from reason, and increasing reliance on unquestioning acceptance of arbitrary doctrines or extremist "literal" interpretations of text, even where they contradict common sense, humanity or all the evidence in the ('real') world.
There's a relatively small counter-movement, in religion, as some Westerners seem to be attracted to Buddhism's non-theistic reasonableness, or Unitarianism's humane and sensible inclusiveness.
It'd be nice to think that religion's next trend will be to quietly die out, as in Europe, and be replaced by properly thought-out philosophies of how to live well and be good to each other. (Isn't much of the better part of Christian tradition based on such Ancient Greek or Asina philosophy anyway?)
frankvan: Wasn't it Lincoln who said that no one can please all of the people all of the time? I suppose that no one else was into his head examining his conscience; leastwise, his cuckoo wife wasn't.
Originally posted by babthrower: I think religion's next trend will be a lot like religion's last trend. Each religion will strive mightily to - gain more adherents, so it can - raise more money, so it can - influence the social system.
I think religion's next trend should be to pack it in so people can start living in the real world. But I know it ain't gonna happen. Too many people would rather deal with imaginary beings. They find real human beings too difficult to deal with.
Aw, come one, babs, we know that, at times, you find me too difficult to deal with and vice versa. Also, isn't it everyone's imagination to be able to influence the social system according to his or her own views? Ya must use reason here.
Originally posted by tsaeb: frankvan: Wasn't it Lincoln who said that no one can please all of the people all of the time? I suppose that no one else was into his head examining his conscience; leastwise, his cuckoo wife wasn't.
No, I believe he said you couldn't FOOL all of the people all of the time. That is a job for the clergy!
... isn't it everyone's imagination to be able to influence the social system according to his or her own views? Ya must use reason here.
Yabbut the social system exists in the real world. I would prefer we not bring in extra-terrestrials which cannot be examined in the witness box or by a real mean reporter on 60 Minutes.
Posts: 6253 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
No, Houdini said, "Where the hell is that damned hole in the ice?"
Didn't know he fished in the winter.
Did I imagine this? I remember reading about his being chained and put in a trunk and thrown into a hole in the ice. He didn't emerge and the photogs and newpeople all left, giving him up for dead. He, supposedly survived by breathing in the little air-space between ice and water, repeatedly until he was able to find the hole and emerge when everyone had gone home. Could that have been true or just another elaborate trick? I'm sure I read it ??
Originally posted by tsaeb: I think that I viewed Houdini's gravesite in Cypress Hills Cemetery on the Brooklyn-Queens border. I wonder whether this is true.
That was enough to make him spin violently, I'm sure.
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