[itachi-san]

I believe there is a relationship between things that had commonly been given divine attributes and things that have been discovered or solved through scientific means. Think about the Greek and Roman Gods for example. Everyone praised them as whole-heartedly as people today praise whichever religious icon they worship. So why is it that those believers (among many other religions as well) have almost all vanished? My theory is that it is mostly because of science. There is no need to offer sacrifices to Apollo so he can pull the sun over the land, no need to pray to Atlas to keep holding the world up, etc... because science has unveiled such mysteries.

So, to see it like I see it, picture a black mist covering the universe so nothing is visible. Call that mist religion or the divine. Now as time passes and our intelligence grows with our knowledge of the Earth, picture a hole in the mist that reveals Earth, but nothing else. The sun, stars, space and planets are still in the mist. Then as time passes, picture that hole in the mist expanding to at least the edges of our solar system, etc...

I see a correlation between the increase in scientific knowledge and the decrease in existences given divine attributes. Today, I would say the mist is gone from our universe entirely. Most of the universe, though obviously not nearly fully known to us, has now been secularized from the divine realm. Almost no matter what we discover, we are not expecting anything divine in nature, only that which can expand or be incorporated into science. The proverbial mist of religion has been pushed into another dimension or a place that 'can never be proven to not exist' and I believe this has been deliberately done by religious efforts over the past centuries because the leaders realized they could not win people over scientific fact.

[unreality]

I agree ;D I've always thought of religion as a replacement to true understanding- ie, myths made up to explain things that, at the time, cannot be explained (like volcanoes and lightning and stuff, to evolution, and now to the beginning of the universe, etc, etc), until "true understanding" comes along and shows us the truth, and religion has to recess to less and less covered topics

you might think true understanding would just be another name for science, but the word "science" seems to have such a bad rep, and not all science is true understanding... so by true understanding, I mean true understanding

eventually there will be a point where religion has nothing more to explain. It's a point I am waiting for however, Itachi, you said that that point has already happened, and religion has moved to "outer realms" and whatnot... I think the point can still be reached, possibly

I think there will be a time in the future where most theists see God as sort of a metaphor, just like more and more stuff in the Bible is becoming interpreted as "metaphors"... hmmm... nice topic ;D

[Guest]

I agree ;D I've always thought of religion as a replacement to true understanding-

It was the onle explanation I guess as logic was less accepted in the past

just like more and more stuff in the Bible is becoming interpreted as "metaphors"... hmmm... nice topic ;D

I thought they were always metaphorical, especially as written or spoken challenges of the doctrine at that time wee totally unaccepted...

Either way, Science has been around only since the time of Da Vinci kicking it off. Before that there was only alchemy (nature and philosophy -somewhat bridled) and belief spread by the church/mosque etc. We have moved on from flat earth at the centre of the universe at great pace these days. Science has only had access to more sensitive equipment in the last 35-40 years and it is ever defining more accurate information and allowing for improved interpretation.

I can't wait for the next theory.

Edited June 25, 2008 by Lost in space

[Guest]

Very interesting, it makes sense that people would come up with explanations for things they didn't understand. As time goes on, ideas that are disproved die out and new ones are created. Probably 100,000 years from now, people will be looking back on our religions today and wondering what the heck we were thinking. Just for a fun game, it would be interesting to figure out what the religions of the future might be and what discoveries would shape them. Definitely worth further exploration.

Edited July 3, 2008 by pw0nzd

[unreality]

the Church of the Black Hole lol. Or Dark Matter Worship Center

or maybe [nuclear wasteland]