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> a world without religion leads people to moral depravity This is exactly the case. Religion is a constant in human society across time and space. And one of

by oska 4y ago

> a world without religion leads people to moral depravity This is exactly the case. Religion is a constant in human society across time and space. And one of its main functions is exactly that - to keep people away from moral depravity. Speaking against this function of religion (again, proved across all cultures and all times) only shows profound shallowness. Personally I'm not much of a fan of Christianity or the other Abrahamic religions. And I think generally its time is coming to an end (with a long tapering off). But I think you can see quite clearly that the moving away from Christianity (probably inevitable) over the last century or so has led to moral decline and depravity in the West. If Christianity's time is coming to an end, we will neeed (and I believe we will generate) a new religion to replace it. And I don't think it will be in the Abrahamic tradition.

vkazanov 4y ago
And astrology, and magical thinking, and many other things were always there. So what you say is that humanity is not capable of learning moral behaviour without gods? And this is why it needs deities?
- oska 4y ago
  No, humans continually develop moral behaviour and codify it in religion (for transmission and social maintenance). Gods and deities aren't strictly necessary. Buddhism started without such but it is interesting that the conceptualisations of Buddhas & Boddhisattvas have become more and more like the gods & deities of other religions (at least in the popular religious traditions of Buddhism).
  - vkazanov 4y ago
    Well, I agree with you in that humans inevitable develop moral rules and codify these one way or another. Otherwise a society wouldn't be possible. Religions are one of the traditional ways of motivating these rules... Legal systems are supporting them on an enforcement level. I like religions as a very deep cultural phenomena/ideology having all kinds of effects on the, ehm, society. I just don't think religions are strictly necessary for a functioning society.

by oska 4y ago

vkazanov 4y ago

And astrology, and magical thinking, and many other things were always there. So what you say is that humanity is not capable of learning moral behaviour without gods? And this is why it needs deities?

oska 4y ago
No, humans continually develop moral behaviour and codify it in religion (for transmission and social maintenance). Gods and deities aren't strictly necessary. Buddhism started without such but it is interesting that the conceptualisations of Buddhas & Boddhisattvas have become more and more like the gods & deities of other religions (at least in the popular religious traditions of Buddhism).
- vkazanov 4y ago
  Well, I agree with you in that humans inevitable develop moral rules and codify these one way or another. Otherwise a society wouldn't be possible. Religions are one of the traditional ways of motivating these rules... Legal systems are supporting them on an enforcement level. I like religions as a very deep cultural phenomena/ideology having all kinds of effects on the, ehm, society. I just don't think religions are strictly necessary for a functioning society.