religion
Posts about religion, skepticism, and how it fits into the scientific world.
Sympathy for the Devil: The Case for Satan’s Heroism
Last week, I was challenged to write an article arguing that Satan, as he is portrayed in the Bible, is actually the good guy. Thrilled by this opportunity to quite literally play devil’s advocate, I accepted the challenge. However, considering he’s been the universal symbol of evil for centuries, Lucifer proved himself to be quite easy to defend.
Hannah SmartPublished 5 years ago in Futurism
Why I Celebrate Non-Modern Customs
I was baptized under the Protestant branch of Methodism. I went to church, did communion a couple of times, and attended every Easter and Christmas service. My mother told me and my sister whenever we get married, she will let us borrow her white wedding dress. She also said boyfriends who are potential suitors for husbandry must ask permission first and get us a diamond ring. But the one thing that kept bothering me was there was no explanation as to why we celebrate these holidays when we don't know where they originally came from. Why are we supposed to wear white when no other culture uses white? Why am I, or my sister for that matter, supposed to have a diamond ring when we think they are really useless and tacky?
Heather WilkinsPublished 5 years ago in Futurism
Is There a Problem with Religion?
Growing up in a household that held to religious beliefs without practicing actual religion was confusing. It made more sense when church was finally attended on the regular. But it never clarified anything within me.
Noel WillettPublished 5 years ago in Futurism
To Put It Plainly
To put it plainly, I was never religious to begin with. As a young man born into the infamous Nation of Islam, I never really enjoyed going to the mosque on Sunday, or having to put on a suit on a Saturday morning to go to a boys’ training class for three hours. If I am being honest with myself, I have technically always been an atheist.
I'm a What?
I'm a third generation Wiccan and I make it very known. I'm the only one out of the three kids that my mom had. I don't try to hide it like my mom or my grandmother, and especially not like my siblings. It's posted on all of my social media accounts, and it's caused a lot of weird conversations.
Azlyn FugatePublished 6 years ago in Futurism
Soul Searching
How dare they, or any “religion” for that matter, have the connotation that their ideals and way of life are far more superior than everybody elses'? Yet my bitterness lies towards a particular cult.
Joy ErgangPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
How Agnosticism Changed My Life
If you were to approach me and ask me what my spiritual belief was, I'd smile and answer, "Agnostic." To some that is not an acceptable answer, but to most they would agree. Being Agnostic means you don't know if there is a God or an afterlife, and that you can't know until you die. That's exactly what I believe, that when I die, I'll see for myself what happens. In the meantime, I'm going to live my life how I want to, and live it to the fullest. However, that wasn't always the case. I used to consider myself a Christian, and like most Christians, if you didn't believe what I did, I was offended and you were wrong. However, the journey there wasn't easy, and I didn't simply wake up one day thinking, "Hey, I don't know if there is a God or not. Okay then!" It took years and plenty of life experiences to figure out what I truly believe, and now I say with almost a pride that I won't know until I die. It may not be your belief, and that's okay too, but this is how Agnosticism changed my life.
Lainey MillerPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
The Absurdity of Both Religious and Scientific Worldviews
Many existential philosophers stress the importance of a balance between a scientific and a religious worldview. In society, science is seen as providing objective truth, found through experimentation and reason, whereas religion is seen as providing a subjective truth that is based entirely on faith. As science has come to the forefront of society, religion has lost the power that it once had. Religion is often portrayed, today, as being an inconsistent form of knowledge, and a detriment to the modern world. This critique of religion stems from the fact that many religions rely almost entirely on faith for the justification of their worldview. In Albert Camus’ book, The Myth of Sisyphus, he explains that the absurdity of life stems from a disconnect between what human beings want from the universe, and what the universe gives back. Camus furthers this idea by stating that humans often commit philosophical suicide, by ignoring this disconnect, and believing that the universe is giving them what they want from it: answers. Religion is often cited as being the only form of philosophical suicide, creating a reality of rationality and order, but is religion the only form of thought that seeks to do this? In this sense, what would Camus, and other existential philosophers think of modern scientific figures such as Richard Dawkins? Dawkins, along with other atheistic scientific figures, claims that religion and faith have no place in modern society, and that all things in the universe can be understood through science. Knowledge should not be based solely on faith, but, conversely, should knowledge be based solely on scientific evidence either? Knowing all of the answers to life and the universe is not going to change the way things work, just like knowing the meaning of life does not mean that one will be automatically become happy. The meaning of existence is ambiguous at best, relative and always changing, so a certain amount of absurdity has to be accepted in life if one is to live authentically.
Sigurd l'ErmitePublished 6 years ago in Futurism
To Be or Not To Be
I have to be honest. I don't talk about my religion nearly as much as I should. Ever since I was little, I was raised a Mormon, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Don't get me wrong, I am still a Mormon, but ever since I was 14, I knew something was missing in my faith.
Alexis Ybañez-JohnsonPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
Stellar Cruise Part 5
When things finally come to a head, will the passengers and crew be ready... The Zala’s senior staff met every ship’s morning in the main conference room behind the bridge. The room was dominated by an oblong table that kind of resembled a fat plantain. The senior most of the staff sat around it while their aids and junior lieutenants stood behind them. Screens displayed ships status and viewports on either side showed the void of space in its ebony glory.
daniel morrisPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
The Real Meaning of Christmas
It is pretty unlikely that Jesus Christ was born on 25 December, but does that matter? To many faithful Christians, no, it doesn’t seem to, much. Christmas day is the day they celebrate the birth of Jesus. Whether he was really born on that particular day is a bit of a side issue (after all, the actual date is not in the Bible).
Martin ReedPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
Needing Out
We all remember our lives differently than others. Some things are embedded in our minds the same way, just with a different perspective. Well my recollections of what has gone in my life is my variant of my life. And I know that there are people that don't quite agree with my perspective.
Joy ErgangPublished 6 years ago in Futurism
