The World Without Religion

Ok, yesterday someone asked what would happen to morals if naturalism took over and people no longer believed in religion. personally, I do not think that this could EVER happen. There are so many people that depend on their religion so much, and these are the people that will believe no matter what evidence is put to them. But, I know of plenty of people who do not believe in any religion, or any higher power, and they still have morals, and they still act as many of the religious people that I know. There of course will be those that do not care, but I think that for the most part people will continue to be moral.

Bertrand Russell

Ok, so I agree with some things that Bertrand Russel said, but not with others.

I like his idea that religion is a fight against death. That is true, it's a way for people to fight off the thought of dying and there being nothing.

One thing that he said that I totally disagee with is that war is an act of passion, not reason. A lot of times there is reason behind wars. They may not be the reasons that you think, but there are strategetic reasons for it.

Coexistence is Futile

I do not think that naturalism and supernaturalism can peacefully coexist. There are people who believe so fully in one or the other that they are willing to kill. I mean, if we got rid of them, then they could peacefully coexist, but then we would be as bad as them.

In theory it is beautiful, but that is all it can be, a theory.

ethics are an illusion

Okay, today we were given four statements regarding ethical behavior. It truly does appear that ethical behavior is merely an illusion. But, if everything is determined, then why was the concept of ethical action ever creeated? I mean, if everything is planned out as to how it is going to be in the future, why even vex our minds with it? Going along with this logic, why even have the concept of free will? This is the main problem I have with determinism. If everything was determined, why have these things?

I still think that free will has been weeded out, but...

Ok, earlier today I had said that i felt that at some point in time the human race had free will, but now all we have is determinism. Now that I have had time to think it out, I think that i can word it better so that it actually makes sense.

Ok. First, we had cavemen. Originally they probably did not have language. They had the free will to do whateve they chose. They develop language. They begin to communicate with one another. They begin to decide what is right and what is wrong. This is passed down to their children. As time goes on, and language becomes more refined, they begin to make more guidelines and refine the ones that they already had. This allows the later generations even less free will as to what to do. At the current point in time, very much is determined for us by the rules and guidelines that date all the way back to the cavemen.

Example: A prelinguistic lives in a hut. Another prelinguistic breaks into his hut to steal something. The first prelinguistic, fearing for his life kills the prelinguistic breaking in. No repercussions. time goes on, this is shunned. you should not kill or attempt to kill, no matter what the circumstance. today if someone breaks into your house and you shoot them, if you maim them and they survive, you are the one who is going to get punished.

Does this make any sense? Maybe I used a bad example....But, all I am trying to say is that very far in the past, we had free will, but we lost it, because once language and communication came about there were rules. the rules got stricter-even the rules that are not neccessarily legal rules, the mores of the culture-and now our lives are determined.

Am I really doing this of my own free will?

I am almost finished reading the article on free will and determinism. To me, the logic seems kind of circular. But it does bring up a very good question: do we do ANYTHING of our own free will? I am now beginning to wonder this, and probably will not sleep tonight, because this will be all that i will be able to think about. And then i will have to start wondering if I am staying awake because it was determined, or if it is because I want to stay up and think about these things. im off to bed, when you see me in class tomorrow, i will have dark rings around my eyes, because I will seriously have been up all night thinking about this.