God - Community
The February 22, 2021 episode of the podcast Hidden Brain with host Shankar Vedantam is entitled “Creating God”. His guest is social psychologist Azim Shariff who “argues that we should consider religion from a Darwinian perspective, as an innovation that helped human societies to grow and flourish.” As communities grew not everyone had the same investment in the overall health of each of its members and thus, might violate the rights of an individual or do something which was not in the best interest of the community. Particular religions were created or envisioned within the limits of the needs of the community and scientific knowledge. Thus, when one needed many children to till the fields, hunt or otherwise maintain the community; when mortality rate of infants and mothers was much different; when microscopes had yet to be invented to counter the belief that there were a limited number of sperm, many religious rules about restricting sexual behavior made sense. Part of the nature of religion, however, is that once a rule or behavior no longer makes cultural or scientific sense, one cannot sit down the god of one’s understanding and ask him, her or it change the rule.
Dr. Shariff would argue that punishment or the fear of punishment – often for eternity – was an effective evolutionary tool for maximizing order in a growing community. Even the threat of the unhappiness of the God of one’s understanding was often enough.
Many people continue to believe in a punishing and rewarding god. Many others no longer believe in such a traditional god. Some envision the god of their understanding as the whole of a planet, universe or even the universes. They might maintain that each part of the whole is necessary but not sufficient to keep the whole functioning with maximum potential and efficiency. The result of not respecting this fact is the breakdown of the whole. One may not think of this is punishment, but consequences. The question of how the whole came to exist as an interdependent group of parts may not be addressed by those who posit such a god.
As knowledge continues to evolve many find it difficult to feel a part of a religious community or to approach the creation of a god from the vantage point of what is best for the community for next 1000 or 100,000 years. Many no longer find it tenable to believe in an afterlife where eternal punishment might await someone. Many point to the scientific knowledge which is now available to determine our sexual mores or other behavior. At the same time there is by many a greater appreciation for the six degrees of separation rule and, thus, the ripple effect of each action or inaction. There might also be a greater understanding of the psychological effect of separating oneself from the whole by deliberately ignoring the needs and rights of another.
There is an argument to be made for the belief that when we, as a species, give up heaven and hell we may become only focused on what makes one feel good for the moment; on short term gratification; on filling or numbing that internal void which leaves one feeling disconnected. I happen to believe humans are basically kind and pragmatic. Most of us know we need each other even if we no long need a god who threatens eternal punishment or promises eternal salvation if we obey all the rules.
Sadly, we have found it difficult to hold on to the most important aspect of church – to be a community who welcome each to this life journey, bid each other goodbye and care for each other during those two points. I was reminded while attending a conference this week entitled “Engagement in the Black Community” of the importance of “church” for the black community – church where it is safe to weep, wail and be joyful; church where it is safe to have secret communication via spirituals; church where it was safe to be. The challenge for the black churches as well as other churches is to expand that community to include those who now feel excluded; to remember that god is a creation of we humans; to remember that the rules attributed to the god of one’s understanding have to expand to embrace new scientific and social knowledge. Sadly, few churches have found a way to do that well. If one attends a black church today one will still experience the “spirit” which will move one to dance, weep, laugh and sing. One will experience community regardless of the religious rules. Yet, some know that even there they cannot be fully themselves. That is the challenge. We all need that sense of community. The alternative is to numb oneself with alcohol, drugs, money, power, food or some other substance, object or condition. Are we up to the challenge of allowing the god of our understanding to be fully present and embracing to who we know ourselves to be capable of being regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, cultural background or historic status of oppressor or the oppressed?
Written February 27, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
The February 22, 2021 episode of the podcast Hidden Brain with host Shankar Vedantam is entitled “Creating God”. His guest is social psychologist Azim Shariff who “argues that we should consider religion from a Darwinian perspective, as an innovation that helped human societies to grow and flourish.” As communities grew not everyone had the same investment in the overall health of each of its members and thus, might violate the rights of an individual or do something which was not in the best interest of the community. Particular religions were created or envisioned within the limits of the needs of the community and scientific knowledge. Thus, when one needed many children to till the fields, hunt or otherwise maintain the community; when mortality rate of infants and mothers was much different; when microscopes had yet to be invented to counter the belief that there were a limited number of sperm, many religious rules about restricting sexual behavior made sense. Part of the nature of religion, however, is that once a rule or behavior no longer makes cultural or scientific sense, one cannot sit down the god of one’s understanding and ask him, her or it change the rule.
Dr. Shariff would argue that punishment or the fear of punishment – often for eternity – was an effective evolutionary tool for maximizing order in a growing community. Even the threat of the unhappiness of the God of one’s understanding was often enough.
Many people continue to believe in a punishing and rewarding god. Many others no longer believe in such a traditional god. Some envision the god of their understanding as the whole of a planet, universe or even the universes. They might maintain that each part of the whole is necessary but not sufficient to keep the whole functioning with maximum potential and efficiency. The result of not respecting this fact is the breakdown of the whole. One may not think of this is punishment, but consequences. The question of how the whole came to exist as an interdependent group of parts may not be addressed by those who posit such a god.
As knowledge continues to evolve many find it difficult to feel a part of a religious community or to approach the creation of a god from the vantage point of what is best for the community for next 1000 or 100,000 years. Many no longer find it tenable to believe in an afterlife where eternal punishment might await someone. Many point to the scientific knowledge which is now available to determine our sexual mores or other behavior. At the same time there is by many a greater appreciation for the six degrees of separation rule and, thus, the ripple effect of each action or inaction. There might also be a greater understanding of the psychological effect of separating oneself from the whole by deliberately ignoring the needs and rights of another.
There is an argument to be made for the belief that when we, as a species, give up heaven and hell we may become only focused on what makes one feel good for the moment; on short term gratification; on filling or numbing that internal void which leaves one feeling disconnected. I happen to believe humans are basically kind and pragmatic. Most of us know we need each other even if we no long need a god who threatens eternal punishment or promises eternal salvation if we obey all the rules.
Sadly, we have found it difficult to hold on to the most important aspect of church – to be a community who welcome each to this life journey, bid each other goodbye and care for each other during those two points. I was reminded while attending a conference this week entitled “Engagement in the Black Community” of the importance of “church” for the black community – church where it is safe to weep, wail and be joyful; church where it is safe to have secret communication via spirituals; church where it was safe to be. The challenge for the black churches as well as other churches is to expand that community to include those who now feel excluded; to remember that god is a creation of we humans; to remember that the rules attributed to the god of one’s understanding have to expand to embrace new scientific and social knowledge. Sadly, few churches have found a way to do that well. If one attends a black church today one will still experience the “spirit” which will move one to dance, weep, laugh and sing. One will experience community regardless of the religious rules. Yet, some know that even there they cannot be fully themselves. That is the challenge. We all need that sense of community. The alternative is to numb oneself with alcohol, drugs, money, power, food or some other substance, object or condition. Are we up to the challenge of allowing the god of our understanding to be fully present and embracing to who we know ourselves to be capable of being regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, cultural background or historic status of oppressor or the oppressed?
Written February 27, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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