Is religion a means or an end?
Since it is Friday, regular readers of my blog could predict that I would be listening to the podcast of the September 29, 2016 conversation Krista Tippet, host of On Being, had with her guest. Her guest for the 29th of September is the vary erudite, questioning, open Alain de Botton who “”is founder and chairman of The School of Life. His books include Religion for Atheists and How Proust Can Change your Life. His new book is a novel, The Course of Love.” As a philosopher, teacher, author, seeker and a person raised by atheist parents, he came, on his own, to appreciate questions which religions, including Christianity, has sought to answer and the rituals which they have created to help insure both a sense of community and the setting aside of time and place to routinely re-examine and reaffirm what gives this brief life journey a mission.
On the surface, without the comfort of religious or spiritual beliefs encompassing one or many life journey and one or many universes, this life journey is devoid of meaning and purpose. Consider, for example:
• A sperm and an egg get together, play and may or may not decide to join forces to create another human being.
• One is carried or not carried full term and is born alive or dead.
• If born alive one, if lucky, is raised by people who provide the basics and the tools to function in whatever community or culture into which one is born
• One somehow earns a living or is supported by the state, trust funds or whatever, buys stuff, and creates a home independently with other people.
• Some will again introduce sperm and egg to create another being who will follow the same pattern.
• One saves money, retires or keeps working, considers getting rid of some stuff but purchases other stuff such as adult diapers, implements to remove wandering hairs, supports the pharmaceutical industry and then dies
• One is buried or cremated and, depending on the method, returns to dust to join other dust which, thankfully, does not procreate to create baby dust
• Relatives then come in, keep a few “valuable pieces” and sell or consign the rest.
• The new generation scours the consignment stores so they can accumulate stuff.
Obviously, there is much fluff added to this life journey but this, so to speak, is the bare bones which leads some of our neighbors, in either erudite, wordy books or in popular song form to ask Peggy Less’s question, “Is this all there is?”.
It is not surprising that humans have, even when basic survival needs consumed most of one’s time and energy, sought to posit some purpose to this journey. Whether it was very playful, sexual, emotional Gods, the spirits, a single being, humans have posited Gods who could be credited or blamed for this journey. Philosophers and theologians borrowed from each other and then often claimed exclusive rights to “the truth”. They also posited certain views about humans. Often the view was that humans were sinful creatures who could not be trusted to behave (whatever that meant) rationally or morally unless there was the promise of heaven or threat of hell. The goal then became to please God or the Gods who had very human characteristics of using behavioral training techniques of reward and punishment. Religions also often recognized the fact that, as humans, we were often very prone to the promises of the traveling medicine man/person (the prelude to the infomercial). Thus, there were lofty, lovely houses of worship in which one could get back on track and enjoy the sounds, smells and general atmosphere of those things which feed the soul. Churches and religious organizations also gave a sense of community and a place to continue to question the meaning of life in general or a particular life.
As Mr. de Botton so engagingly points out the intention and some of the concepts were indeed very necessary. He has incorporated many of those same intentions, concepts and practices in The School for Life. That school borrows religious music and words such as soul and sermon. It also is very attuned to a basic need of most humans – a community. Individuals such as Mr. de Botton have recognized that, as an atheist one does not have to, as my grandmother might say, throw out the baby with the bathwater. The baby in this case are the questions which is the ongoing means of coming together to explore what gives meaning, joy and purpose to this life journey. The baby is also the question of ethics, moral codes or guidelines which might keep humans attuned to the fact that all action has a reverberating effect on the rest of the world and, perhaps, on the universes - those of which we have some knowledge of and those of which we have yet to learn.
In short, individuals such as Mr. de Botton can help us remember that when religion helps us explore essential issues of the purpose and the manner with how we live as individuals and as a community is serves a very important purpose. When, however, we confuse, the means of positing questions with an end product which is the only possible product we are in danger of creating exclusive, closed clubs which will destroy the very people who it sought to help.
In other words, religion is not sacred or the repository of “the truth” but a simple means to joyfully, lovingly, creatively explore who we are and who we want to become.
Written September 30, 2016
Since it is Friday, regular readers of my blog could predict that I would be listening to the podcast of the September 29, 2016 conversation Krista Tippet, host of On Being, had with her guest. Her guest for the 29th of September is the vary erudite, questioning, open Alain de Botton who “”is founder and chairman of The School of Life. His books include Religion for Atheists and How Proust Can Change your Life. His new book is a novel, The Course of Love.” As a philosopher, teacher, author, seeker and a person raised by atheist parents, he came, on his own, to appreciate questions which religions, including Christianity, has sought to answer and the rituals which they have created to help insure both a sense of community and the setting aside of time and place to routinely re-examine and reaffirm what gives this brief life journey a mission.
On the surface, without the comfort of religious or spiritual beliefs encompassing one or many life journey and one or many universes, this life journey is devoid of meaning and purpose. Consider, for example:
• A sperm and an egg get together, play and may or may not decide to join forces to create another human being.
• One is carried or not carried full term and is born alive or dead.
• If born alive one, if lucky, is raised by people who provide the basics and the tools to function in whatever community or culture into which one is born
• One somehow earns a living or is supported by the state, trust funds or whatever, buys stuff, and creates a home independently with other people.
• Some will again introduce sperm and egg to create another being who will follow the same pattern.
• One saves money, retires or keeps working, considers getting rid of some stuff but purchases other stuff such as adult diapers, implements to remove wandering hairs, supports the pharmaceutical industry and then dies
• One is buried or cremated and, depending on the method, returns to dust to join other dust which, thankfully, does not procreate to create baby dust
• Relatives then come in, keep a few “valuable pieces” and sell or consign the rest.
• The new generation scours the consignment stores so they can accumulate stuff.
Obviously, there is much fluff added to this life journey but this, so to speak, is the bare bones which leads some of our neighbors, in either erudite, wordy books or in popular song form to ask Peggy Less’s question, “Is this all there is?”.
It is not surprising that humans have, even when basic survival needs consumed most of one’s time and energy, sought to posit some purpose to this journey. Whether it was very playful, sexual, emotional Gods, the spirits, a single being, humans have posited Gods who could be credited or blamed for this journey. Philosophers and theologians borrowed from each other and then often claimed exclusive rights to “the truth”. They also posited certain views about humans. Often the view was that humans were sinful creatures who could not be trusted to behave (whatever that meant) rationally or morally unless there was the promise of heaven or threat of hell. The goal then became to please God or the Gods who had very human characteristics of using behavioral training techniques of reward and punishment. Religions also often recognized the fact that, as humans, we were often very prone to the promises of the traveling medicine man/person (the prelude to the infomercial). Thus, there were lofty, lovely houses of worship in which one could get back on track and enjoy the sounds, smells and general atmosphere of those things which feed the soul. Churches and religious organizations also gave a sense of community and a place to continue to question the meaning of life in general or a particular life.
As Mr. de Botton so engagingly points out the intention and some of the concepts were indeed very necessary. He has incorporated many of those same intentions, concepts and practices in The School for Life. That school borrows religious music and words such as soul and sermon. It also is very attuned to a basic need of most humans – a community. Individuals such as Mr. de Botton have recognized that, as an atheist one does not have to, as my grandmother might say, throw out the baby with the bathwater. The baby in this case are the questions which is the ongoing means of coming together to explore what gives meaning, joy and purpose to this life journey. The baby is also the question of ethics, moral codes or guidelines which might keep humans attuned to the fact that all action has a reverberating effect on the rest of the world and, perhaps, on the universes - those of which we have some knowledge of and those of which we have yet to learn.
In short, individuals such as Mr. de Botton can help us remember that when religion helps us explore essential issues of the purpose and the manner with how we live as individuals and as a community is serves a very important purpose. When, however, we confuse, the means of positing questions with an end product which is the only possible product we are in danger of creating exclusive, closed clubs which will destroy the very people who it sought to help.
In other words, religion is not sacred or the repository of “the truth” but a simple means to joyfully, lovingly, creatively explore who we are and who we want to become.
Written September 30, 2016
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