The more we know, the less we need a god. The more we grow, the lesser god becomes. The more light shed on our past, present and future ideas, the duller the notion of god shines. The more bridges we build across conflicting systems of human welfare, the more god justifications fall through the gaps.
Evolutionary and cognitive psychology is already explaining the origins and need of the ‘god’ idea as it relates to security, belonging and control. Only in the minuscule fraction of evolutionary time has human ingenuity progressed to such levels of global sophistication through technology and shared knowledge. Yet, it is not enough time to shed all of humanity’s old skin and demolish its multifarious constructs.
The religious model exhorts the virtues of submission. But we don’t need subservience, servility and conformity to achieve personal and social security. It is achieved through raising our consciousness to the value of improving quality of life and reducing harm. We get to this only through the hard slog of the scientific approach rather than outdated doctrines or pithy slogans.
Managers of God demand devotion and fealty to a particular brand of deity to be included among its ranks. But we don’t need blind unflinching loyalty at the expense of truth to belong. Apart from the global community of mutual benefit, we have local governments that are increasingly accounting for secular democratic moral systems to make life livable for all. True lasting prosperity and fulfilment comes through a plurality of ideas and commodities.
The power needed to keep in check the more baser elements of our society comes not from the fear of hell, the allure of heaven or the expectation of a reincarnation but through rigorous secular systems of value we place around the personhood of a being and the protections that are afforded it by scientifically measured, tried and tested methods of jurisprudence.
We are continuously knowing more and I’m glad for it. This knowledge is exponential and is bound to overcome the resistance of those that find the easy comforting; those who take the lazy route to decision-making; those who were raised with blindfolds on with a tiny candle inside their blindfolds who, later, are too scared to lose that tiny light when the bright light of reason shines all around them!
This isn’t a Pollyanna picture built on naive optimism. This is a realistic projection of what progress inexorably is moving towards. Yes, fear can work wonders for the short-term. But truth works harder and lasts longer!
My 2 cents 