Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Five reasons for the elimination of Abrahamic religions



What worked for neolithic camel herders doesn't work any more.  The tools that provided middle eastern tribes with a way to make sense of the world and, at the same time, established a code of conduct for social cohesion, is now an impediment to social cohesion on a global scale and, in its recklessly delusional cosmology, threatens the future of the world. For the reasons that follow, Abrahamic religions (and, perhaps, all theocentric religions) belong in the dustheap of human development.


The survival of the biosphere.  A cosmology that places homo sapiens as different in kind from all other living things is a precursor for dominion, exploitation and destruction. It disconnects us from other living things and grants us an exceptionalism that precludes our existence in the 'Garden of Eden".  Furthermore, the possibility of an afterlife in some ethereal Paradise removes the responsibility of either recognizing or working toward a tangible paradise on Earth.  As long as the "undiscovered country" remains in human consciousness, we have a virtual reset available to us once we flee the shit pile of temporal existence.  Somebody else can clean up our mess.



Women. Rather than acknowledging that, biologically, males are mere flowers in women's lapels, the Abrahamic religions hamper the self actualization of females. Their myths (as well as those of classical origin) hold females responsible for the ills that beset us. Whether it is Pandora releasing all manner of evils because of her inquisitivenesses or Eve yielding to her naivety, or Delilah or Lott's daughters, men are left as poor victims of women's missteps or outright sinisterness. The first item in the playbook of any cult is to control the women and then use the women to control the men. The ultimate control lies with an exclusive group of men whether they be popes, cardinals, imams, rabbis, elders, or what have you.


Science. Although they have been apparent allies through the ages, science and religion are at opposite poles on the knowledge/belief continuum. Religion has tolerated science and logic only if they verified belief.  Discovery was about unravelling the mysteries of creation until it found evidence that was anathema to faith - then it became heresy. Evolution, although it has been coopted by the religious establishment in the face of its incontrovertibility, reveals creation myths to be idiotic at best and sinister at worst. In throwing cold water on the idea of a first woman and first man, evolutionary science explodes the idea of original sin, male dominance, miracles, racial superiority, binary sexuality and free will. Beliefs are all well and good as long as they yield to knowledge and expertise when those become available.


Wealth. Although supposedly promoting the idea that it is as easy for the wealthy to enter heaven as it is for a camel to squeeze itself through an impossibly small aperture, the real message that pervades is that property is a sign of God's favour. A mansion, four Maseratis, a private jet and a Rolex are signs, not that the owner of these luxuries will find it difficult to claim their instrument of choice in the afterlife, but that God has given them an advance on heavenly riches to ease their way into the hereafter.  What should be perceived as an obscenity in the face of rampant poverty is, instead, seen as being smiled upon by the creator. It has always been in the best interests of the Abrahamic religions to salve the conscience of the rich while keeping a healthy supply of the poor.


Awareness. Awareness (and self awareness in particular) is severely crippled, if not impossible, if the focus of human reflection is metaphysical. Rather than examining existence and one's place within it, 'the faithful' are led down a path that, rather than leading to a greater awareness of existence, involves either the exaltation of the ultimate patriarch or pointless navel gazing. The important paradigm altering questions are relegated to divine mystery or taboo. Contemplation of truth, mortality, relationships (social, familial, environmental, etc.), and personal cosmology  are seated at the back of the bus while the driver has his gps focussed on a fantasy destination and his eyes glued to heaven.

1 comment:

Fritz the Cat said...

Hmmm . . .