We don’t want to create a new religion, but whatever we create to take the place of it needs to offer at least as much as that which it replaces, so we might end up actually needing a new ‘religion’ whether we like it or not. If indeed there is a biological predisposition for humans to want to engage in ‘worship’, then we might as well worship rationally. I hesitate to call this new organization a religion or the practice worship, those are the things they are replacing, but those words get my idea across.
How about we create a church-like organization that has local congregations and meets weekly to listen to talks on rationality, the latest scientific discoveries, lectures on philosophy, the state of the world, etc. And they don’t need to lack beauty or awe. A weekly dose of the unimaginable beauty of biology, or astrophysics, or even economics, in a shared setting, would sure add value to my life. A ‘bible study’ about fermi’s paradox would have made my day as a child. We can tug on the emotions as much as traditional religions without being irrational.
And the missionary arm would maintain the rationality of the ‘church’. If the catholic pope denounces condoms in africa, then our ‘church’ goes one further and starts a viral campaign to not only spread the reason why the pope is wrong, but gets creative and sets up condom donations or incentive structures to promote their use, or whatever.
I know there are many organizations that promote skepticism, secular humanism, reason, enlightenment, etc. but don’t know if they are widespread, have local chapters that meet regularly, or have much of a following.
And yes, ‘canonizing’ the vast information to make it more accessible would help a lot.
UPDATE: In regards to the post wondering how this all would be different from the atheist groups and other such organizations that currently exist, well, that is the rub isn’t it. Those have the right idea but aren’t successful....how can we make one succeed? Or, can we prove that one can’t succeed so as to not waste any more time over it.
A “church-like organization that has local congregations and meets weekly to listen to talks on rationality, the latest scientific discoveries, lectures on philosophy, the state of the world, etc.”?
Sounds like a Unitarian fellowship, at least the ones I know. Some may be closer to their Protestant roots, though. Of course, they also have talks on irrationality (“spirituality”) and, while atheists and other rationalists are certainly welcome, aggressive promotion of any particular world-view is discouraged.
We don’t want to create a new religion, but whatever we create to take the place of it needs to offer at least as much as that which it replaces, so we might end up actually needing a new ‘religion’ whether we like it or not. If indeed there is a biological predisposition for humans to want to engage in ‘worship’, then we might as well worship rationally. I hesitate to call this new organization a religion or the practice worship, those are the things they are replacing, but those words get my idea across.
How about we create a church-like organization that has local congregations and meets weekly to listen to talks on rationality, the latest scientific discoveries, lectures on philosophy, the state of the world, etc. And they don’t need to lack beauty or awe. A weekly dose of the unimaginable beauty of biology, or astrophysics, or even economics, in a shared setting, would sure add value to my life. A ‘bible study’ about fermi’s paradox would have made my day as a child. We can tug on the emotions as much as traditional religions without being irrational.
And the missionary arm would maintain the rationality of the ‘church’. If the catholic pope denounces condoms in africa, then our ‘church’ goes one further and starts a viral campaign to not only spread the reason why the pope is wrong, but gets creative and sets up condom donations or incentive structures to promote their use, or whatever.
I know there are many organizations that promote skepticism, secular humanism, reason, enlightenment, etc. but don’t know if they are widespread, have local chapters that meet regularly, or have much of a following.
And yes, ‘canonizing’ the vast information to make it more accessible would help a lot.
UPDATE: In regards to the post wondering how this all would be different from the atheist groups and other such organizations that currently exist, well, that is the rub isn’t it. Those have the right idea but aren’t successful....how can we make one succeed? Or, can we prove that one can’t succeed so as to not waste any more time over it.
A “church-like organization that has local congregations and meets weekly to listen to talks on rationality, the latest scientific discoveries, lectures on philosophy, the state of the world, etc.”?
Sounds like a Unitarian fellowship, at least the ones I know. Some may be closer to their Protestant roots, though. Of course, they also have talks on irrationality (“spirituality”) and, while atheists and other rationalists are certainly welcome, aggressive promotion of any particular world-view is discouraged.