Post-religion Society

[_sock puppet]

Culture and religion are intertwined in human society. Religion has been a defining force. Its imprint on society is clear and distinct and deep.

Would human society crumble without widespread fear of judgment and wrath of god?

If not, what would be different about human society if our cultures detached from religion?

What stages would mark the path towards a post-religious society?

[_Harold Lee]

What changes have we seen in western society over the past 100 years? Those trends will probably continue if atheism continues to become the dominant mindset. I haven't been around to see too many changes but my best memories seem to be the farthest back lol.

I think it'll be surprisingly familiar even without religion. I think we do see in atheistic societies that where religion loses influence politics will take it over.

Society always reflects human nature. I'd argue religion is molded by human nature more than the other way around.

[_zeezrom]

Will there still be marble statues in our atheistic new world?

[_Darth J]

Will there still be marble statues in our atheistic new world?

[_zeezrom]

Dear God, DarthJ. I hope not!

It's funny that Sock Puppet posted this because I was just getting off the plane, looking at this:


Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

And I thought, "What would we have done without people dreaming up religion?"

[Guest]

...

[_Harold Lee]

Its really just narrow minded thinking that your talking about ... plus what is religion but that which we do religiously.

Man is always going to seek to explain stuff and put it in a box. Whether it be relgion or science , they are still doing the same thing. Eradicating the god of Abraham really isn't going to solve the worlds ills , You'd have to kill a lot of people and or force them to think differently. Which I could see happening eventually given the present route.

If its about man kind evolving out of narrow mindedness ... I don't see a lot of athiests stepping up to the plate for this to be a possiblility. Chances are it will just be a phaseing out of 1 religion onto the next ... Like its probably been for eons.

+1 for truf.

[_Uncle Dale]

Culture and religion are intertwined in human society. Religion has been a defining force. Its imprint on society is clear and distinct and deep.

Would human society crumble without widespread fear of judgment and wrath of god?

If not, what would be different about human society if our cultures detached from religion?

What stages would mark the path towards a post-religious society?

I do not suppose that planet earth will ever become a
post-religious society, so long as human being inhabit it.

However, a gradual evolution in the direction of religions
based less and less upon the supernatural seems a
distinct possibility.

Such a development would necessarily alter our present
definitions of religion. Where Buddhism, Taoism and
Unitarianism are now located far to the left side of the
spectrum-of-all-religions, their 23rd century counterparts
might end up in that spectrum's center (or even its
right hand side) with compassionate secular humanism
monopolizing the left hand area.

I'd also be wary of predicting that atheist societies will
long endure. In North Korea we see the strange evolution
of what was long touted as atheism, evolving into Kim
Family worship. I'd guess that human nature would
eventually modify any strictly atheistic society back in
the direction of the public cohesion that typically defines
religion.

In my imagination, the widespread acceptance of the
scientific method would "mark" one of the initial stages
in an evolution in the direction of post-religion.

Possibly greater inter-connectedness of human lives
and human communications, via ubiquitous wi-fi and
human semi-computerization might "mark" another
stage. While such inter-connectedness could also
help strengthen cults, I suppose that its broader
effect would be to change religious cohesion as we
experience it today.

There will always be "throw-back" sub-societies. Religious
sects such as Mormonism and Catholicism might take the
place currently occupied by the Amish in a 23rd century
world -- they would be strong, retrogressive subcultures
that could occupy entire nations (Samoa? Ireland?) but
would be anomalies in a trans-national world.

Religion without supernaturalism does not necessarily
mean religion without meaning, or without "peak experience,"
"eureka moments," love and blissful higher consciousness --
but it might entail situations in which religious leaders
no longer held a monopoly on the dispensation of salvation,
ecstasy, profound insight, etc.

I expect that the religions of the future will be far more
personalized than those of today's one-size-fits-all
doctrines and dogmas.

Too bad that I won't be around to see it happen.

Uncle Dale

[_sock puppet]

Culture and religion are intertwined in human society. Religion has been a defining force. Its imprint on society is clear and distinct and deep.

Would human society crumble without widespread fear of judgment and wrath of god?

If not, what would be different about human society if our cultures detached from religion?

What stages would mark the path towards a post-religious society?

I do not suppose that planet earth will ever become a
post-religious society, so long as human being inhabit it.

However, a gradual evolution in the direction of religions
based less and less upon the supernatural seems a
distinct possibility.

Such a development would necessarily alter our present
definitions of religion. Where Buddhism, Taoism and
Unitarianism are now located far to the left side of the
spectrum-of-all-religions, their 23rd century counterparts
might end up in that spectrum's center (or even its
right hand side) with compassionate secular humanism
monopolizing the left hand area.

I'd also be wary of predicting that atheist societies will
long endure. In North Korea we see the strange evolution
of what was long touted as atheism, evolving into Kim
Family worship. I'd guess that human nature would
eventually modify any strictly atheistic society back in
the direction of the public cohesion that typically defines
religion.

In my imagination, the widespread acceptance of the
scientific method would "mark" one of the initial stages
in an evolution in the direction of post-religion.

Possibly greater inter-connectedness of human lives
and human communications, via ubiquitous wi-fi and
human semi-computerization might "mark" another
stage. While such inter-connectedness could also
help strengthen cults, I suppose that its broader
effect would be to change religious cohesion as we
experience it today.

There will always be "throw-back" sub-societies. Religious
sects such as Mormonism and Catholicism might take the
place currently occupied by the Amish in a 23rd century
world -- they would be strong, retrogressive subcultures
that could occupy entire nations (Samoa? Ireland?) but
would be anomalies in a trans-national world.

Religion without supernaturalism does not necessarily
mean religion without meaning, or without "peak experience,"
"eureka moments," love and blissful higher consciousness --
but it might entail situations in which religious leaders
no longer held a monopoly on the dispensation of salvation,
ecstasy, profound insight, etc.

I expect that the religions of the future will be far more
personalized than those of today's one-size-fits-all
doctrines and dogmas.

Too bad that I won't be around to see it happen.

Uncle Dale

Thanks, Uncle Dale. Very thought provoking observations.

[_Themis]

I do not suppose that planet earth will ever become a
post-religious society, so long as human being inhabit it.

However, a gradual evolution in the direction of religions
based less and less upon the supernatural seems a
distinct possibility.

Such a development would necessarily alter our present
definitions of religion. Where Buddhism, Taoism and
Unitarianism are now located far to the left side of the
spectrum-of-all-religions, their 23rd century counterparts
might end up in that spectrum's center (or even its
right hand side) with compassionate secular humanism
monopolizing the left hand area.

I'd also be wary of predicting that atheist societies will
long endure. In North Korea we see the strange evolution
of what was long touted as atheism, evolving into Kim
Family worship. I'd guess that human nature would
eventually modify any strictly atheistic society back in
the direction of the public cohesion that typically defines
religion.

In my imagination, the widespread acceptance of the
scientific method would "mark" one of the initial stages
in an evolution in the direction of post-religion.

Possibly greater inter-connectedness of human lives
and human communications, via ubiquitous wi-fi and
human semi-computerization might "mark" another
stage. While such inter-connectedness could also
help strengthen cults, I suppose that its broader
effect would be to change religious cohesion as we
experience it today.

There will always be "throw-back" sub-societies. Religious
sects such as Mormonism and Catholicism might take the
place currently occupied by the Amish in a 23rd century
world -- they would be strong, retrogressive subcultures
that could occupy entire nations (Samoa? Ireland?) but
would be anomalies in a trans-national world.

Religion without supernaturalism does not necessarily
mean religion without meaning, or without "peak experience,"
"eureka moments," love and blissful higher consciousness --
but it might entail situations in which religious leaders
no longer held a monopoly on the dispensation of salvation,
ecstasy, profound insight, etc.

I expect that the religions of the future will be far more
personalized than those of today's one-size-fits-all
doctrines and dogmas.

Too bad that I won't be around to see it happen.

Uncle Dale

I like most of what you say, but North Korea is a poor example. It is not really an atheistic society, but a dictatorship, and with dictatorships it's not that uncommon to get people to view them as some kind of deity. I am not sure we have any examples of a real atheistic society.