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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Good Without God

The Chicago Coalition for Reason has erected a billboard above the corner of LaSalle Drive and Grand Avenue asking: "Are you good without God? Millions are." The Chicago Tribune gave it a couple of paragraphs.

Atheists, agnostics, and humanists have banded together in several cities to post similar billboard and bus placard messages. A Wisconsin based organization, Freedom From Religion Foundation, has taken an organizational lead.

There appears to be a variety of opinions among the anti-religion community regarding such campaigns. More strident voices seem to be prevailing. The messages grow more aggressive. For example a new campaign quotes Thomas Jefferson: "Religions are all alike founded upon fables and mythologies."

In my estimation such campaigns are ironic. They engage traditional religions, while using "evangelizing" tactics that religions use and that the non-religious usually loathe. Yet, in this regard, the tactics fit into an ongoing God/no-God controversy that is a signature of these times.

Though strictly speaking I belong to the atheist, agnostic, humanist spectrum, I’m not anti-religious. Religion is inherent to the human condition. I simply want my religion to be a religion of realities—naturalistic, true to reason and experience, and compelling.

2 comments:

Liz Reyes said...

Your statement that "I simply want my religion to be a religion of realities—naturalistic, true to reason and experience, and compelling," is close to how I've been thinking of religion. My husband and I have been attending the Unitarian Church of Hinsdale as guests since September and we've been thinking a lot bout religion. What is interesting to us is why we feel comfortable attending the church after so many years of not wanting anything to do with religion. Our definition of religion has grown and we realize it includes the values that we try to uphold in our lives.

Ed Searl said...

Liz, there's a recent informative NYTimes article re. religion as an evolved behavior of the human species: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/weekinreview/12wade.html?scp=1&sq=religion%20evolution&st=cse

It supports my notion of Natural Religion.