Correlation Between Religion and Hypocrites

I have a boss that is profoundly religious and by most counts has high moral standards. Because of this she was the last person that I would have suspect would lie and not take accountability for the words she speaks, but that is exactly what happened.  Much to my surprise this God fearing woman lied to protect herself.  She knew I knew she was lying and in my presence she failed to be accountable to our mutual big boss.  She blatantly omitted facts and took no responsibility for a decision she made putting me on the spot and creating an uncomfortable situation for us both.  

I hate to say this and it is going to sound a bit bias but I find that religious people are more likely to turn on you in for their own benefit.   I believe this is because they give all the credit for the things that go right or wrong in their lives to an omnipotent being and take no responsibility for their actions themselves.   I have witnessed this throughout my life and this is just the most recent experience for me to reference.   Rather than take accountability for their own actions they find a way to to take comfort in their faith for throwing you under the bus.  They just ask an imaginary being for forgiveness and all is well. 

The bottom line is that the majority of devoutly religions people must be hypocrites, they do not have a choice.   They hold themselves to a ridiculously high standard that they can not ever live up to but give themselves an easy out by just asking an imaginary being for forgiveness and all is well.  In the end these individuals are forced by human nature to go against these beliefs and take actions that they would never acknowledge they are capable of, hypocrites.... 

  

Merging Western and Eastern Philosophy

I started off with the idea of writing this paper/blog on Buddhism but after reviewing lessons and 10 - 13 in my philosophy class the direction has changed from just Buddhism to the future of philosophy and what it potentially holds. We will look at the possibility of merging eastern and western philosophies as we continue our push towards a increasingly more scientific, knowledge and logic based secular society. We will also examine why it appears that the duelist philosophies may struggle to continue provide the answers that so many are looking for.

In conjunction with the Eastern philosophy we may begin to move in the direction of Spinoza's Philosophies of the 16th century. However with that being said Many feel that the works of Spinoza are outdated. The claim is that we may never actually know enough about the science of the universe to say without a shadow of a doubt that God does not exist and is in fact necessary for the creation of the universe. To counter this point we can look to the works of Stephen Hawking whose work was recently discussed in the Huffintgon Post September 09. The post discussed Hakings theory that the universes law of gravity means that the universe is capable of creating itself and God is not necessary for the creation of our universe. If this is in fact the case does the that bring Spinoza's theory of nature back into play? Spinoza believed nature and the universe itself at a subatomic level to be God. Spinoza also felt that the views of Christianity, Muslims, Buddhism and Hinduism were all outdated in the 16th century and were only really relevant during their time. If he was right what would that tell us about the same religious philosophies four hundred of years later?

So the question becomes how will the future of philosophy take shape? As indicated science and technology are probably going to play a prominent role in the philosophy of the future but there are others who would prefer to go backwards. There are those who will cling to the dualist beliefs that have been handed down generation after generation. Others will progressively look to move philosophy forward by focusing on open interactive systems in nature. So the question remains what will it look like? Will we focus on working together regardless of race, creed, color or gender. Will men and women move towards a more well balanced EQ? Can we or will we merge eastern and western philosophies?

The appeal of merging eastern and western philosophies as indicated previously is the fact that eastern philosophies not only supports but may even be a great partner for open systems in nature, sciences, knowledge, logic and possibly most importantly a well balanced EQ. The most probable way of merging these two philosophies would be applying the center path philosophies of Buddhism and integrating certain aspects of the eightfold path. As our EQ evolves and attempts to catch our IQ these elements of Buddhism may be able to give us a road map to get there.

The eightfold path includes the following steps:

Wisdom

Right view - Right view would be considered the cognitive aspect of wisdom allowing you to evaluate the situation thoroughly leading to the right action and thought.

Right Intentions – Is the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. This would include helping others, being tolerant of others and developing compassion.

Ethics – Moral Wisdom

Right Speech – This is where the term speak only when spoken two comes into to play. Also it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and be proven a fool. Right speech advocates saving your words and choosing them very careful when you do speak. Words can be a very powerful tool or weapon they can be used to hurt or help others and even have the capability of starting wars. Right speech always consists of the truth and is friendly, warm and gentle.

Right Action – Would consist of always being compassionate, honest, respectful of others and their belongings and keeping sexual relationships harmless to others.

Right Livelihood – Wealth should be gained in a legal and moral way that does not cause harm to others. This would also include using your wealth for good to help others.

Mental Development

Right Effort - Mental discipline to do the right thing all the time. Being focused on what is right and repressing and ultimately eliminating compulsions to do things that may not be moral or ethical.

Right Mindfulness – The ability to see things as they are with clear consciousness. Being able to filter through perceptions, psychobabble and rhetoric to see things for what they truly are and not being easily influenced by peer pressure or those with bad intentions.

Right Concentration – Keeping the minds eye focused on the center path. Concentrating on making sure that you are well balanced and maintaining your focus on continuous improvement. This can be done through meditation or other means that meet the individuals needs. Listening to music, going for a walk, riding a bike or jogging would be a few examples. Any activities that allow you to clear your mind and connect your mind with your body in a meditation type of trance.

If we are able to incorporate these steps into modern philosophy it could give a solid moral and ethical foundation for everyone regardless of faith or background that could be universally accepted. However there are those who will likely feel that merging western and eastern philosophies is not necessary due to their own personal religious convictions. For those who hold their faith in God as a whole modern philosophy may not apply. With that being said does it make the need develop and advance modern philosophies any less necessary?

This philosophy will not need to exclude God but God will not be necessary for this philosophy to work. For the growing number of agnostics, atheists (according to a survey posted in the NY Daily News in 2008 the number of agnostics and atheists rose from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2008) and those who simply do not believe in religion as it exists today this modern philosophy could give a strong moral foundation to build upon.

This would be a foundation that is not based on any one particular faith but an open system of learning and tolerance that fits well with the scientific and logical trends we are seeing today. It could bring back a sense of community and fellowship that is missing for so many today and could even potentially create a universal belief system that will meet the needs of generations to come. Additionally If modern philosophers are able to incorporate aspects of each of these steps into modern philosophy they may be able to add an element of wisdom, ethics and mental discipline that may allow us to evolve as much emotionally as intellectually, our EQ may finally catch our IQ.




Works Cited

Stephen Hawking God is not necessary for the creation of the universe http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/02/stephen-hawking-god-not-n_n_703179.html

God is nature, nature is God. Religion was appropriate for their time but does not work now. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza

Introduction to Buddhism - http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html

Lesson 13 Philosophy of the future - Open systems and possible regression of philosophy

Lesson 11 Marx and Buddhism – Eightfold Path

Atheists – Agnostic survey 2008 http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-03-02/entertainment/29433388_1_barry-kosmin-religion-public-life-context

Americans Losing Their Religion

It would appear that as Americans continue to become better educated religions role in our society is progressively diminishing. When you consider the rate that our knowledge of the universe is factoring coupled with the record rate that Americans are dropping out of church it supports the notion that Americans really are losing their religion. Why is this happening? Should Americans be concerned or is this simply part of the evolutionary process? Throughout the course of this Blog we will try to answer these questions by detailing some very poignant statistics relating to the diminishing role of religion. We will discuss why religion may no longer be deemed necessary by many Americans and will try to find out what may be replacing its role in our society. We will also try to ascertain if there is a decline in our morals or social structure as a result of the diminishing role of religion or as indicated this is a natural part of the evolutionary process.

We will start by discussing how education is giving American's a greater understanding of our role in the universe and how this is likely playing a prominent role in the overall demise of religion. Depending on your perspective it may not be a surprise that religion is losing its relevance as we gain knowledge. Man has recognized this fact as far back as 1600 AD when the great philosopher Barack Spinoza deduced that religion was an outdated superstition in his time (Stanford P1). He felt that each religion was relevant around the time it was created but loses its relevance as we continue to evolve. This was a very profound and controversial statement for his time but it really does appear that he was right almost 400 years later. We are witnessing first hand that as society is gaining a greater understanding of our role in the universe that the role of religion is continuing to diminish.

If this trend continues it would appear that religion will ultimately be a thing of the past represented as a coping mechanism of a primitive society that individually and collectively feared its mortality. "In sub-Saharan Africa there is almost no atheism (2). Belief in God declines in more developed countries and atheism is concentrated in Europe in countries such as Sweden (64% nonbelievers), Denmark (48%), France (44%) and Germany (42%). In contrast, the incidence of atheism in most sub-Saharan countries is below 1% (Barber P1). This clearly illustrates that better educated, well developed, countries have higher levels of non-believers and that there are strong ties between the diminishing role of religion and education.

If this is the case where are we turning to fill the potential spiritual void left by the absence of religion in our lives? One answer is that many Americans are opting for other more scientific explanations, subscribing to the belief that all of our energy is connected. One version of this was introduced to many when Einstein was so famously quoted as saying he believed in Spinoza’s God (Stephenjaygould.org P1). What he meant by this is that he and many other individuals subscribe to Spinoza's philosophy and believe in a god of nature. They believe that God is neither omnipotent nor concerns itself with the individual actions of any living being, creature or thing (Stanford P1).

To further illustrate this point at the turn of the last century (1900), there was a ratio of 27 churches per 10,000 people. This does not compare very favorably to the close of this century (2000) where we have 11 churches per 10,000 people in the United States (Hartford P1). There could be other factors that play into this including larger churches servicing much larger congregations. However given the statistics relating to the number of people who choose not to attend church there must be much more to this than just that. Based on the information there are frankly just not as many people attending church so there is less of a need for as many churches.

One other possible explanation for this is they are no longer the center of our communities. Even in the communities where the churches do exist the majority of the neighborhood does not necessary subscribe to that specific religion. With modern transportation people are just as likely to seek out a church that aligns closer to their beliefs, even if it means they have to travel a bit. Many of these individuals are opting for much larger non-denominational churches that cater to our modern lifestyles. These independent, non-denominational churches, are offering a wide variety of social activities including competitive sports, group functions and even singles activities in an effort to keep their members engaged.

Even with the non-denominational churches there is little hope for this trend to improve in the future. Researchers have found that fewer children are attending church and of
those who do attend many of them are dropping out at record rates (Christian Research Association P1). I have witnessed in my own community where the kids that attend church are doing so more and more frequently without their parents accompanying them. Their parents either put them on a bus or drop them off and pick them up but are not leading by example and attending the same services themselves. They appear to be taking a "do as I say not as I do" approach but this only works for a limited period of time. I have lived in my home for 15 years with many of the same neighbors and have watched as the kids have been shipped off to church. One by one as they were old enough to decide whether or not to attend for themselves they are deciding to follow their parent's example by choosing to no longer attend.

In addition we also need to take into consideration the fact that 40 percent of Americans claim to attend church but only 18 percent actually do. The clear reason for this is that that the majority of Americans simply feel they have better things to do. Even those Americans that still have their faith are simply not attending church on a regular basis. Rather than rejecting the churches outright, many have never
seriously considered church involvement or are more attracted to
other activities (Christian Research Association P1). In other words if there are not any immediate consequences for not attending, why attend?

This indicates on a not so rudimentary level that our society is recognizing religion is no longer relevant but there are a large percentage of Americans that continue to claim the affiliation. One study shows that the reason 42 percent of Americans that subscribe to religion but no longer attend say that they are not attending because the services are boring, while another 35 percent are finding their spirituality elsewhere (Christian Research Association P1). This could mean a lot of different things to different people but in the end it really means one thing, religions role in our society is diminishing.

If this is the case what are some of the possible consequence of society without religion? One concern is as religions role continues to diminish we will need to replace the basic social structure that religion offers particularly for those individuals who cannot get this level of social support anywhere else. Newer non-denominational churches will likely accomplish some of this but this only represents less than 1/2 of one percent of the total population and they still rely on a faith in God (Hartford P1). How do we reach those who are not capable of helping themselves and count themselves among the growing numbers that do not subscribe to religion?

There is not a lot of information on this topic so we will need to go outside the box and make some recommendations of our own. Some options could include social churches or clubs that are not based on a faith in God but rather fellowship, community and social support. A few other possibilities could include community outreach programs or other socialist type government programs. These programs may be necessary just for that small percentage of people who cannot get this support elsewhere. This is because many Americans will continue to rely heavily on their family and friends as they have since the beginning of time for this support, social structure and fellowship.

As we continue to become better educated and continue to evolve most people will probably naturally fill the social structure void left by the absence of religion. Facebook and the Internet in general are making it easier than ever for us to meet up with old and new friends for gossip, casual conversations and fellowship. Right or wrong in today's society we no longer have the need to leave our homes to hook up with our growing networks of family or friends. This is a result of easy access to a vast social network including Facebook, IM, text, email and other social mediums. These technologies give us instant level of access to our vast network of friends and family that was simply inconceivable prior to this generation. This new technology is creating an instant society that utilizes smart phones, tablets and other mobile technologies to gain 24/7 accesses to social networks at our fingertips. We are never more than a few feet from our friends and family, virtually.

So now that we have a good understanding of why we may be losing our religion and where we are getting our social structure we need to ascertain if there are any unintended consequences to our collective moral compass. The most thought provoking article I found in the course of this research contained the notion that our humanity, including self-control and morals are built into (most of) us genetically (De Waal P1). Meaning that the majority of us are born with a moral compass and it is up to each of us to foster and develop it. If you were a religious person you would probably agree with this notion and call it free will, given to us by God. If you were a scientific or evolutionary person you probably would agree with this notion and call it self-preservation. You would believe that in order to survive we must count on each other for support and treating each other with kindness, respect and having good morals in general goes a long way to encourage that.

Most of us can probably agree with this on some level, regardless whether or not we can agree on where this moral compass comes from. The fact "Morality" is built into the majority of each of us genetically leads us to believe that with or without religion we will find our morals. For those who do not have the genetic make up to make good moral decisions churches or any other forms of social development are probably ineffective without science or genetics? There is no question that our community, including religion, plays a large role in determining what is morally acceptable in our society but it is our individual moral compasses that tell us if society is right or wrong.

For the majority of our society that is capable of regulating our own morality we are also capable finding "God" elsewhere through science and spirituality. If this is the case we will need to be careful to make sure that those segments of our population that struggle to find their moral balance with or without religion or other forms of social support are not left behind. We will need to work collectively to ensure we all have other options to get similar social support. We will need to rely heavily on science in the form psychology, medicine and social programs in order to find a way of filling in the gap and helping those in need to overcome their moral/social deficiencies. The social programs can come from several sources including the existing non-denominational churches, community outreach programs or even the government if they can ultimately get past their partisanship.

Regardless of how you look at it, it is evident that the advent of virtual social networks coupled with the rate that our collective knowledge is factoring is having an impact on the progressively diminishing role of religion in our society. As this trend continues we will depend heavily on our growing networks of family and friends for moral and social support as well as fellowship. Based on this realization it will be our social responsibility to make sure that those that cannot meet these needs on their own get this support elsewhere as religions role continues to diminish. With all of this in mind the facts clearly support the assertion that as our society becomes more developed, better educated and continues to evolve we are without question losing our religion. 

Works Cited
"Spinoza’s Political Philosophy". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2008. Web. 5 April 2012.
Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Fast Facts. 2006. Web. 5 April 2012.
Barber, Nigel PHD. " With economic security, people abandon religion". Phycology Today.Sussex Publishing. July 2011. Web April 15 2012
"Why People Don't Go To Church...". Christian Research Association. March 2012.Web.April 16 2012
De Waal, Francis. "Morals Without God?" The New York Times. October 17, 2010.Web.April 16, 2012
Arlington, Michael. "Facebook COO: 175 Million People Log Onto Facebook Every Day".Techcrunch.com. AOL Inc. July 10, 2010. Web. April 17,2012
"Albert Einstein (1879-1955)" Stephenjaygould.org. NA. Web. 5 April 2012.