Some thoughtful tidbits from Sam Harris: Understanding and criticizing the doctrine of Islam—and finding some way to inspire Muslims to reform it—is one of the most important challenges the civilized world now faces. The idea that any book was inspired by the creator of the universe is poison—intellectually, ethically, and politically. Religion produces a perverse solidarity that we must find some way to undercut. It causes in-group loyalty and out-group hostility, even when members of one’s own group are behaving like psychopaths....But it remains taboo in most societies to criticize a person’s religious beliefs. Most people imagine that Iron Age philosophy represents the only available vessel for their spiritual hopes and existential concerns. This is an enduring problem for the forces of reason, because the most transformative experiences people have—bliss, devotion, self-transcendence—are currently anchored to the worst parts of culture and to ways of thinking that merely amplify superstition, self-deception, and conflict. Even when it appears beneficial...religion conveys the message that there is no intellectually defensible and nonsectarian way to do this. But there is. We can build strong communities and enjoy deeply moral and spiritual lives, without believing any divisive nonsense about the divine origin of specific books. samharris.org/blog/item/sleepwalking-toward-armageddon
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 00:29:01 +0000
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