Dogma Dilemma

Slowly dragging anchor, civilization, thru the on going epoch of thinking Man, ebbs and flows, jumping ahead when grand thoughts bring much of the populous along with it. We've arrive at today when most people have little knowledge what ideas are grand and to become earth shaking. Today is "big league boots" time, a time when grand thoughts of today will change, not our lives, but in the future, in our children's and their children's lives.

The question arrises: why do I feel so insecure at the reporting around the World of so many atrocities inflicted by man on man ? Am I right in feeling many atrocities are based on religious pinnings ? How come, from time eternal, did civilized man leap forward when grand ideas showed the way ? 

Where does religion fit into this equation ? Man can dramatically show civilization leaped forward as grand ideas mature and filters into societies. What he can not show is grand leaps due to religious ideas. Religion is anchored to beliefs of the past. It embraces antiquity steeped way back from an oral tradition where stories were finally written down and the revered book, The Bible, was formulated. Other grand books, similar to The Bible, but from other tribal traditions recorded ancient ways too and are still honored today as gospel. 

Human society leaps forward, rests to absorb, then leaps forward again, over and over, progress attaches itself to the future. Humans, looking for a sense of meaning, seek solace in ancient tradition handed down over time. Reverence for long past traditions embodies, not a spiritual experience, but a religious dogma. Belief in dogma develops nothing new; as opposed to, the depth of human ideas which, year after year, extends mans existence on this planet with other life forms that is known to man as living in concert with nature. 

Ronald C. Downie