Ah, now this is a meaty one. I’m not going to name any names, and I ask you kindly to do the same. I’m going to speak in general terms and hope I don’t offend too many people. But if you’re a believer of some kind and I make you question your faith… don’t hurt me! It’s a good thing to re-evaluate your environment occasionally. Things change, don’t forget. Something that made sense a while ago might not make sense now. With that said, on with the show.
* * *
Religion is technology. Something — something new, some kind of data — is discovered. It’s then honed and refined. And then it becomes a religion. Religion is simply ‘high-tech’.
Along the way there are fads and cults but ultimately, if it passes through its trial by fire, it becomes a religion.
Big pill to swallow, and I need to provide an example. Let’s take Jesus (sorry Christians), as he’s as close to omnipresence as things get. Look at your surroundings right now: your computer, iPhone, TV, keyboard. Pretty awesome eh? Do you know how any of them work? Maybe. Mostly they just work, you don’t question it. You sure as hell don’t call your computer a ‘box of miracles’ — well you might, but most of you probably don’t.
But that’s what it is. The fact that we can send data from one side of the planet to the other in a fraction of a second is a frackin’ miracle. We have the knowledge and power to surgically replace faulty hearts and perform crazy experiments at a sub-atomic level — that’s a damned miracle.
Only it’s not. It’s just technology.
Do you really think Jesus was a miracle worker? The son of God?
Just because I control the flow of electrons and fly through space at the speed of sound… does that deify me? Do you prostrate yourself before me; am I the Messiah? No — at least I doubt it. I’m merely harnessing technology.
You see, all these fields, spheres of thought and belief are really, really closely entwined. I’m close to a resolution, an epiphany: I can just about put my finger on it but it’s… slippery. Magic is the key to belief — mystery, that is. You don’t believe in something tangible, something real — you don’t believe in your car. You believe in true love, God, UFOs.
But there’s no such thing as magic, beyond impressive use of technology or new inventions. It’s magic until you learn how it’s done… and then it becomes mundane.
Is religion the same thing? Was talking to God, receiving divine prophecy and turning water into wine what passed for ‘high-tech’ 2,000 years ago? Did Jesus have some sterilised bandages or knowledge of Eastern medicine that cured large swathes of sick people? Does that make him a work of wonder, or merely a nice guy with some great tools? Why don’t we drop to our knees and deify Sagan or Einstein, our modern-day masters of the universe?
Our understanding of the universe is so great and our critical analysis now so exacting that magic and mystery are finding it impossible to gain a foothold in today’s society. Fads will form, and cults will climb to power and become religions, but as technology improves and shines a light on their inherent fallacies, they will fall — as soon as the curtain is whisked back and the truth revealed, the mystery will melt away. The magic castle will crumble and the religion, cult or fad will perish.
Without magic, there is no no faith, no prayer, no belief. Without mystery — the single most powerful force in human nature – there is no no religion.
In 50 years our understanding of the universe and humanity will be so great that I’ll be able to zap your body and fix it of all maladies. No side-effects. No caveats. What will existing religions do then?
Melissa
Nov 25, 2009
Am I over-tired or are you assuming that all religions are is smoke and mirrors? Supposing a religion actually did have the technology to talk to God…. if the technology were to be revealed, I think the religion would be okay. So are you saying the technology is only cool because it’s mysterious, or that it’s only pretend technology… OR are you really saying “Go to bed, Melissa, you’re rambling terribly and need to read it again in the morning”?
sebastian
Nov 25, 2009
Hehe, nothing wrong with rambling… it’s usually a more-direct line to your actual thoughts… filtering isn’t always good!
I’m saying that back then, the idea that this guy had a hot-line to God wasn’t so far-fetched.
Today, if I tell you that God talks to me, you’ll probably step away slowly with your back pressed to the wall.
As our understanding of the universe changes, our concept of what is ‘religious’ (i.e. worthy of faith/belief) also changes.
Sara Strand
Nov 25, 2009
Well I’ve always believed that religion is kind of a joke and it doesn’t matter which avenue of religion you take- it’s all kind of cultish. I believe in something after you die, but I think the whole concept of fessing up to your sins seems kind of lame. I mean, if a pedophile says, “Hi. I’m sorry, but I touch kids inappropriately and I feel bad”, technically if he’s confessed that means God is ok with that and therefore as a society we should be because God is. I get quite a bit of flack on the religion thing but the whole idea that masses of people are following the directions of a book, supposedly left by God in some pile of rubble somewhere to be discovered by someone who then in turn preaches “the word” to us seems like we’re pretty damn gullible. I mean, how do you know some guy, bored out of his wits, didn’t just write this up? That he wasn’t 7 shades of crazy when doing so? And yet people believe it, and then look at the cults who all kill themselves for some higher purpose like they are the nuts. And I think people cling to religion because they have no other answers to anything. I also think it’s horribly selfish for people to be asking for miracles only when something goes wrong. You have cancer? Well hot damn- let’s pray! Technically, shouldn’t you be praying thanks everytime something positive happened? Hey- you paid your utility bill and water came on! Let’s pray! I appreciate that everyone needs something of importance in their life- religion just doesn’t jive or pass the litmus test of common sense for me. But I agree- what if one day technology gives us that medical fix- one zap and you are perfectly healthy, what would people do? I suppose they’d say it’s a gift from God of course, so let’s continue praying. But is that really the best thing? To just be able to cure somebody? Sure, nobody wants to see a loved one pass away, but really- that’s what we’re here to do. We live for awhile then die. Are we challenging God by seeking treatment?
Melissa
Nov 26, 2009
Aha, you make much more sense now. I guess if it requires belief or faith, it’s not a real technology, is it? I always thought the word “technology” implied (or flat-out stated? Dammit, I’m up past my bedtime again….) that there was a standard, definite way to get the same result every time. As in, whether or not you *believe* the method will work.
sebastian
Nov 30, 2009
Sara — it’s very unlikely that Christianity originally took the ‘repent and go to Heaven’ form. That probably came a little while later when some bishops/kings/whatever realised the control that they could wield with such dogma.
Most religion starts off helpful, clean, just, and then heads off into badness when a bad/evil person enters the fray.
Melissa — yes, technology is a tool to an end of some sort. But the goals shift and technology changes to accommodate — or vice-versa. Problem is, technology is entirely limited by our knowledge — which is why you see weird stuff like phrenology or leeches or [insert weird stuff here]. But as our knowledge increases, it makes old technology look positively weird.
I think most people only hold onto their religion for fear of what life will be like without that crutch. But that’s just an opinion