In Edgar Dahl's essay he describes growing up in East Germany. He talks about how religion is viewed as abnormal there, and most people don't even think anything of it. By his description, I wouldn't have minded growing up there. It got me thinking about what the world would be like entirely without religion. It's not that hard to do.
I imagine that society would be a good deal more objective. We would probably be much more focused on the progress of humanity and technology. I would hope it would be a much more peaceful place, which would no doubt help a great deal with the progressive movement. Our day-to-day life probably wouldn't be too much different, minus the religious rituals of course. But what we do would be for our own sake instead of to appease some god. I think morality would be more or less the same, as despite the church's attempts to say it's all because God said so, even most religious people know deep down that what is good is good because it is objectively good for us. All in all I think the world would be a much better place, and probably a great deal more advanced than it is right now.
Ok, that was easy.
ReplyDeletesorry, I hit enter after typing in the title, but the full post is up now. and yes it should be easy I hope
ReplyDelete'Course E.Germany's still no picnic of a place to live, thanks largely to the post-Reich Soviet hangover they're still recovering from. The church withdrew but the Leviathan stepped right back on their necks. Freedom from religion + political freedom + a vibrant economy: that would be an experiment worth running.
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