Tenet 3(f) brings up an alternative to the purely scientific manner of passing The Test, and gives the religious, mystical way of belief a place.
Summary:
Science and religion both tell us of future catastrophe and a way out.
They both tell us to learn to live together to avoid the catastrophe, and they both tell us we must go into "heaven" or suffer "hell" for it. Yes they do.
Proof:
Science says our star the sun will destroy the earth in the future, but there is a way out.
We must go into the heavens and find another home planet to live upon.
We must learn to live together here and now, and be decent to this planet in the interim.
Looking forward we must develop space travel technology but we must solve social problems now. Because our final trip into heaven is a very, very long time from now.
While we develop the space travel technology we must sustain a habitable planet until we do launch that final trip of salvation.
If we do not travel into the heavens our fate will be determined when the sun eventually turns the inner four planets of this solar system into the fires of hell.
Religion talks of potential Armageddon but those who are good will be spared, those who are good will go into heaven to a better home.
It generally teaches us that the golden rule is to be good to each other treating one another as we would be treated. If we do not there will be a hell instead of a heaven.
That is essentially the same story told by two factions, but the how it is done is where the two stories drift far apart.
Science teaches us we must physically do it ourselves, but religion in a general sense teaches us that we are to be saved by metaphysical intervention.
Effect:
Science launched a spacecraft recently which will look for habitable planets near us. Near in the sense that telescopes have a limited range.
But those planets are in other star systems, other solar systems far away by our standards of distance. Yes, far, far away in the sense of how far we can now travel in space with our current technology.
Meanwhile scientists are teaching astronauts how to do space travel, are exploring the planets around us, and are learning how to travel deeper into the heavens.
They hope to avoid hell that way. They are practising what they teach.
Religion has been launched everywhere, and its people believe they are converting from one behavioural pattern into a better one.
As a result they reason that they can more easily live in peace with one another, that the Metaphysical Realm will reward them with a trip into the heavens.
They hope to avoid hell that way. They are practising what they teach.
2 comments:
Good food for thought, but you ignore the fundamental differences between science and religion.
Fundamentally, religion is a normative belief system - it tells you what you SHOULD do. Science, on the other hand, can only reveal causes and effects - it tells you what you ARE doing.
Science cannot make normative judgments, for instance by suggesting that humans explore space to increase the chances of survival of the human race. It simply tells us that IF we want to increase our chances for survival, one way to do so is by inhabiting other planets.
Also, science is based on an empirical method of observation and experimentation, whereas religion is based on blind faith. Also, different religions have much different teachings than the Judeo-Christian one you're describing. There is no hell in Buddhism.
Taylor,
"you ignore the fundamental differences between science and religion"
Dredd was focusing on a conclusion they came to.
When they come to the same conclusion, the conclusion is the important issue.
"There is no hell in Buddhism."
The article mentions Western religion, Buddhism is eastern.
Some Buddhists don't believe what we see is "real", including the current state of affairs on this planet, otherwise they might realize this planet is hell.
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