On Religion

[poovanna]

Introduction

I’m an atheist (as are several of my friends). But as human beings, despite differences in our beliefs, all of us face the struggle of trying to find meaning in our lives.

hardblue 's post about "Keeping the Church and forgetting God", reminded me of the philosopher John Cottingham, who argues that belief, in a God or a theology is not the most

Comments

[hardblue]

You really fill out the atheistic religious perspective that I was fiddling with, with this added dimension on rituals and regular practice, on top of the fact of having a social circle of people who can relate and help each other, as well as just enjoy fellowship - friendship. Even witout a God, there is much good in this.

Of course, I was also struggling with a more individualistic, personal orientation, and when it comes to Christianity, for instance, there does seem to be a welcoming for the individual who is outcast, who may find solace without the benfit of enjoying a little community of fellow believers. This cannot be as meaningful as having good social circles, but there probably is some good to be had for the disconnected solitary person, if only to consider that you may be part of a larger community, even if one is not currently engaged in fellowship. More faith is required here, though.

Faith

[poovanna]

Yes, social support is a powerful source of strength. And in its absence, you'll need strong faith.

Its harder. But otherwise, it's not a bad/unreasonable thing.