Abolish Theology

and replace it with philosophy. Religions do provide a meeting place where rituals like a welcoming the young infants into society, coming of age ceremonious, marriages and deaths, gatherings to celebrating the changes seasons can occur. These are great events and should continue in some form. It is through these that we get to know our neighbors and there charterers. It is through these that music, and the rhythmatic art of chanting, both of which some people loose themselves into can occur at a community level. The arts in general find some support as does compassion within the community. Local level consideration of issues can also be part of the social effect if orchestrated into the cultural fabric of the place. None of the good parts of religion have anything to do with theology; all the bad parts are theological dogmas.

Dogmas are beliefs without foundation. They are not facts, not knowledge, just blind and often wrong beliefs that cause untold damage.

We humans have a good ability to make sound judgements. We can use something like the seven or nine point scale to rank truth and false statements to separate knowledge from wrong beliefs. We can use dialectic questioning to get down to a real understanding of what is and is not, what is important and what is not, and to understand the human mind is what has previously only been dreamed of. We humans have judgement first, we have impulse and desire to get to the bottom of things, if we have the will to do it. It is within our ability. We just need to align our will with understanding the real nature of the human problem, with the human condition. It is my belief now that we humans have everything we need at our disposal to lead more understanding lives if we choose. We have long been miss-guided by religions, culture, human innovations and communication of false ideas. 

We know much physics, ethics, and with a bit of dialectic effort, the world is our oyster, or at least points the way to the oyster. Often people do not like to think, for they see the stupidity of some parts of life and feel something they would rather not look at. If they look at it, they may feel compelled to do something. Oh, well, nothing needs change. We can go through our lives living next to tremendous danger and not know it. Fort Saskatchewan sits on top of tremendous salt removal caverns that have been filled with natural gas. If they were ever to stoop to the surface....and as a geotechnical engineer, I will say it is inevitable, but the when is in doubt. Soon or a million years, I do not know.  Is anyone else concerned?

Dialectic questioning is an art form, that once understood produces clarity of so many things. It should be taught in schools or first year university or colleges, along calculus and biology. Note these are at least high school subjects, and a more mature mind is better at this. Dialectic questioning is method which we can come to understand things beyond our wildest understanding. It can be irritating when we just want other to blindly accept what we are saying, and it also requires that the questioner actually hears, understands and accepts at least part of the answer, and truth. It is not uncommon that more question arise, until we get back to what is fact, knowledge and opinion. Those who do not accept logic as being the solution or do not know logic, have other issues. I am sad to say that many do not understand basic logic concepts, like mutually exclusive and unable to prove false does not make something true.

Science and philosophy change opinion based on the total weight of evidence, and we are willing to change our minds based on evidence, included in the Frye standard. Documents like the bible and religious texts are out, however individual ideas expressed in the document may be accepted if supported by study or conversion. We do not believe something because the holy book says it, but if it stands the tests, we may accept it, and live up to that standard.

Perhaps we need an Abolish Theology Movement similar to the occupy movement. Go camp out in a public space for a while and irritate government.