Robert Wheeler
We all have beliefs and faith that certain things will happen. If we did not have such beliefs, life would be chaotic and difficult. I believe that the sun will rise tomorrow and that my car will start when I need to go to work. These are beliefs that facilitate daily life. But do we all have religious beliefs about a currently mysterious force that started and influences our existence? Yes, because we live in an environment dominated by such beliefs and even non-believers have a belief , belief that there is no such force. Our “cause and effect” culture forces us to choose a belief about the cause of our existence. Unfortunately, modern experiences and research findings raise questions about validity of some widely accepted beliefs provided by current religions that seem to dominate our culture.
I have spent 90+ years wrestling with this dilemma and think that I have reached a sensible conclusion. I do not know for sure and look forward to participating in the “great experiment” when I will soon get a conclusive answer.
From my experiences and learning I believe there is an unknown intelligence that started and may influence our known universe. I think there are alternate universes with alternate laws of reality. This makes anything possible—even God, Christ Jesus, Buddha, Brahman, and extra-terrestrial beings. But we have to live in the “here and now” as our world presents itself to us. I think that most of the religious dogma built up about God and people like Jesus are possible but not probable enough to rely on them for personal well-being or salvation. I think the purpose of my life (and life in general) is to continue to develop and increase in complexity and knowledge, and to contribute to the development of life. Who knows? Our species may reach a higher state of consciousness, an omega point, before physical life is extinguished.
Religion has continued to influence culture because it provides many benefits. It brought people together into communities and developed structure for shared activities that provided mental and physical support. It established an acceptable authority and code of ethics that avoided the vicissitudes of human authority. It enabled the possibility for salvation beyond the nothingness of death. But most important, it gave an explanation for existence that fostered sense of purpose and meaning to our struggles for survival. This latter item is what started religions.
Studies of anthropology and history show that a distinctive feature of humans throughout their know history is desire for an explanation of existence, why I am Here, what my purpose is, and how I can facilitate my survival. Since natural explanations were so limited, supernatural ones were developed and became beliefs reinforced by superstitious experiences. These were the foundation of ancient religions that were the forerunners of current religions that now dominate culture. Many supernatural beliefs continue and exist in today’s religions, but conflict with modern experiences and research findings are causing loss of many traditional benefits of religion for many people. I think people should be more concerned about this dilemma, grapple with available information, and develop beliefs that seem sensible to themselves. Even without reaching conclusions, concern about sensible religious beliefs would alleviate many personal, social and global problems. It would elevate our current emphasis on comfort, consumerism, and entertainment to something beyond the self that provides greater satisfaction.