Response to the Science of Faith and Politics

In response to the above post, we received a number of inquiries perhaps best fulfilled by posting our answer to an Australian, who asked: "What do you believe, or know?"

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As for what I believe or know, you may be the judge, and I apologize for treating such a large topic so succinctly.

Civilization began perhaps 15,000 years ago (the more we look, the more we find). Its story reveals diverse and complex beliefs, with, say, Christianity at 2,000 years old a relatively new entry, even though it rests on one-god antecedents somewhat older.

Once superstitions became socialized as a belief held by significantly more than a few isolated persons, some soon recognized the social and political opportunities to be garnered by organizing religion along largely paternalistic and hierarchal schemes. In contrast to early religiously isolated groups, the consequently differing politics of religion next followed significant changes in regional secular politics, fostering further religious political opportunity found in the Reformation, and, with the fall of Rome, division among even Catholics. I trust that I don’t need to comment on Protestant variations.

Even the older Hebrew tradition today reflects a mix of once divisive and regional Hebrew denominations with significant differences. Mohammad's Messianic claim may be traced to Hebrew origins and its open opportunity for claimants to its millennialism. Of course, the Indian and many Far Eastern religions are older still, but should age be a test of religion? Religious humans make many assertions as they practice diverse propitiations before their respective gods. That confusing mix still writes often horrendously bloody religious history.

Obviously, all religions can’t be right or have equal value; fundamental differences likely preclude the ascendancy of one religion, at least for the rest of my lifetime. As a student of religious history, when asked for my religious views I offer:

For several hundred thousand years, perhaps millions, homo sapiens sapiens has been confronted with problems of almost infinite variety;

To date, the only consistently useful method of solving those still too-common problems has been the developing method of modern scientific inquiry (modern in that it first achieved significant advances in the present direction of development only three centuries ago);

Thus, I hold as warranted that the application of modern scientific method to human social or behavioral problems offers the best hope for those seeking solutions. Inasmuch as I have but one life to live, I have chosen to devote my efforts to activity that produces useful results on earth. This activity I find so interesting and so rewarding that I have no time for religious activities or affiliations.

I do not urge my viewpoint on anyone else. Many people assert that they know an amazing number of unverifiable things, religious and not. My experience has been that, once one abandons a personal quest for certainty, one wonders why one ever considered it important in the first place. However, others think differently.

Thanks for asking.