The Redundance of Religion

The Redundance of Religion Without question, religion has become a cycle to explain the things science can’t. Mythology dating back to Ancient Greek and Roman times did just that. Twelve Olympians (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, Demeter, and Hestia) were used to define natural phenomena in a world where science was just a mild spark soon to ignite into enlightening flames. Apollo was used to explain the sun rising and setting. He was also credited to being the cause behind other minor events that couldn’t be explained. Apollo’s arrow was said to have started a plague that ravished through the city of Troy as well as other Greek settlements. The goddess Demeter was used to provide a reason for the success of the Greeks crops, or the lack of it. Hephaestus was, in a sense, the god of the Greek economy, worshipped particularly by those who depended on industrial activities. Virtually every aspect of life could be explained by their religion; the same is true for many ancient cultures including the Semitic and Egyptian culture, but a select few refused to be satisfied with mediocre answers.

Socrates was one of those elite philosophers who dared to dream outside of what was deemed acceptable. He was bold enough to ask the questions that were previously neglected. Simply put, he actually gave thinking a try. He taught some of the greatest minds in Greek history how to think including Aristotle and Plato. His students went on to become some of the brightest mathematicians and philosophers in history. However, at the time his contributions to philosophy were seen as sacrilegious, and he was punished.

As stated by Albert Einstein, Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. This statement tragically holds true for Socrates. Formally speaking, Socrates was charged with impiety (denying the gods). Logically thinking, he was the victim of societies unwillingness to accept change. Socrates was sentenced to death without hesitation. Socrates was encouraged to flee by some of his devoted students, but he refused. He embraced his last beverage with no resistance; a glass of hemlock poison.

In the perfect world many like to think we live in, that would have never happened again. A brilliant or bold mind would never have been silenced again simply for being different. But as with many things, this type of behavior has become an atrocious cycle. “Holy” wars were fought in the name of religion, resulting in the deaths of many. Gregor Mendel, the undisputed father of genetics, had his work burned and destroyed by the monastery where he worked with his pea plants. The Salem Witch trials sentenced multiple innocent people to their deaths based solely on senseless accusations. The list continues on and on, and the question becomes, why hasn’t anyone broken this cycle?

If spending countless hours half-asleep in our history classes has taught us anything; it’s that history repeats itself. That’s why so much effort is given to understanding our past so we don’t make the same mistakes. However, we’re failing to accomplish this. The Sudanese civil wars between the Muslim, Christian, and Animist religious regions created tensions that were never fully eased throughout the last 50 years. These hostile attitudes have lead to the ethnic crisis present in Darfur now. “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland were initiated by conflicts between Protestants and Catholics quite some time ago and uneasy anxiety between the two regions has still not been fully resolved. Were the crusades not enough religious wars?

Science is also taking a brutal beating from religion, once again. The majority of society has deemed the monks who destroyed Gregor Mendel’s genetic work ignorant, but the same type of behavior takes place on a daily basis. The science of genetics is still under strict scrutiny, and is often hindered by religious opposition. Stem cell research that could advance genetic engineering and improve the quality of life for so many people is opposed strongly by a sizable portion of religious minded people out of fear more than anything.

As with the Greeks and Romans, when nature was explained, the need for gods decreased, and they began to disappear. Most modern religions are monotheistic, meaning they believe in one god. One god left to form that dependable safety net to explain the concepts science hasn’t yet been able to. However, when science does offer an explanation, that safety net begins to look faulty. The thought of losing it all together terrifies many. This fear becomes particularly evident when discussing creationism vs. evolution.

The thought of god not creating the species of plants and animals surrounding us scares many, and in some sense makes the entire concept or religion seem obsolete. Many different theories exist regarding evolution, some even mange to be pro-evolution and procreation at the same time. However, the concept of humans evolving from a lesser life form throws the book of genesis out the window. It isn’t possible to logically dispute that species change over time, we see it daily in various places around the world. On the contrary, it is pretty easy to dispel the idea that “God formed man of the dust of the ground.” However, like so many times before, science is being silenced, evolution seems to just be another step in the cycle. That safety net seems to be becoming more hazardous than protective.

We look back on history now and realize the flawed accusations that were made against so many people, but even with this realization we continue to remain stuck in the same cycle, and we make the same senseless accusations. This needs to stop now, and we need to quit getting caught up in the redundance of religion. Thousands of years from now, would you like to be labeled as another era of ignorance, or perhaps would it be better to be remembered as the ones who finally broke the cycle?

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