Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
In my own definition of religion, this is the goal: the betterment of the individual and the community, and the promotion of natural harmony. Religious behaviour should be weighed according to how well it satisfies these goals. Methods and component "beliefs" change, but the purpose tends to remain the same.
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You seem to presume, though I could be wrong, that "the betterment of the individual and the community" can only effectively be executed through religion. If so, why? If not, and you believe that this can be acheived outside of religion, the result is that religion is not required from an individual or community perspective and it is therefore stripped down to nothing more than 'belief'. If theism and aetheism are able to accomplish the same goals then the only difference between the two world views is faith in a higher power. While religion requires faith, faith does not require religion.
Regarding your assertion that religion must be understood, if nothing else, in order to understand our anthropoligical and sociological roots I agree. But don't you think the effect of religious anthropological study in all of it's forms (including the formal religious institutions) are disproportionate to the study of other, equally significant factors? Those 'others' might include a great deal of Pagan belief that bled into the Judeo-Christian view of the world. It would also include the Greek Philosophers which you have rightly aluded to. But for every mention of Hermes Trismagistus or Plato there are a thousand references to Jesus. I don't discount the historical impact that modern religion has had on our world view and I don't discount the need to understand it. I would argue that it is studied, dissected, referenced and, dare I say, forced upon us in much greater frequency (even relativel speaking) than all of the other anthropological forces combined.
We don't need religion nor do we need God. I agree that we need to understand the impact of both on our lives currently but not to the exclusion of everything else. I'm not suggesting that's what you are doing but rather what is being done on a societal level.