On the nature of religion

Religion is a culture's narrative of existence that explains the "why" of the world around us.

Our narrative of existence began in our primordial past as a species with myths explaining the otherwise unexplainable that nonetheless required an explanation lest we be inhibited by fear of its recurrence. (Ref: The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell) Thus religion from its very inception encoded the possibility of hope, the power to instill courage in the face of mystery ... and the possibility of purpose for all that we experience, and that this purpose is inherently benevolent toward an end ... as the biblical teaching: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose." Romans 8:28 King James Version New Testament, http://www.blueletterbible.org/.

One of the substantive "civilizing" benefits of a religion is the instilling of fear of authority in children, allowing the wisdom of elders to replace the hormones of youth in selecting leadership. And this is a key element in being able to consider the religion as rational, that it makes sense to age groups from childhood through young adult. After that, the individual has been sufficiently co-opted as to render him/her as nonthreatening to the hierarchal structure of a society.

Reducing, even eliminating, the conflicts over sexual fulfillment became a cornerstone of the Abrahamic religions—the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—those claiming Abraham in their sacred history . We now know, of course, that they got it all wrong. Sexual desire is not a force of evil controlling our body, but rather the biochemistry of procreation, essentially disproving these religions' doctrine.

But whether or not someone such as myself who has been raised in a moral/ethical milieu of Western Civilization's Christianity BELIEVES the religion's doctrine, I am still "a fish in water" as to it mores and practices. I wear clothes covering my sexual and secretion organs and orifices. I do not engage in overt sexual activity nor do I urinate or defecate in public or settings other than those specifically designated for that purpose ... or where I am assured of the requisite level of privacy. I do not touch other people "inappropriately", nor do I indicate in any manner a sexual interest in another person in a setting where such behavior is considered inappropriate.

But then I try not to belch or fart in public, either ... or display gross eating habits, such as slurping my soup ... or other "negative" behavior habits, such as scratching my genitals or butt.

In other words, I am ... and as many of us are ... "housebroken" according to the mores of Western Civilization Christianity. Its narrative of existence is embedded in my psyche.

There are some philosophical considerations that I should note in this discussion. They are that all beliefs are speculations and these beliefs should be examined with rational skepticism. What I do know for certain is that I am aware of my experiencing, and that I experience my experiencing as a continuum of events in which the present came out of the past which is the same as saying the future will come out of the present. And what I experience is diverse in that it is not all the same.

The discussion continues ... I'll get back to you.