Hero

During French revolution period, a very famous atheist asked a Christian apologist, " What can replace Christianity?". And the Christian answered," You have to die, and then resurrect 3 days later!"
At first, I consider his answer inrelevant and nonsense. But after thinking a while, I found there is some insight behind his answer. Why do religions exist in different cultures all among the world? It is because humanity face uncertainity of future day by day, no one knows what things would happen to him, when would he die, when would he get in trouble..... Disease, death, loss of relatives etc all haunt human beings so that human must find some sort of relieve, no matter whether it is spiritual or physical. So many ppl would turn to religion and want a forever life without fear, and most prominent religion is Christianity, which represents human's rebellion towards the nature [in which human denies he would have an ending someday and what he possesses will be lost someday]. Religion exists because there are demands on religion.
So even if we, as atheist, found concrete proof that shows the non-existence of God, what can we use to replace religion? How can we develop philosophical belief and value that can allow us to have a joyful life without fear? How can we face diaster around us without religion? How can we face the death of us and our friends and relatives without religion? If there is no religion, can we have meaningful life? We live for what? Especially when something terrible happens to us and living becomes a painful experience, do we need to live anymore? Too many things cannot be solved without religion. Maybe i should not use the word "solve", i should say reassure.......
I often face a dilemma that Christianity is absurd and cruel, but without Christianity, we may have little strength to face diaster and no solid foundation for our morality.
Christianity seems to be the most handy and easy stuff to help us to face our life [eg help us to regulate ourselves, to give us some meanings in our lives, to help us to face death and disease, to establish some kind of morality etc].
Sometimes I think whether we can have a joyful life is much more important than knowing what is true. If Christianity can give us joy and courage to live on, why not take a risk to believe even that it is obviously fake?
What can we use to replace Christianity?
Atheist friends! Plz help me to answer this question, i am confused......

meritocrat

I feel that religion (or spirituality) is really inherent to humans.

In that sense, I don't think we'd ever eradicate religion.

The Other Michael

This is going off to General Religious Discussions.

cheers,
Michael
MF&P Moderator (Maximus)

Jet Grind

Unfortunately I find myself agreeing with you here. Religion is here to stay, no matter how obsolete it becomes.

Afghan

Not to be facetious but... why would we want a joyful life without fear? Bear with me here.

What is it about this state of affairs that is desirable? Why should we prefer a life without fear to one with fear? Or to put it another way, is fear itself the root problem?

I mean I frequently find myself trembling with fear that someone may not give me a million dollars tomorrow. The thought of it terrifies me. I mean, what am I going to do without all that cash? Does this mean I should live in denial? Should I resolutely believe that my fears are unfounded and that the money will, indeed, be mine?

However, I don't live in denial. I am fairly reconciled to the fact that I will be as poor tomorrow as I am today. This allows me to enjoy what I do have rather than worrying about the illusive millon.

In other words, a possible atheistic life philosophy is about acceptance rather than denial. In this respect, it is much like Taoism. We recognise our own nature, accept the constraints upon it and, by so doing, we are freed from the fear that we might not be something that we are not.

John Gray, in his book Straw Dogs,wrote something to the effect that what we really need to be saved from is the idea that we need to be saved.

Family Man

Why do we need to live without fear? Life holds many dangers, and it takes courage to face it the way it is. In my view, religion offers solace, but at the price of sacrificing the truth and, perhaps, the virtues of discipline and courage.

rainbow walking

Hi Hero,
As a recently deconverted christian I can tell you that such a belief system cannot be replaced over-night. But if you believe something to be fake, christianity for example, what joy do you imagine could be derived from pretension? There is no joy to be found in hypocrisy.

And why do you think christians are happier than atheists? Sure it takes a while to shake yourself loose from the baggage of such beliefs but if you are genuinely dedicated to truth you will and you will discover that it is no more difficult to be at peace and happy as an atheist as it is a christian. Do you think christians really believe they no longer fear death and the anxieties of an unclear future? If they say different they are lying to you and to themselves. Ask them if they really know what God's will for their existence is? I bet you'll never find a christian who can give you a direct definitive answer. Why? because they've never heard such a being give them any such direction.

lpetrich

The next question is: what is the least obnoxious kind of religion to have around for those who are incurable religion addicts.

I'm not sure if Xtianity will be replaced anytime soon, but New Agers and neopagans have been multiplying, so there's hope there.

Their beliefs may be totally absurd, but they are no worse than the beliefs of many "respectable" religions, and they are generally not assholes about their beliefs.

As to Hero's comments:

So even if we, as atheist, found concrete proof that shows the non-existence of God, what can we use to replace religion?

Why should "something" be necessary?

How can we develop philosophical belief and value that can allow us to have a joyful life without fear?

Like how is that a problem?

How can we face diaster around us without religion?

A lot of people have been atheists in foxholes, and even many believers do not automatically think about religion in such times.

How can we face the death of us and our friends and relatives without religion?

You'd be surprised at the equanimity about death that many freethinkers seem to have. And how little consolation belief in Heaven seems to provide. You don't see many people making their last words

"See you in Heaven"

and you don't see many people committing suicide so they can join their departed friends and relatives.

Also, some religions have featured a rather shadowy afterlife, if any at all. Something like the Greek Hades and the Biblical Sheol.

If there is no religion, can we have meaningful life? We live for what?

Like what? Is one supposed to perpetually await marching orders?

Especially when something terrible happens to us and living becomes a painful experience, do we need to live anymore?

If Heaven is supposed to be so great, then that's all the more reason to commit suicide.

Too many things cannot be solved without religion. Maybe i should not use the word "solve", i should say reassure.......

So the religion business is desirable as Opium for the People?

Paperstreet

There are fundamentalists for every religion and idea. But I see what you mean... christians can take it a little to seriously.

Koyaanisqatsi

Well, considering that just about everything Jesus said about life was little more than another simplistic form of humanism perverted to the needs of the cult, how about that? Humanism?

Meaning is what you ascribe to life, not what life ascribes to you (or what cult leaders impose upon you).

So, what can replace christianity? My left shoe would work, so long as I take the time to create a whole fantastical mythology around it. All I'd have to do is first make you fear the loss of my left shoe and then impose a threat of "terrible consequence" for not believing in my left shoe, with a final resolution of "you win anything off the top shelf in the after life (once you're dead and my claims can't be verified)" for you to follow my left shoe and voila!

Sprinkle in some inane rephrasing of the golden rule (like all good cult icons do) and make the life and death of my left shoe heroic in some way and there you have it.

People are, by and large, good, trusting folk, so it's no great mystery on how to deceive and manipulate them. Emotions are the key and fear is the lock.

Once you use one to open up the other, you've got a cult who follows whatever the cult leaders want, all because of a false promise that any jackass can make, since it doesn't have to be qualified or verified.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the most important part! I'd also have to slip in the "evidence is anathema to my left shoe believers" crap and instill the brilliantly idiotic notion of belief through "faith" and the deal is sealed.

By the way, christianity does not "help us face our life;" it deliberately makes you fear life so that it can then falsely provide the anti-dote to make you think it's providing you with answers. Classic bait-and-switch cult indoctrination designed to prey upon the most ignorant and the most desperate in the most despicable fashion.