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The Forum > Article Comments > Is faith good for us? > Comments

Is faith good for us? : Comments

By Phil Zuckerman, published 22/4/2009

High levels of irreligion do not automatically result in a breakdown of civilisation, a rise in immoral behaviour, or in 'sick societies'.

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My experience residing in communities in the South Pacific, Asia and North America lead me to conclude that when I live among indviduals and families who not only profess faith but are fully engaged in their religion, then my life and the whole community is enriched. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and my experience rubbing shoulders with fellow members of that church has been extremely rewarding. The same can be said of my friendships and other associations with people of other faiths who are also fully involved in their religion. My reading of this article leads me to believe that the author is confusing espoused belief with faith in action. The benefits that flow in individuals' lives, in families and in societies - when people of faith truly live their religions - are real and far-reaching. One of the fruits of such lifestyles and societies is that those with differing beliefs and those who choose to not believe, are respected.
Posted by Rich, Thursday, 23 April 2009 8:13:43 AM
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I must admit I am confused about cause and effect.

I would probably see that as education and health levels increase, the population is less inclined to rely on mysticism.

Religion is the opiate of the ignorant, or the filler in place of education.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Thursday, 23 April 2009 9:55:07 AM
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Healer, as an admitted Christian, also as a historian, I must give reminder that Christianity was truly lifted out of the Dark Ages, when Thomas Aquinas, a later Saint, used Hellenistic Reasoning to help Christian peoples become more earthly and scientific, yet never losing the compassion for others, as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount.

Regards, BB, WA.
Posted by bushbred, Thursday, 23 April 2009 12:26:03 PM
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I have to note that of the top 25, almost all have Christian roots (and still at least nominally a Christian majority). The labels atheist/agnostic don't really apply seamlessly to countries like Japan or Taiwan, because those countries never were theist in the same sense (but nor were they western materialists).

On a related subject, some of you will love (er, hate) the atheist Matthew Parris's ideas on Why Africa needs God. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece
Posted by Eckadimmock, Thursday, 23 April 2009 1:49:50 PM
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Thanks for reminding me Eckadimmock.

>>some of you will love (er, hate) the atheist Matthew Parris's ideas on Why Africa needs God.<<

I remember reading that piece when I was in Europe around Christmastime, and thinking "that would make a good starting point for a discussion on OLO".

But shame on you for falling at the first fence, by imagining that an atheist would "hate" a piece by another atheist, simply because it contained ideas he might not agree with. In fact, I suspect that the vast majority of atheists will immediately understand what Matthew Parris is on about.

He leaves a few clues around.

"Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought"

Through the ages, men have channelled the individual insecurities of others into a form of communal bravery, in order to exert control. What we see here is the same strategy being adopted with a warm and fuzzy Jesus-wrapper.

I can agree with Matthew Parrish, that in general terms, a dose of religion is no bad thing for an oppressed and impoverished people.

However, his comparing religion with the impersonal and somewhat random charity dispensed by NGOs is decidedly ingenuous. An NGO has no mandate for emotional support.

The problems with this strategy will evolve over time, as they did in Europe, from the inherent intolerance that embracing a particular religion engenders.

Nigeria is a classic example, with not only inter-religious warfare, but intra-faith issues too. There are Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, together about 50% of the population, then there are Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants and "African Christians" to squabble amongst themselves.

I admire Matthew Parris's work, and on many topics we agree. On this occasion, I suspect he has let a little of the fuzzy, rosy glow of Christmas, coupled with a touch of Africa-itis (which wreaks havoc with the nostalgia responses) to write his article for him.

In doing so, he recommends a short-term pain-reliever for a condition that needs a long-term remedy.
Posted by Pericles, Thursday, 23 April 2009 5:12:17 PM
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Pericles, the problem atheism has is that it proposes no alternative. The communist regimes (conveniently excluded from this research) went furthest in trying to institute a rationalist, materialist society, but it failed as a basis for a society. If our view of life is that it is lived in a world of "blind, pitiless indifference" (Richard Dawkins) then there is no particular reason why we should prioritize human dignity, rights, or freedom of speech. Those things are not common sense, in Europe at least they owe much to Christian thought.

I suggest that it will take a while longer for the effects of atheism (as opposed to secularism) to be seen, if indeed it ever dominates. Europe at present has had over a thousand years of Christianity, and only relatively recently any significant atheist presence. The culture if not personal belief is still basically Christian. (and personal belief may not be as lacking as the author suggests, if you examine the statistics for, say, Sweden on http://adherents.com/adhloc/indexWhere.html.
Posted by Eckadimmock, Thursday, 23 April 2009 7:41:25 PM
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