For many years it was widely felt that as science progressively provided rational explanations for the mysteries of the universe, religion would have less and less of a role to play and would eventually disappear, unmasked as nothing more than superstition.

But there are still gaps in our understanding that science can never fill. On the ultimately important questions - of the meaning and purpose of life and the nature of morality - science is utterly silent and, by its very nature, always will be.

There are very few citizens of modern societies who would utterly deny the possibility of some higher power in the universe, some supernatural, transcendental realm that lies beyond the boundaries of ordinary experience, and in this fundamental sense religion is probably here to stay.

As for religion in our Australian society... Well, our National Anthem used to be, 'God Save The Queen.' And we still use the Christian Calendar. Christmas and Easter are still public holidays...

There is also no evidence that public belief in some supernatural, transcendent reality is disappearing. Recent polls show that three-quarters of the Australian population know their astrological 'sign,' and 25% believe that their lives are governed by the stars.

In acknowledgement of widespread superstition, airlines have no row thirteen, and high-rise buildings have no thirteenth floor. Millions believe in one or more of such practices as fortune-telling, palmistry, numerology, hexing, tarot-card reading, and seances with the dead.

Many people, too, adhere to an 'invisible' or 'silent' religion, acknowledging a supreme but unknowable force in the universe. And new sects, and cults appear in inprecedented profusion, offering the prospect of further religious growth in new directions in the future.

Mjpb on the question of who made god the answer is obvious. It depends on which god you are talking about but in this case the western christian god was invented by the Council of Nicea out of a Frankensteins Monster of pety cults which believed in everything from a homosexual Jesus to a talking mushroom and a large dose of the cult of Mithras tagged onto a Greco stylised 2nd Century Jewish God Mark VI.

Philo your bigotry against all those who do not share your superstitions is exactly what I am talking about. I shall not be insulted by you as I will take into account how your beliefs affect your behaviour. Both of which confirm all of what I said earlier.

Foxy the function of religious schools are firstly to make as much profit for the institution and the second function of religious schools is to indoctrinate children into superstition. From experience and the skills of young workers with the exception of one or two most religious schools have a very low educational standard. However they lack in education most specialise in discipline which is why religious schools are synomonous with dumping problem children. In their defence that is a two edge sword because those schools are profit orientated little resources are dedicateed to hiring professionals who can cope with such children. The other side is they churn out disfunctional citizens who represent the so called faith.

Private schools should have tax payer charity but religion should be banned from those schools and those schools should be compelled to raise their standards and provide services for the children.

It is a complex situation as it is the parents fault in the first place for using education resources to 'sort' their children out because of bad parenting and using education resources for what is in reality babysitting.

Philo, was I being defensive or was I correcting you for making silly, unfounded accusations based on my lack of religion?
You are still insisting that I have 'a religious code of conduct.' and that I 'deny being religious'. How can I prove you wrong? I could do as Mussolini did and state that if there is a God, he should strike me dead now to prove his existence. But your blind faith would not accept that and find an excuse for the non-event of my not being struck dead. I have many times denied God's existence in the presence of religious leaders who were unable to convince me otherwise.
My values of life are based on common sense the will to do no harm except in defence, and morality. Foxy poses the question of whether science can explain morality. It would appear to be the human condition, arising from the first peoples who had to learn to share resources, live and work together to survive. This preceded religion.
The dates of Christmas and Easter were pinched from earlier religions (solstice and equinox) as was the 'Trinity' (Celtic magic number three).
I'm sure that Philo will come back with more accusations of my denial that I am really religious. Have to go now, time for church.

Dear Jack,

Just for your interest ... Some form of religion has existed in every society that we know of.

Religious beliefs and practices are so ancient that they can be traced back into prehistory, perhaps as far back as 100,000 years ago.

Even the primitive Neanderthal people of that time, it seems, had some concept of a supernatural realm that lay beyond everyday reality.
Among the fossilized remains of these cave dwellers, anthropologists have found evidence of funeral ceremonies in the form of flowers and artifacts that were buried with the dead, presumably to accompany them on the journey to an afterlife.

I congratulate you Jack that you have based your life on the principles of thought and conduct. That you have reverence for life, truth, and tolerance of other beliefs. This type of religion is found predominantly in Asia; the best-known example is Buddhism, which is concerned with the attempt to become "at one with the universe"
through many years of meditation.

During the past two decades some versions of these Eastern religions have attracted interest in the West, especially among young people.

Thanks Foxy! Though Jack will continue to deny he is religious because in his thinking the word "religion" has a stigma attached. Though West would more vehemently protest that he is in anyway religious. He has a fanatical system of beliefs that he wishes to be enforced upon every child.

West does not accept a democratic system of education provided for by parents taxes. He believes in a dictatorship where taxes are taken by the State from parents who hold democratic principles. He does not allow the rights of independent beliefs to be taught to children. In his view the State should only dictate upon every student his thought agenda based in atheism. This was the system of the old USSR and China. An opressive system where parents were stripped of the rights to educate their children. Children became the property of the State.

West believes in an atheistic socialist Republic - that is the basis of his world view and religion. These are the guiding principles of his agenda, his life, his actions, thoughts and personal mission.

There have been some beautifully crossed wires in this thread, ensuring that everyone can ride their own hobbyhorse without fear of being unseated.

Foxy asserts:

>>For many years it was widely felt that as science progressively provided rational explanations for the mysteries of the universe, religion would have less and less of a role to play and would eventually disappear, unmasked as nothing more than superstition<<

Science deals only with observable phenomena. It can tell you how a human being has been put together over the years, but cannot explain its purpose. The question "why" can only be approached through the exact opposite of science, i.e. raw, naked, untrammelled belief, unadulterated by facts of any kind.

Science and religion work along parallel, i.e. non-intersecting paths. Both seek "truth", one using facts, one not. Neither is better or more valid than the other, since they are used for entirely different purposes.

>>Religious beliefs and practices are so ancient that they can be traced back into prehistory, perhaps as far back as 100,000 years ago.
Even the primitive Neanderthal people of that time, it seems, had some concept of a supernatural realm that lay beyond everyday reality.<<

This is simply another version of Philo's "we're all religious really".

Everyone - including, quite possibly, those Neanderthals - has at some point looked around them and pondered the questions "how did we get here", "what are we doing here" and "why the..."

No-one has yet provided an answer.

Religion is the generic word we use to describe those people who believe they know the "why". Non-religious people are comfortable in the knowledge that the answers will not be available to us any time soon, possibly even not before this tiny insignificant planet of our incinerates.

Religion provides solace for people who need answers, or at least a level of certainty and security to get them through the night. Not everybody needs it, not everybody uses it.

To pretend that merely thinking about life beyond what we can see and touch renders us all somehow "religious" is simply laughable.