Costa Rica, Part II
Here’s a short excerpt from my journal:
Over the last 10000 years, Man has been engaged in the constant struggle to explain his surroundings. Some do it through mystics and magic, others through research and science. Ultimately, we’re all playing the same game. Modern science has made a lot of cool discoveries, but we still have a long way to go. How do we explain the head/heart connection? Where is the other intelligent life in the universe? How can we live sustainable on Earth?
. . .
Costa Rica made me think a lot about the connection between religion, science, and spirituality. I don’t subscribe to the concept of organized religion, and I’m not a very spiritual person. I place a lot of faith on the principles of science, reason, and logic. At the same time, I respect the principles of spirituality and can appreciate the calming power it holds. Studies show that meditation and relaxation are tools to promote good mental and physical health.
My beef with religion is that it is used for harm more often than good. Religion is often used as a tool to motivate people to act out harm on others (either directly: violence or indirectly: voting). It is a divisive tool that easily separates people into “us” and “them”. Even the religious organizations that don’t actively promote doing evil things provide justification for those who do. The minority of radicals & fundamentalists are supported by the majority of non-radical/fundamentalists. They lend credibility and justification to groups who would otherwise be just a bunch of crazies.
As such, I cannot in good conscience associate myself with any organized religion. The Costa Rica trip, with its emphasis on spirituality was an excellent opportunity for self reflection and inspection. I am now even more confident in my atheist beliefs.
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 27th, 2006 by tadfad
