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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Evolving Religions
Message-ID: <175@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Jun-85 12:23:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.175
Posted: Thu Jun 13 12:23:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Jun-85 06:31:04 EDT
References: <446@cmu-cs-k.ARPA> <99@umcp-cs.UUCP> <240@ihnet.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 32

>>> Since the various theistic religions are shaped by natural forces,
>>> I cannot believe any religion actually contains a true deity.
>>> Such a deity, if it exists, has not objectively affected anyone,
>>> not even the loyal followers of any religion.  Doctrines, policies, and
>>> beliefs evolve and  become extinct, driven solely by natural forces.

>> But so have all other systems of thought; if this discredits religions, it
>> also discredits Marxism, the various humanisms, and all other atheistic
>> religious systems.

>Here I disagree.  Atheistic belief systems (e.g. humanism)
>do not require a deity, or any divine intervention.
>It is not a threat to acknowledge their natural evolutionary origins.
>However, Christianity (for example) must, by its very doctrines,
>be more than a natural, evolving belief system.
>Yet, I claim it is not.
>Therefore, humanism may have objective validity,
>while Christianity, as it stands today, cannot.
>Is there any theistic religion that cannot be explained by
>natural evolutionary processes?  If so,  where do I sign up?

Well, if you are saying that they arise in response to their environment,
then I withdraw my objection, but then the original objection does not
apply; after all, Judaism (for example) claims that the environment includes
a particular set of miracles.  If, on the other hand, you are saying that
they are CAUSED (i.e. they were forced to have been thought of), then my
objection holds.  The fact that christianity and judaism change signifies
only that, since they are concerned with the relationship between man and
God, the position of man has changed.  One would not, after all, expect
medeival man to be concerned with atomic warfare.

Charley Wingate   umcp-cs!mangoe