Category Archives: Religion

Big societies came before big gods

Posted on March 24, 2019 by

Some years ago I reviewed a book by Ara Norenzayan called Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict.  Norenzayan’s thesis was that it was a belief in big gods, specifically cosmic gods that cared about human morality, that enabled … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Religion, the Axial Age, and theoretic culture

Posted on February 16, 2015 by

I recently read the late Robert Bellah’s ‘Religion in Human Evolution: From the Paleolithic to the Axial Age.’  Although the title of the book seems to narrow it to just religion, in ancient societies, religion was just about everything, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Confucianism and the definition of religion

Posted on December 30, 2014 by

I’ve noted before that defining religion is difficult.  Simple definitions (such as belief in gods) tend to either exclude some religions (such as Buddhism), or include things that most people don’t consider to be a religion (such as constitutional law or … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

The decline of religion in western societies

Posted on November 9, 2014 by

Huffington Post UK has published the results of a survey showing that half of Britain thinks religion does more harm than good, and that you don’t need it to be a good person.  This seems to be a trend in … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 46 Comments

Does the Euthyphro dilemma actually prove anything?

Posted on October 29, 2014 by

I’m not religious.  I don’t think morality comes from God, gods, or any religious precept.  But often, when I see debates on whether or not morality can only come from God or religion, an atheist philosopher will mention the Euthyphro … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 76 Comments

Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion?

Posted on July 8, 2014 by

In a Skeptical Inquirer article that I’m a bit surprised hasn’t received more attention, Scott O. Lilienfeld and Rachel Ammirati take a look at this question: Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion? A Skeptic’s Guide to the Debate – … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

On atheism and agnosticism

Posted on May 11, 2014 by

Bart Ehrman has a post up featuring an interview on his agnosticism.  (If you’re short on time, the most relevant part is at the 2:12 point.) As someone who myself isn’t a religious believer, but who also strives to be honest … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

What is religion?

Posted on May 7, 2014 by

Pascal Boyer in his book ‘The Fracture of an Illusion’ asserts that religion does not exist.  Boyer points out that “religion” doesn’t exist as a concept in most societies.  When Boyer, an anthropological expert in religion, says that it doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

How Jesus became God

Posted on April 28, 2014 by

I think most of my readers know that I’m not religious.  However, I am interested in both the history and anthropology of religion.  This interest has led me to read a number of books by Bart D. Ehrman, a New … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Was Jesus a conspiracy?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by

Bart Ehrman posted a video on his blog (embedded below) where he discusses the case for the existence of the historical Jesus.  Most of his excellent blog’s content is pay-walled, so I’m happy to have an opportunity to link to something … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments