I found it incredibly interesting upon reading the way of
the Civilized people’s beliefs on the Ford. A mysterious figure, assumed to be
the most powerful among all, the Ford is the deity of the modern man. No other
religion exists because of the ultimate control of the revolution. With
that, the entire population strictly believes and is dedicated to worshiping
the Ford, having their own special days of worship called Solidarity Service. The Civilized world is very
prosperous and “ideal”, with a main religion at that. However, in the scene
when Bernard joins the others in the ritual, his uncomfortable and empty
feeling reminds me of the human ability to question all things. Bernard tried
to see and hear the mighty voice that the others felt during the “orgy-porgy”,
yet was not affected.
In our own world, there are several religions, and we live
in communities filled with people worshipping different Gods or none at all. In
generations before us, religions began as a vital part of the lifestyles of
many. Neil Posterman quoted Walter Ong with “They are incessant. They form the
substance of thought its self. Thought in any extended form is impossible
without them, for it consists in them.” In the beginning people turned to
religion for ideas and solutions. Yet in the modern world, ideas have formed
from much more, mostly technology and evidential ideas.
However, is religion vital to the prosperity of life? Does
it humble humans or is it another control mechanism?
Where there is belief, there is doubt. Atheism is becoming more and more popular in society. These people don't prosper any less than those who believe in God or any other diety. They just handle their problems or victories in a different way.
ReplyDeleteThere are those who consider religion to be a control mechanism. In church, we are told not to do good just because we fear hell, but because we know it is the right thing to do. Not everyone does good because it is good. Some people fear the consequences, and that is the only thing stopping them from wreaking havoc on this world.
I don't believe that religion is completely vital although it does humble humans by encouraging them to cultivate righteous morals and ethics. Religion also gives humans a goal to strive for: eternal happiness. As Ligaya mentioned, religion can become a control mechanism if it comes to completely define a person's life; however, in most cases, religion gives people hope and encourages them to live virtuous lives.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ligaya's comment: I just read an article detailing the increasing number of people that are dropping out from the American Christian Church and becoming atheist. The article, entitled "Are We Becoming an Atheist Nation? 3 Reasons Young People Are Abandoning Religion" states that "In a single generation, the Christian church dropout rate has increased fivefold." As more people turn away from religion, is our society not beginning to reflect that of Huxley's Brave New World in which belief in God has been eliminated?