| Jesus. It is easy to dismiss religion as pre-scientific superstition or opiate for the people, but hear me out for a second. I find that Jesus gets two things fundamentally right: - humanity's brokenness
- the moral values that underpin human flourishing It may seem counterintuitive, but recognizing humanity's brokenness as a whole and on an individual level is actually necessary to have hope. You can't fix a problem you don't see. Seeing the problem is not enough, though. You also need to avail yourself of a solution. Jesus is that solution. He has transformed the lives of people, but it is a deeply personal experience that you have to choose for yourself (if you want it). I think humanity needs religion (without a religious worldview your cognitive framework is incomplete), and i think Christianity is the most rational, most plausibly effective, and most likely to be true religion we have. Having said that, i'm not here to argue, though there are myriads of arguments to be had. This is just an invitation in response to a question. To anyone reading this who has been burnt by Christians who may feel the need to vent their frustration: I am sorry for your negative experiences. There is no perfect system in this world. Even among so called humanitarian aid workers there are rapists who go to foreign lands and leave struggling females pregnant and alone. Yet we all recognize the tremendous good done by charities despite the despicable evil. Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater. |