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Religion was created to answer three questions. Why are we here? How are we here? How should we carry ourselves? Its secular cousin philosophy was designed to answer the bookending two. Empirical science answers the middle question, but it leaves the other two untouched. I'm personally a nihilist, but even if you do not believe we are here due to some divine plan or goal, it is certainly possible to rationalize (and not in a negative sense) a purpose for humanity, such as the pursuit of happiness. As for the latter, although most discussions of the role of religion in general society tend to be negative, the Crusades, Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Extremism, pedophile clergy, etc., to name a few (Western) examples, that religion is the fundamental basis for our morality is lost in the shuffle. Sure the edges can get quite frayed, especially when religions bump into each other, but the basic framework of the way we live was codified and enforced by religion, and without it humanity would have had and would have a much rougher existence. Philosophy has attempted to replace it as a secular approach, but they really are doing one and the same. So the answer is no. Physics has (thankfully, in my book) replaced one of religion and philosophy's three founding bases, but the other two remained untouched. And now you can say you've come across a nihilistic atheist who loves organized religion... |
Philosophy isn't likely to answer #3, although science has a chance of making up a new answer.