Chapter 36 scientific religion

The maturity of the mind is actually the process of entering from the small universe to the large universe. This book focuses on the initial stage of this journey.In essence, this stage is a continuous journey of seeking knowledge.Only by learning and progressing can we get rid of the limitations of past experience.We must digest and absorb new information, expand our horizons, and dare to set foot in the latest fields. One of the themes of this book is to explore the meaning of increasing cognition and expanding horizons.As I said, the essence of love is actually self-improvement, and one of the risks of love is that you have to go into unknown territory.We must give up the backward and old "self", step on the old and outdated cognition, and abandon the narrow outlook on life in time.However, this is not easy to do, and it seems more in line with our inertia not to make any changes.It is easier for us to keep the status quo and prefer to use the map based on "small universe".We don't want the slightest damage to old ideas.However, this is tantamount to digging one's own grave and running counter to the path of mental maturity.We should question past beliefs, explore unfamiliar territory, and challenge certain long-held truths.Only doubt and challenge can set us on the path to divine freedom.

For this, we must start with science and no other way.We should gradually replace the "religion" of our parents with the "religion" of science, and challenge the laws of the microcosm.The religion of science is designed to help us proceed from reality, use real experience and historical lessons to understand the world, and update our outlook on life and the world.If we blindly follow our parents' religion, we probably won't change anything.The religion that is most vital and best suited to us should arise out of our experience and knowledge of reality.A religion that has been questioned, challenged, and tested is our religion, just like the theologian Allen?Jones said: One of the problems we have is that few people have unique lives.Everything about us, including our emotions, seems to be "secondhand".In many cases, we can only make ourselves function by relying on second-hand materials.I can trust a physician, a scientist, a farmer, which I don't want to do, but I have to, and what they provide may be the core knowledge of their respective fields, and I don't know anything about those fields.About the state of my kidneys, the role of cholesterol, my experience raising chickens...these are completely second-hand material, and I can completely accept it.However, I cannot accept any second-hand material on the meaning, purpose and death of human existence.It is impossible for me to live on "second-hand trust" in "second-hand God".To be truly alive, I must have a language of my own, a unique sense of doubt and challenge.

Only when we have our own religion can we have a mature heart.If you follow the religion of your parents completely, you will hit a wall everywhere.So, what is the "religion of science"?Science is a complex worldview with several important tenets.Therefore, science itself is also a kind of religion. Its important beliefs include: the universe is a real existence, we can observe it, and human observation of the universe is of great value; the operation of the universe follows certain laws and is predictable; It is easy to be misled by prejudice and superstition, and it is easy to make mistakes when explaining the universe; in order to form a worldview, human beings should have enough skepticism, and should accept the guidance of scientific methods, so as to sum up the experience of observing the universe.Also, we can't pretend we know everything unless we experience it firsthand.In addition, although the refinement of scientific methods comes from practical experience, we still cannot trust pure experience. Only experience obtained through repeated experiments is trustworthy "knowledge".One more thing needs to be added: only under the same circumstances, other people can reach consistent conclusions through similar experiences, and this is a reliable experience.

In the above creed, the key words include "truth", "observation", "knowledge", "doubt", "experience" and so on.Science is a religion based on doubt.In order to get rid of the "cosmos" of childhood experiences, cultural dogmas, and parents' paradoxical teachings, we must doubt everything we think we know.With a scientific attitude, we can transform our personal "small universe" experience into the vast "big universe" experience.We must believe in science and take the first step in our outlook on life and the world.

Many patients have told me at the beginning of their treatment, "I don't believe in religion. I never go to church. I don't believe what the church teaches, and I don't believe what my parents say. I'm not as religious as my parents were. No religion.” They were amazed whenever I questioned why they thought they had no relationship to religion. "Actually, you are religious. Your religion is broad and profound because you worship the truth. You firmly believe that you will continue to improve." I said to them, "the power of your religion makes you dare to bear all pain and all things." Get rid of the pain of past experience and meet the challenges of the future. Being able to receive treatment shows that you value progress. Everything you do, it is for your religion. In no way do I think you are less religious than your parents, on the contrary, I even think Compared with them, your belief in religion and God is more divine. Your belief has a higher realm because you have the courage to question everything."

Science has been a tremendous impetus to shaping worldviews, more so than any other religion.One of the best evidences is the remarkable internationality of science.It has a solid "scientific community" all over the world, larger and more united than the Christian Church, and no other international body can match it.Scientists from various countries communicate with each other, and their enthusiasm and ability far exceed that of people of other religions.They transcend the small universe of their own culture, become more wise and pragmatic, and get closer to the essence of human beings and the world.

Even so, their knowledge of the world is limited.People with scientific thinking can question all phenomena, which is far more conducive to our progress than relying solely on blind belief, superstition and dogma.However, I also believe that, so far, science has only taken the first steps towards the evolution of the mind.Most scientifically minded people still have a narrow and limited understanding of the world and the nature of God.Even compared with many ordinary farmers who blindly inherited the beliefs of their parents, the knowledge of people in the scientific community may not be much better.On the issue of understanding the nature of God, scientists still face many difficulties.

With a skeptical attitude, we realize that believing in God is not such a great thing.Excessive belief in God tends to make us more dogmatic.Moreover, it is from dogmatism that there have been countless wars, inquisitions, and persecutions of every kind.Behind the religious shield, there were countless hypocrisy.In the name of faith, some believers put on the mask of "fraternity" and wield butcher knives at the same kind.They are mercenary, plundering and plundering, and they are even inferior to animals.They come up with all kinds of incredible religious rituals, as well as "idol worship" with ulterior motives: six-handed and six-legged goddesses, male gods on thrones, elephant gods, imaginary gods, temples of gods, house gods, "Trinity", "many gods" God is one."Instead we see ignorance, superstition, dogma, and rigidity, with very little true belief in God.This can't help but make people think: If we don't believe in God, maybe we will live better?Numerous facts have proved that, in quite a few cases, God is not only the expectation of the next life, but the poison of this world.Sometimes it seems plausible even when we make bold predictions that God is an illusion of the human mind—a destructive illusion.Perhaps the belief in God is actually a kind of psychological disease common to human beings, and we must try to cure it.

Is belief in God really a disease?Is it a special phenomenon of transference?Is it because we have accepted the concept of "small universe" from our parents too much, which hinders us from accepting the concept of "big universe"?Or is belief in God a primitive and naive way of thinking?In order to seek a higher level of cognition and morality, must we dare to completely abandon the concept of "small universe"?How do our religious beliefs change as we mature through psychotherapy?In order to solve similar questions from a scientific point of view, real "clinical data" is indispensable.