The Norton Introduction to Philosophy

Gideon Rosen wrote the first draft of The Norton Introduction to Philosophy, which was later edited by various authors. It articulates the fundamental aspects of religious thought. The book aims to answer fundamental religious questions. In this paper, we will examine the significant concerns stated by Rosen and how they relate to life in the current scenario critically. It is also an opportunity to examine these topics about what people believe and make a partial judgment of whether the book is true about what we believe, and if there is a difference, point out what it is mature. Over the years, religion has changed hands, and people have been converted to follow the others’. In the time of colonization, religions exchanged hands and people were influenced. Also, the advancement in technology has played a role in the changes in religion and how science determines our thinking about religion.

Introduction

Action between alternative decisions is life is necessitated by the availability of options. When people have the option to choose their religion, they will pick depending on the environment, the influence and some just decide because of reasons we cannot know. However, each religion has a way of doing things, and it should be respected. These are beliefs that people hold dear, and in some cases, it becomes an emotive subject is not handled properly. Is religion driven by the heart or the head? (Geggel, 2017). Religion is a set of beliefs made to enforce values and rules that are in line with what people believe in and take pride in. Devotion ensures social cohesion through shared beliefs, peace and stability by enforcing morals.

It has led to the emergence of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jews and other religious communities and practices. This is because people had different explanations about natural occurrences and believed in different supernatural forces. They, therefore, found different objects and powers to worship and believe in. The different schools of thought informed their decision making, and with time, they became entrenched in the way they do things, and it almost becomes norms. It is common to see Muslims or Christians do things that the other could consider unclean for their faith. However, given that those that do it see no harm and in the actual sense no harm comes to them, means that your belief plays a role in how things will happen to you. Therefore, it is safe to play within the tenets of your religion and fulfill the religious obligations when called upon to play a part.

However, due to advancement in technology and literacy levels, conflicts have emerged due to different beliefs among individuals and communities. Trajectories of individuals have led to personal faith and each one choosing what to believe in. This has had both positive and negative impact in that everyone has the freedom to believe and practice whatever they see fit. Everyone is willing to defend whatever they believe into an extend there have been religious clashes, believers killing each other. There has been a rise in criminal activities as people practice rituals they believe in which end up being harmful to others. Belief is one of the facets of religion, but not its entirety (Shrubsole, 2017).

Modern technology has also had a major impact on religious beliefs among people. It brought about different discoveries and controversies. Charles Darwin came up with a theory that believes in natural selection among living things. It states that humans have evolved from primitive animals over time. Advancement in science has also led to new theories that try to explain the human existence and the course of life. Due to this, we have seen different religious practices emerge; atheists who do not believe in the existence of a supernatural being, Christians who are equally divided each with different beliefs and practices, Freemasonry is also being adopted by a large number of population currently. Science and discoveries have led to scientists who believe they can create life, and they continue to carry numerous experiments. This idea has been met with a lot of resistance, as most religious groups do not believe human beings can create life. Most believe this should only be done by a higher being like God or other supernatural beings they believe in.

Globalization of communities and countries has led to emergence and adaptation of different religious ideas and practices, hence different social expressions and views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality. Some communities advocate for abortion and homosexuality and individuals who practice these have been accepted socially, and the practices even legalized in some countries. However, in some countries and communities, these are considered as outrageous and out of the norm and individuals judged harshly.

Politics and colonization have been a major contributor in the transformation of religion and beliefs over the years. Most African communities believed in supernatural beings. They worshipped different objects, like animals, lakes, trees and even their leaders until colonization when Christianity was introduced to them and the concept of Gods existence. These are the African systems that kept Africans at peace for over 100,000 years (Takruri, 2017). There has been division over beliefs, views, and interpretation of the bible. The Muslim religion, for example, is associated with violence. They believe in harsh punishments for those who do not obey rules, and most killings are reported to be carried out by Muslim individuals. They have schedules and practices that they follow strictly, Islam is viewed as a harsh religion by most people. The Christians, however, believe in salvation and self-initiative to worship God.

Most philosophers emphasize the existence of God which is in line with Christianity. They try to explain how God is responsible for the existence of the universe and control of life. This has been taken both positively and negatively in society. Most theists are not convinced by the creation-benevolence argument (Gale, 2016).

The design living things seems to have been arranged perfectly and delicately to support life. The laws of nature have been fine-tuned to support life, different forces of nature and occurrences that we experience daily and organized matter. Also, all these cannot be explained by science, therefore forcing us to believe that there is a supernatural being that is not bound by laws of nature and is responsible for the existence of the universe.

These beliefs, however, are due to individual’s observations hence personal faith and imposing them on someone who does not believe in them is unfair and irrational. Atheists do not believe that there is a supernatural being that is so perfect and is not bound by laws of nature. They should be left to exercise their beliefs freely.

Everything is constantly evolving, new beliefs coming up day by day, new science being discovered. We should embrace the new beliefs and religions, try to understand each other’s point of view on existence.

In the Norton Introduction to Philosophy, Rosen and colleagues ask if God exists. They follow up with a question that if He exists, it is right according to philosophy to accept issues without evidence. Is it reasonable to believe without evidence? (Rosen et al., 2015). However, my view is that God exists, because of the unexplainable deeds that He goes to people. Those that request for his help always gets assistance. When they talk of evidence, they are referring to physical evidence which is not the only kind of evidence that can prove the existence of God.

Conclusion

Over time, many things have changed including what we believe in. It is the responsibility of everyone to make decisions based on what they see and feel. The advancement in technology and way of life by the people has made them drop some beliefs and embrace others. However, the issue of religion has not been greatly impacted negatively. There are topics that people pass to next generation and admire that they share the same sentiments with the other generation that comes after them. Therefore, religion has changed over time, but it has not made a negative effect on the fact that God exists. Even without physical evidence that there is God, there is more evidence that is not of that nature.

References

Gale, R. M. (2016). On the nature and existence of God.

Geggel, L. (2017, November 11). What Drives Religious Belief? It’s Not Intuition. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/60913-religion-not-intuitive-but-cultural.html

Norton, D. E., & Norton, S. E. (2015). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children’s literature. Boston: Pearson.

Shrubsole, N. (2017, November 13). The impossibility of Indigenous religious freedom. Retrieved from http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2017/the-impossibility-of-indigenous-religious-freedom/

TAKRURI, A. K. (2017). 100 AFRICAN RELIGIONS BEFORE SLAVERY & COLONIZATION. S.l., DC: LULU COM.