As for the nature of the religious belief
system called christianity, its inherent
long-lasting impact begs us to assess
why this ancient belief system persists
(almost 1700 years in its post-Con-
stantine form, close to 500 years in its
post-Reformation form, almost 150
years in its post-Darwin transition to
various modes required to deal with
naturalism).

-5- Most Powerful Reasons why chris-
tianity persists:

1) The belief that it's a good thing

2) The belief that the christian or religious
way to be eternally healthy and happy
is good for everyone who believes
in the 'right' religion in the 'right' way

3) The belief that the alternative to religious
belief is bad, in this life, and bad, forever

4) The belief that what people want to be
true (their favored religion -or- religions)
should win out over all of the alternatives

5) The belief that an all powerful and loving
super-being is the supreme creator of
all that is, is the answer to all questions,
is a friend who listens and responds to
requests from believers, is ultimately
good and grants eternal bliss to believers
(who qualify) -and- justifiably deals with
doubters and disbelievers via some
unwelcome form of eternal consequence

- - -

All of the above (and more) cuts to the
core of the surviving religions, be they
christian, islam, hindu, or other.

In all honesty, that's a potent mix of emo-
tions that logic, reason, skepticism, doubt,
and disbelief towards religions fails to
adequately address.

I suspect that until or unless naturalism
can address the emotional appeal of
religions, that naturalism will feel less
tenable for most, most of the time.

- - -

On the other hand, for the minority who
view search for real answers in this life,
rather than superstitious ones regarding
a magic being or beings in another life,
as the optimum goal, I supect that what-
ever attraction religion has for most will
not alter the priorities of those who refuse
to go along with it.

In the future, as naturalistic answers in-
crease, as the mythical nature of religions
becomes more widespread and acknow-
ledged, as life-extending and health-im-
proving technologies increase human
lifespans and quality to heretofore un-
seen heights, the emotional appeal of
naturalism will supplant that of religions
for the majority.

Unfortunately, since many of the religious
view that as unacceptable, there exists the
risk of conflict, and the future of human-
kind may rest in the outcome of that strug-
gle. Of note, the 9-11 attack, that was/is
in many ways, a religious battle in that long-
lived struggle between ancient religious mind-
sets and societies freed from religious con-
trol.

9-11 does not portend religions going meekly
into the night, but instead conveys that the
transition to a better, freer, longer-lasting life,
in our one and only certain chance at it, may
be stifled by ancient mindsets that dogmatic-
ally refuse to accept naturalistic non-super-
natural explanations for everything or for any-
thing.

-If- they win (either the muslim extremists or
in the future, if christian extremists become
part of an anti-technology 'war'), expect a
return to the 'dark ages', or worse, -if- the
extremists try to invoke their various Apo-
calypses on humankind.

- - -

Religion, not a risk-free endeavor. Those
who fail to learn from the past (inquisitions,
torture, mass murder, delusion, deceit, cor-
ruption, brainwashing of children, hellfire
and damnation threats, mass murder of so-
called 'witches', anti-science efforts of
the most devoted religious followers, reli-
gious wars, the Holocaust, anti-Judaism
throughout the muslim and christian worlds,
heresy laws, blasphemy laws, 9-11, etc.),
are doomed to repeat it.

- - -