RCSaunders wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 11:44 am
Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 3:49 am
I had argued Christianity is the most optimal religion ...
What changed your mind? Or, are you just misusing English again. Before discussing a religion you need to know something about it. When you've read and studied both the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Koine Greek and both in most English translations, read and studied most of the theologians and commentators like those I
listed here, come back and we'll talk about Christianity.
As I had stated,
"Philosophy of Religion" means applying wisdom and rationality to any question about 'religion' either by the non-religious or the religious. Religious can be non-theistic [Buddhism, etc.] and theistic.
What is the point of reading 1000s of books and articles related to those theologians and commentators you mentioned.
For Christianity I have covered the beliefs and activities from Christian fundamentalists [even perverts], middle-of-the road, theologians, philosophers, scientists to Christian mystics which definitely cover a wider range than you have suggested.
What is critical is to apply the "Philosophy of Religion" [which you are ignorant of and has no inclination to] to understand the essence of and principles underlying
all religions, including Christianity.
This will include all relevant factors, i.e. evolutionary, environmental, historical, psychological, neurosciences, etc. to rationalize what is most
optimal for a specific period of time.
What one need to master Christianity is merely to understand the Gospels [central to Jesus Christ as the core of Christianity] thoroughly.
Note the term 'optimal' is critical which meant it is not to be universal but what is best given the current situations.
Given our current human state of evolution at the
current phase in time, Christianity is the most optimal religion for the majority of 8 billion people.
Christianity has its cons but its pros relative to the current phase of evolution outweighs its cons. As such it is only optimal for the current phase of evolution within, say, the next 50 years or so but will not be optimal thereafter when its cons outweighs its pros.
The present majority of ~8 billion are very religious inclined and if every Muslim were to convert to Christianity, I am definitely there would be greater peace and less religious related violence. Can you dispute this?
I believe the next phase of religiosity would be for the majority to turn to rational Buddhism and other non-theistic religions and thereafter to wean off ALL religions in accordance to a significant change to a more steadier psychological state of the majority.