My use of religious terminology is at its core extremely blasphemous, yet I use it in a way which is perceived as authentic for its relevance to situations, when anyone who knows me would immediately recognize it as sarcastic. I do this while simultaneously holding the value of the statement for its metaphoric representation of relevance to the expression which I am looking at conveying. While I seek to be authentic in my communication of appreciation for religious terminology, I also seek to display the flaws of the belief structure through the absurdity of the actuality of the statements. Thus, in blaspheming in such a way, I do it with a dual intent of representing my expression with language I don’t literally believe in, while poking holes at the absurdity of the literal interpretation of such claims to thus be enlightening to the religious believer. This I do consciously, with good intent, although, in many instances, the person I am exclaiming such remarks to doesn’t understand the true nature of such claims, due to their acceptance of the terminology as being socially valid.

While I appreciate every religion for its contributions to the development of morality and cohesion of human civilizations through tradition and a semi beneficial value structure, I simultaneously see the error in any supernatural or faith based claims. While no supernatural claims find a lodging in my mind, I still recognize and appreciate the use of religion as a tool for many people, and for those people I can see the beneficiality. While philosophy is high on my value structure, and unmediated and unrestricted truth seeking is truly my motivation to pursue philosophical and scientific descriptions of reality, I recognize that philosophic interests aren’t universal across humankind. Likewise, most people do not have the time nor will to devote to the development of a moral system or the endeavor of uncovering and elucidating a hierarchical individualized value system, and to them, I can understand the adoption of a religious system which is laid out in a preset, easy to understand, and ultimately semi-beneficial belief system. The moral system produced by religion is sub optimal, but still preferential to the psyche which lacks a conscience motivation system required to be a good person, and to this, I see the use of religion as providing. While metaphysical claims made by Abrahamic religions in the form of describing life after death, or a loving creator / personal god, are undoubtedly false in their description of the reality which we inhabit, they are a necessary motivator for many people to become good people, in the absence of rigorous philosophical inquiry, which is afforded to the few who have the luxury of time and conditions conducive to proper exploration of a logical system built from the ground up devoid of the present plan laid out by religions. The setting up of foundational values through archetypal stories, and the imperative upon acting in accordance with a higher power, which, as an ideal aim as embodied in the ideal of God or the “Savior”, we truly do see beneficial pragmatic utility in striving to live in accordance with such an aim. The point is, while many of us have the capacities to extract the psychological significance, many of us simply don’t have the time or interest to do so, and that is perfectly acceptable. To give up striving to instantiate these psychological ideas societally, isn’t what I’m advocating, I merely wish to acknowledge the pragmatism behind the continued use of religious institutions, given our current level of development.

 Obviously it would be preferred if everyone had the time and interest to root out the metaphysical bullshit which makes false truth-claims and is used as a motivation and intention behind moral acts, in other words, people could have a good, beneficial, wise, virtuous characters for better reasons. These better reasons would be grounded in experientially elucidated comparison, upon the psychological modes of being which lead to meaning pursuance of an individualized nature, and thus wellbeing and reduction of suffering. If the outcome is the same, in terms of action, then we can easily see the use of religion, but through the intention which is presupposed in the action, we necessarily never come to equal actions. As the intention differs, the causal efficacy in terms of beneficiality into the future is thus modified. To do good for the sake of going to heaven, can be replaced be doing good simply for seeing the value and beneficiality of the causal structure in producing beneficial fallout as a result of action. For more information, see “The Importance of Intentionality”.