More on religion

This time an actual conversation.

In this episode, Laurance talks with Professor John Bishop, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Auckland University. A long-standing colleague and friend, and also a practising Christian, John has published several books and articles on the philosophy of religion exploring, among other things, whether we are justified in having beliefs based on faith for which there is no real evidence. With respect to Christianity, John claims that even if certain historical truths about the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are regarded as essential, the idea that such truths can be the basis for a moral guide to how we should live would still require something like a “leap of faith”.

Responding to Laurance’s question about whether religion is best characterized in terms of an essential set of beliefs or, in more sociological terms, as a mechanism for bringing people together as a community, John suggests that these ideas are somewhat complementary, in that the very idea of being part of a worthwhile community is linked to deeper concerns about how we should live and flourish together.

Laurance invites John to comment on the reality that different religions will often have different views about how their adherents should live, and that these differences have been a source of conflict over the centuries. John agrees, but points out that different perspectives about morality and values go beyond religion, and that they are bound to be linked to non-religious – e.g. scientific – ways of thinking as well. Both speakers then reflect on the historical role that philosophy has played when it comes to ethical theories and values, with John suggesting that philosophy and religion operate at different levels, the former being somewhat “removed” from the practical, real-life concerns that religions attempt to address.

Turning to what Laurance regards as the threat posed by so-called “missionary religions” – particularly Christianity and Islam – John maintains that this threat is mitigated if we adopt the view that whatever religion one subscribes to can be regarded in terms of offering a “gift” to the whole of humankind; that even a non-missionary religion such as Judaism is charged, by God, to be a “light unto the nations”. Extending this line of thought, John agrees with Laurance’s suggestion that religious conflict is more representative of humanity’s tribal tendencies and insecurities than of deep differences among the religions themselves.

Laurance invites John to comment on the propriety of a democratic society’s support for religious schools, a topic raised in previous episodes. John responds that a respectable religious education could serve both to offer people something other than a purely secular perspective, and to promote ways of living that are inclusive and accepting of difference.

Finally, in light of the reality that some people commit atrocities in the name of a larger group or religion, Laurance maintains that in response to such acts, it is morally incumbent on that larger group to call this out and proclaim, “No, this is not who we are!” John’s response is to acknowledge that while such actions would be very distressing to many members of the larger group, those members might feel insulted that anyone could possibly think that their religion would justify such things.

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