Religion and philosophy match each other in that
they deal with values. But they also match each other in
other ways. Both religion and philosophy has a problem.
You have two kinds of religion and two kinds of philosophy.
One kind of Religion is the easy comfortable, no risk religion
and one kind of Religion is the hard, dangerous, risk religion.
And the same goes for Philosophy.
But what does this mean? Most people believe in god but they
don’t live that belief. For most people, the belief in god
doesn’t entail any great effort, risk or challenge. For most people,
they are more passionate about fast food chains then they
are about god or are more challenged in their belief in their
favorite football team then in god. For most people, their belief in
god is simply a formula just spoken without commitment or any attempt
to actually understand or even live in their commitment to god.
I think mustard is the condiment of choice
I favor baseball over football
I prefer summer over winter
I believe in god
the weather is nice today.
I like The Who over the Rolling Stones.
I like Wendy’s burgers over Burger King
All of these statements have the exact same value to most people.
The belief in god ranks no higher then what is your favorite musical
band. The two statements, I believe in god and what is your favorite
musical band, have the same value and passion and commitment
and the same easy, comfortable, no risk belief in.
When most people say they believe in god, they could be talking
about anything they have a belief in… I prefer dogs over cats
and I believe in god is at the same level of passion and commitment.
And the same goes true for philosophy, I believe that Nietzsche is
correct about ancient Greek philosophy, much more so then
Heidegger. This statement is said with no more enthusiasm
then ordering a hamburger and with no more enthusiasm then
one says, I believe in god…
We have no engagement with either religion or with philosophy.
Religion and philosophy are simply idea’s, beliefs, simple mindless
recitations of formula’s that have no power or effect in our lives.
We hold both religion and philosophy as sterile words that
mean nothing in our lives. This is what Kierkegaard was fighting
against. Our engagement with religion and philosophy is just
skin deep and has the same intensity as one ordering fries in a
fast food place.
It seems to me that if we engage in either religion or philosophy,
we should have a deeper engagement with our subject matter
then just passively speaking about them. I prefer Locke over Hume.
I rather have curly fries over French fries. The discussion over curly
fries may get more intense and have much more passion and commitment
then any discussion about Sartre or Locke or Hume or more passion then
any discussion about the nature of god or why I believe in god.
If we are serious about either religion or philosophy, then
we must be ready to engage, I mean really engage with
religion or philosophy. The value of religion or philosophy
comes from the engagement we have with them. The engagement
I am talking about is not just reciting words that have no
resonance with us. I am talking about hold a religion or
philosophy and engaging with it with all your heart and head.
We must begin to engage with religion and philosophy
as a way of life. I hold certain philosophical beliefs
and I must engage with those beliefs as a way of life.
I belief in non violence. I must act in accordance
with my philosophical beliefs. I must not engage
with violence. Religion and philosophy are
ways of life. We not only hold these idea’s but we live them.
We act upon our philosophical and religion beliefs as
our guidelines in our actions. For most people,
they have beliefs and they have actions, but the
two shall never meet. We act and our beliefs are
separate from those actions. the two don’t impact each other,
the two, action and beliefs, don’t engage with each other,
the two don’t interact with each other… They are two distinct
and separate entities……. But they should engage with each other
and interact with each other and inform each other. But they
don’t… we hold actions as one complete and distinct entity
and we have beliefs as another completely different entity
and the two don’t engage with each other.
Religions and philosophy should be ways of life and instead they
are formulas we recite but have no engagement with.
Why won’t you engage with your beliefs as deeply as
you engage with your favorite food or you favorite sports team?
and engagement requires, demands your full and complete effort
to live your live as your beliefs demand you to live your life.
We are lacking in this engagement with religions and with our
philosophies. they are simple words to udder and they have
no connection to who we are… so either engage or
release those mindless formula’s that you hold.
to become who you are requires you to commit
and engage with your values regardless of the cost.
So what values are you willing to commit to and to
abide by and to live within and engage with?
Kropotkin