Yes. The biggest problem in the world today is the lack of education.
Many use such an extreme mythological filter that all incoming information goes through, that credible education is stunted at best, and or thrown out the window completely.
Lets use you as an example. You have been around a while and I would posit, you are educated in religions. But you are the minority. If the world was full of people like you we would probably have a more peaceful and educated worlds. You communicate well despite different beliefs and knowledge and faith.
Many people are not well educated, this breeds poverty, hatred and violence, disease and belief in mythology over reality. When all you have is religion, you have no moderation and this faith is dangerous and not healthy.
I can see that, true. I mean off/on topic, I was talking to a co-worker of mine about the Bible just an hour ago. We have very good conversations but the problem is (and I dont think she sees it) is we are talking from her perspective not
ours perspectives. So, I was telling her a bit about my faith as a Buddha. I told her what we believe and things that are not like Christianity where it's a "separate religion" but a part of life where you don't think of as a religion/faith. It's just common sense (to me, anyway).
Then she talks about the holidays and you know where that went. I did the same as I do here and asked her to take out the pagan elements and see the "holy day" for what it means not the dressing around it.
Then she says, which almost made me go into tears as a pagan, she says there is this one part of the world in one area (past or present I cant remember) where the citizens would go up to the top of the mountain and watch the sun rise and set. They would pray to the sun. She said that was just so pagan. Like the hatred for paganism wasn't just her
opinion but something ingraved in her that I was just in shock over.
I mean, I know religion can say things that don't make logical sense to those who disbelieve it. That's fine. I mean, if someone wants to believe they can fly, and they flap their wings every morning in prayer, that's their deal. That's no different than me going outside in the morning or facing east and praying to the sun while Joe smoe takes his children out to play with neighbors. It's no different than John who believes in unicorns than my finding wisdom in the sutras rather than scripture.
People use religion in many different ways. If the "god of the gaps" is about this abuse, then yes, I can see why it's important. If it is just debating about how people justify their belief with "fictional" explanations to get out of saying "I dont know" that is not a problem. I dont see how it could be.
Judging by my co-workers reaction, I dont think she is even aware of "god of the gaps" because those justifications and explanations are her worldview. It's like trying to get a blind man to see or a person with sight to undestand what it means to be blind (whichever analogy is best).
Anyway, I just came in the house. I'm understanding you. I just dont feel the argument in and of itself is a problem, just the use of it.
It's like blaming god for not solving all the worlds problems. If god doesn't exist, then how is that a problem other than peoples' hurt of seeing problems they cant change in full.