“What’s the problem when one realizes that religion is irrational? Does that mean that one should not believe?”
O- Why is it irrational? It is for billions the most rational thing. And what is rational if not that onj which we can agree on? But perhaps that is the rub. Each religion is quite rational but mankind is irrational.
“It only means that two FAITHS cannot be reconciled.”
O- Just like two opinions, two theories, two guesses etc. Yet a circle is a circle, a line a line and a triangle is a triangle regardless of the faith or religion, creed or preference you hold dear. That is the difference I see between what is rational and what is faith. Is geometry and math free of faith? Is science free of it? No. But they can be challenge by reason; they are underneath reason; they can be attacked by the religion of the rational. Religion is meta-rational; is beyond demonstrations. I don’t consider it irrational, because it makes sense and is not demonstrably false… universally speaking. I say that it is meta-physical because their dogmas are accepted on faith and cannot be submitted to reason. What is God’s name? Yahweh or Allah? Reason has no ledge on which to hold itself. Independent of one another each religion is a reasonable system, like any good theory is, but grafted to another, and that is really where all our problems start, all rational discussion is and must be abandoned and replaced with force alone…as all meta-rational systems are beyond reasoning.
"It does not mean that religious faith is ruled out by a superior power. Reason and religious faith are on the same level, in the same bag.
O- These are dangerous words and beliefs you hold then. It is the equivalent of philosophical suicide.
“Religious faith cannot be disproved by reason, that is, shown to be false.”
O- And cannot be proved by reason, and shown, as you might say, “true”.
“All that one can do is to show religious faith to be irrational, but it does not mean that, in consequence, it is a good thing not to believe.”
O- That is a value judgement…what is “good”? Crusades? Religious wars lasting decades? Inquisitions? Terrorism? Is that “good”?
I don’t mean that we should throw the baby with the bath water but recognize that serious objections can be raised against belief; that for some, like Freud for example, religion is a toxic moment in the history of man.
“Since reason is dead*, everything is permitted.”
O- You say that everything can be believed; yet if everything can be believed, in fact, no-thing can be believed. Love for all paradoxically means love for none.