J.L. Schellenberg - Does Philosophy Inform Religion?

What can philosophy bring to religion? Philosophy is a systematic way of thinking about ideas and concepts, often fundamental features of the world. The philosophy of religion uses philosophical methodologies to examine religion, from the existence and attributes of God to the problems of evil, diverse religions, and conflicting belief systems.



J.L. Schellenberg is a Canadian philosopher known both for his atheism and for his defense of a broader skepticism compatible with atheism -- a form of skepticism which, as it happens, opens a path to a new evolutionary brand of religion.


Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[soubhikmukherjee]

We don't need toxic religion. We need healthy metaphysics that can make science richer.

[buckanderson]

Understanding is better than knowledge because you can forget the knowledge but if you understand something you can always find that knowledge again. Understanding leads to knowledge.

[therougesage]

Great channel, its always uploading, are they on tv?

[kallianpublico]

Philosophy: truth is contingent on meaning. Religion: meaning is contingent on truth. Science: measurement determines meaning.

[cvsree]

Philosophy is like a fragrant flower in the garden or reality

But, religion/faith is like the soil in which this flower thrives on

[abhishekpratapsingh]

❤️love of understanding for it's own sake ❤️

[ebaturk]

an observer can become his or hers rational reasoning in the process of the argument, therefore the seeming look of being in the conversation mentally.

[alanshteynberg]

How can philosophy inform religion if religion is immutable? If a religion changes it's fundamental beliefs because of philosophical inquiry then it's no longer a religion, just philosophy.

[Mathfinance.]

Philosophy has informed religion. The result is clear.

[abhishekpratapsingh]

❤️wider horizons of understanding; beyond traditionally conceived god; faiths distinct from beliefs♥️

[SRAVALM]

If God had a religion, it would be philosophy.
Philosophy is Devotion to knowledge(light) & wisdom(essence) -- not for worldly use or exploitation, rather strictly for selfs presence and stature in being.
The heart of philosophy is Spiritual -- where such Devotion and wonder spawns from -- no outwardly influence, only an inner inclination to seek.
Because philosophy seeks to Know, even so Knowing thyself, would be gnosis. Spiritual.
Philosophy is so important.

[RolandHuettmann]

Why being afraid of religious experience? There should be no fear if it brings you "closer truth" -- whatever it is. Openness includes to not be limited by any "belief". Consciousness is much richer than what people are used to experience same as the universe is so much bigger than what people thought it would be.

[jamesruscheinski]

Epistemology sound good for looking into questions of the mind, the difference between brain and mind if any, and how the brain processes information.

[FredericEJohnson]

Some religions may say that we do have free will, but the bible, not a religion like Christianity, says that we don't.

The following is what I came up with just now, so I may have a different viewpoint later on:

Those who think that the universe started in what the big bang theory predicts, are just religious believers in it. There's no proof that ANYTHING existed before the big bang, including space, time, matter, energy or gravity. So, God is just as valid if not more valid than the big bang theory.

So the idea that the universe is eternal, in that it goes from being small, dense and extremely hot and expanding while cooling down and then eventually collapsing on it's self through gravity and from there it starts the process over again eternally. Because this is a cycle, it HAD to have had a beginning somewhere in the cycle, right?, either contracting from it's largest volume or expanding from nothing or expanding from everything already compressed.

If it started in it's biggest state, where did everything come from, and especially gravity? Only God could do that.

If it started from nothing, then only God could have done that.

Now, if it started in a compressed state with all the matter that would later become the fully expanded universe, where did the power to hold it all together, come from? Gravity couldn't be the answer because it wasn't yet created. And where did all the extremely hot and dense energy come from? Also, where did the much greater power to over come the dense compression power come from, it couldn't have come from within the compressed energy or it wouldn't have been compressed to that state in the first place?

At least the bible has the answers, that God created everything from nothing through His word.

[soubhikmukherjee]

I don't need to tell you how to think like a genius. I'll show you that you already are- Stephen Hawking (my childhood hero)

[andreasplosky]

Philosophy should inform religion, but the religious would rather fantasize without the limitations of reality.

[anikettripathi]

We need not entangle ourselves in conditioning whatever is benificial to all we must only choose that. We are no more nomadic civilization

[MrTonyJ]

Actually determinism would be completely compatible with and even support reformed Christianity.

[ujjwalbhattarai]

I love love unity of comment inconcept in intelligent way but I don't love doing same work.
Physics concept.
I don't know about human.

[sunset.]

5:00both of their preconcieved notion is that truth exists.
only corospondant truth or circuler truth exist seeing from meterialism lence