http://michaelcrichton.com/speeches/index.html It's down the list some... It is a large article, so I'll quote some interesting parts. I think martin & myself would have to disagree with him here that people must have some sort of religion to give yourself a purpose. Hmmmm, saltyone?
I don't know if martin can post yet or not, but he left me an interesting message in the rep box. He said that Crichton is arguing that mankind needs religion, not that individuals do. I didn't originally read it that way, but I think martin is right. In this case, I absolutely agree with Crichton.
I don't think you have to believe in some religion to give your life purpose. But I do disagree with his definition of religion. For something to be a religion it must be deist-centric. That is, there must be a divine being at the center. The author defines religion in such broad terms that it can mean anything a person wants it to mean. But if a word can mean anything a person wants it to mean, then it really has no meaning at all and, as I have said countless times, words MUST have meaning. Language demands a certain degree of precision.
You are just thinking of religion in the way it has most often represented itself. Crichton is saying that religion is actually something broader than a diety, but that it is usually expressed via a god. According to him, religion is just something that gives purpose and meaning. Obviously this isn't how we usually view it, but I don't see why the definition couldn't be broadened to this extent. I'm not sure that I agree that environmentalism is a religion, but there are a lot of parallels - too many to ignore, IMO.
As a philospher, Crichton is a great novelist. Environmentalism meets none of the criteria of a religion. This is a silly as Ann Coulter saying that liberalism is a religion. religion noun a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. environmentalism [ I]noun[/I] 1. the philosophical doctrine that environment is more important than heredity in determining intellectual growth 2. the activity of protecting the environment from pollution or destruction
Crichton makes his own definition of religion in the argument. It is not the generally accepted one, but it does sort of have the same underlying meaning. Even if you do not accept his definition, does that mean you dismiss the parallels?
As a fundamentalist, evangelical, Christian, I am not able to be open minded. My religion teaches that anyone that does not accept Jesus Christ as Lord will spend eternity in Hell, separated from God. With so much at stake, how can you expect me to be open minded?
I am strong in faith brother. Just for sake of argument, if I am wrong, then in the end it does not matter. On the other hand, if I'm right (which I am), and you're wrong...you'll have Hell to pay. Think about that for a second. Eternity is an awfully long time my friend.
So I guess I should believe in something out of fear that I may be wrong...? What makes your faith so strong & why are you right and everyone else is wrong? Most likely, the only reason you are your current religion is because of your parents. And it does matter if you are wrong, because large groups of fundamentalist, like yourself, influence politics and the way our nation is run.
