RELS 161 Lecture Notes - Buddhist Meditation, The Moral Landscape, Nuclear Warfare

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 161
• Professor: Ellen Goldberg

Document Summary

Wrote, the end of faith, and the moral landscape . Studied hindu and buddhist meditation in asia. Unapologetic: about to ask very bold questions. Why do we give religion special privileges? thinks it"s irrational. Irrational to rely on such old text without scrutiny and critique. Tells story of suicide bomber on bus and hears a couple saying they are about to buy their first refrigerator and hits the button. He blows himself up and his neighbors and parents feel pride because he sacrificed himself for a great cause. Wants to see what can be done to stop this. Religious moderates have learned to respect unjustified beliefs of others. Calls laws of religious freedom and tolerance into question. Says modern knowledge is essentially incompatible with scripture. Religious moderates select passages from scripture that we can reconcile with modernity. And many of the good" passages that are kept pertain primarily to ethics and morality".