I’ve been pondering the utility or lack of utility of religious thinking in thecontext of the 21st century. Religions are currently wrestling with the mindsets of enlightened, rational and modern societies and unfortunately, to a degree, the latter are winning. You only have to look at the glacier speed with which many religions are re-forming in order to accommodate 21st century thought.

We can also derive great meaning from religious stories without believing them to be true

Religions that do not accept homosexuality, or worse condemn it to such an extent that those found “guilty” of this “crime” are murdered. Religions that believe in metaphysical impossibilities. Of course those who believed these impossibilities hundreds of years ago can be forgiven when we take into account the intellectual progress of those times, but within our current scientifically-progressed societies, it is difficult to forgive. Religions that treat women as the property of men, that force women to cover their bodies and faces whilst in the company of men other than their husbands. Narratives within Western societies fail to acknowledge the horrific fates of women who are beaten, raped and humiliated in the name of religious belief. And yet with all of these failures, both moral and intellectual, I still do not argue for theadmonishment of religions. Sam Harris, a prominent atheist philosopher, argues that religious beliefs are akin to magic. Magic after is all is not real, but there seems to be two types of magicians circulating: those who are ‘fake’ magicians who claim that the “magic” they perform is real magic. Pschics fall under this category.

Then there are those who fall under the category of real magicians who do not claim that the “magic” they perform is real and in some cases show that themagic they perform is fake. Relgious belief seems to follow this same paradoxical nature in that there are those who truly believe that Jesus walked on water and that there is a man in the sky causing all of the suffering and pain of the world. But there are also those who know that the stories within religious documents are not objectively true, but still find fundamental value within the stories. Just as we can enjoy magic whilst also acknowledging that it isn’t real, we can also derive great meaning from religious stories without believing them to be true. We can chew gum and walk at the same time. We can acknowledge and argue for reform within religious communities so that they align with 21st century values and humanity whilst also deriving theinescapable values that religious stories have imposed upon our cultures, without which we wouldn’t have the literature, art, movies and music we enjoy today.

Keep On Struggling

Gregor

Podcast Episode I Enjoyed - Dr Andrew Huberman on The Tim Ferriss Show

Dr Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and the host of the Huberman Lab Podcast in which he discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life. In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Huberman and Ferriss discuss vitamins, supplementation, sexual health, mental health, exercise and much more. I took a lot from the podcast including supplements and behaviours to try. Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Food I’m Supplementing with - Apple Cider Vinegar

I’ve heard via multiple trusted sources that apple cider vinegar is extremely healthy for the gut and blunts blood-sugar spikes if taken before a meal and I’ve finally found a way to ingest it without wanting to puke due to its strong taste. I tried putting a serving in my morning protein shake, shotting a serving straight, mixing it with hot water and honey but nothing made it taste any better, until I mixed a serving with some fruit squash and water then downed it. This does the trick as it tastes better thus making consuming it every evening easier. Vinegars have been scientifically proven to blunt blood-sugar spikes when consumed with a meal or thirty minutes before a meal. This includes apple cider vinegar, table vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has the added bonus of being fermented meaning it’s extremely healthy for the gut micro-biome, so long as you buy it ‘with the mother.’

Quote to Ponder

“Enjoy it.” - the best answer I’ve heard to what I always ask close friends: “What should I do with my life?” - Tim Ferriss

References

1) Image Credit - Rawpixel