Religion and the Sociological Paradox

It is impossible to declare anything definitive about "God," except that it either exists, or does not exist. These two propositions are absolute realities that are, paradoxically, contrivances of the human mind as we understand it. There are many philosophical problems, and linguistic difficulties when attempting to articulate anything regarding ultimate reality and "creation," which renders discussions between believers and non-believers both necessary and meaningless. Faith cancels out reason, and reason cancels out faith. There are no "voids." Yet, semantic renderings of absolute substances like "God" create voids.

This is the reason religions motivate people to do terrible things to each other, because of the logical and spiritual impasse naturally reasoning minds reach when trying to justify their belief systems to people who have different belief systems.

The only stance I can possibly take is a spiritually charged, rational skepticism; or if you will, a Socratic, principled discourse of knowing ignorance. The fact that religions inspire people to commit atrocities is a psycho-sociological and anthropological problem of finite beings in constant battle with their own existential angst in the face of death. The logic is clear; death is the antithesis to life; life is the synthesis with which we derive purpose and meaning, thus, when there is a clash between ideologies that quite literally provide the enabling conditions for actualized meaning and purpose, it is no surprise that so much blood is shed as a result.

As an aside, this argument can be applied aptly to many debates where a "cause" for such things as violence, war, etc. are concerned. People are desperate when the meaning of their existence, or the purpose of their being on the planet in the first place is questioned or threatened. Sociological phenomena such as economic struggles, for instance, or socioeconomic statuses that render upward mobility near impossible, or living conditions that include substantial lack of essential needs; it is not surprising that the most violent places on the planet are those places that turn out to be breeding grounds for desperate extremism. Purpose driven by desperation is possibly even what spawned the need for religions in the first instance.