I agree with alexakarpov on many things, especialy the axiom definition.I will try to make the following case, even if it is a bit off topic:Any ideology that is based on an ideal, is an ideology that is based on an axiom, therefore on faith.
I accept the dictionnary definition of religion posted previously, but I would like to redefine the word to present how I see it.To me religion is the "exteriorisation" of an ideal out of human morality and ethics.The divine is a domain that humans create to be, by nature, outside of our reach.A superior level.I find that absolutlely fascinating.
Of course, like you guys have said before, violence in any form coming from religion is dangerous. Therefore religion can, and (very) often is dangerous.And from the very beginning of many cults, you find a psychotic guy craving power, and his priests buddies.
But there is no black and white, and I still see some good intentions in it.It seems to me like humans, facing their own barbarity, and building from earlier basic mystical beliefs (to rationnalise the unexplained from the tides to sunset or plagues), tried to build a system of morals which placed an Ideal, whatever it may be, above themselves. Unexplainable, unreachable, and unquestionable.
In the exact same way other people , as myself, place Truth as an unreachable ideal.We don' know what we don't know, and we have to accept that all we have as Truth is a freaking axiom in order to keep on going.
Even if you can proove what we know, you can't proove what we don't know yet.So in searching for Truth you necessarly have to admit that your verion of Truth is limited, incomplete, and for all you know, might be full of mistake until the next truth..."The search for Truth" is the absolute human axiom to me, it is the quintessence of intelligence, which is to me the quintessence of life.
So saying it is an axiom is not bad at all, it's more of a compliment i think.
Like alexakarpov said axioms are the basis of logical reasonning, and abstract logical reasonning is , i believe, one of the most complex practice of intelligence.For me, a christian like alexakarpov that acknowledges contradiction is remmarcable.And prooves that religion is far more that just violent dogma.I would even go further, I would say that the practice of philosophy is a logical emergence in an intelligent system and that this is also true with religion.Because hope and faith (illogical, unreasonnable) are ridiculously powerful tools in any human endeavour, good or bad. It is so obvious I will not give examples. We would not be here without it.My friends, we are facing the apocalypse, yet we fight.I will not make the list of the threats ahead of us.Stefan is a beautifull exemple of keeping on fighting , helping callers, knowing that millions will go unhelped to screw up their kids.A simple look at the maths would discourage any logic advocate to fight.When I look around me and listen to the philosophical trends, well they are not good. I live in a country (France) where people don't know what libertarianism or capitalism really is, and EVERYONE loves social security but hates taxes , yet pay 50%.In this environment, I still believe that Bitcoin will change the world. Which is totally unreasonable, it is plausible but i have no evidence. All I have is an argumentation, in a world where right now, not many people are interested in money creation, and where Occupy claims more regulation from the state...So we are quite f****d, excuse my french.But bitcoin gives hope, so i believe...
Hope, the faith that good must win,that truth must preveiled.Because it is the only way, yet we are loosing.
But I can't accept that defeat, I won't, we won't.And that's faith. It's my religion, my thoughts to the innocent victims are my prayers.
My hope that we'll win besides the maths is a contradiction. It is faith.Yet i am an atheist, because I scientificaly know that God doesn't exist .What I mean is that even if being atheist is not an act of faith in itself, something else might be, like the search for Truth that drove me to atheism.