Utopia for our Children

[Snoopy]

While others were misspending their youth indulging in sex and drugs and rock n roll I was reading science fiction. Sad but true (cue crunching riff).

I seem to recall (specifics a little hazy) that supposed utopias that were “actually” dystopias was a fairly bread and butter theme in the genre.

I believe that utopia/dystopia, (aka heaven/hell) are real. They exist in mind. Which is why cyberpi’s comment is so true. A person may be living in a “place” that they think is utopia but with no change in the physical world, it can become dystopia in an instant, given a reorientation of their mind.

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

do you just want to flood utopia too?
Tao

Is this a reference to global warming? If so, the utopia will have to involve a lot of boats.

s.

[wil]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

While others were misspending their youth indulging in sex and drugs and rock n roll I was reading science fiction. Sad but true (cue crunching riff).

I seem to recall (specifics a little hazy) that supposed utopias that were “actually” dystopias was a fairly bread and butter theme in the genre.

I believe that utopia/dystopia, (aka heaven/hell) are real. They exist in mind. Which is why cyberpi’s comment is so true. A person may be living in a “place” that they think is utopia but with no change in the physical world, it can become dystopia in an instant, given a reorientation of their mind.

s.

Amen!! ooops no religion... however I believe it to be true and obtained the same thought without religion or science fiction...I learned it thru extensive studies of drugs, sex and rock and roll...not always in that order and often simultaneously... it was constantly the utopia/dystopia wavering...and often when one was in, another was out, then however it was dependent on the outer...today as you indicated it is controlled by the inner....for me anywho.... the question is do I wish my teens the same educational experience...and the answer is no...yes...no...yes and no...arrrgggghhhhh

[Snoopy]

OK this is trivial:

You just need to watch the Matrix.

s.

[China Cat Sunflower]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

But the purpose of this thread is not to perform an atheistic rant. As I was kindly asked by Chris (on the "stupidity" thread over on Belief and Spirituality) to provide a model for how a society would work without religion, I started this thread to that aim. It does seem impossible today to create a religion free society and to be honest I do not exclude religion from existing in where I am going with this. Only that it has no cultural/political significance in a future model of an international Utopia. It should be laws free from religious persuasion that govern humanity. So in stating any ideas I will endeavour, and hope others do too, to make all ideas completely independent of any religion.



Tao

Lottsa luck! Just to reiterate: I wasn't talking about faith, I was asking what institutions would take over the socio-cultural mechanisms of religion if religion itself was removed from the equation. I don't personally need religion. Frankly, I think we're evolving away from organized religion as those control mechanisms are now redundant. I think that the reason that is so is because we are evolving away from tribal structures toward much smaller, individual or single family nuclear social units. So it's not that I think religion isn't ultimately dispensable. It is. The question is: what are the parameters of the experiment? If we have to start with our own situation then I can't see how a large utopian society could emerge sans religion. And if we were to start fresh with our own little cavemen, how could they evolve to where we are now, civilization wise, without the mechanism of religion?

Chris