This has been a very long series of
sections with a great deal of material in them. You will have your notes and references to refer to over the
years should you wish to refer back to these materials and think about
these matters some more.
For more of this author's ideas on the matter
of religion
the reader might examine the author's online textbook on
Philosophy of Religion.
For the
Final Thoughts
of this author on this topic the reader is directed to this passage
Final Thoughts
in that online textbook.
The
topic of religion is one that is capable of raising great passion in human
beings. Hopefully, the reader is now better informed as to the major issues
in and perspectives on religion and may have a better understanding of
religion as a
human phenomena and of the intensity of experience with which it is often
associated. The key questions concerning the nature of faith and the
existence of divine, spiritual or supernatural beings have not been resolved in this
work. It is for each person to make the best reasoned judgment on these
matters after a careful consideration of all the evidence and all the
alternative positions. To avoid such judgments becoming
matters of faith and doctrine and dogma then such judgments must also be
kept under continuing scrutiny in the light of new evidence and the
presentation of new perspectives and arguments.
On the relation of Science and Philosophy
and Religion to one another
READ: Dallas Roark Knowledge and Method in
Science, Philosophy and Religion:
http://www.emporia.edu/socsci/philos_book/chp5.htm