Karen Armstrong Religion

In the intro to the eleventh chapter of “A History of God,” Karen Armstrong poses a question. Before she gets to her main point, Armstrong first sets the scene with major events that characterize this time period. Then, she states that in the past, religion has always adapted, but that the world may have reached a point where this worldview may no longer fit. The thesis of this passage can ultimately be boiled down to a couple of sentences, “more and more people have found that [religion] no longer works for them, and when religious ideas cease to be effective, they fade away. Maybe God really is an idea of the past.” Although Armstrong’s book is meant to be merely a history of the three main monotheistic religions, in this chapter, she seems

Armstrong achieves her purpose by providing different viewpoints so that the reader can make their own informed decision. On the side supporting the idea that God and religion have become irrelevant, it seems that as more of the mystery surrounding natural events becomes attributed to science, there no longer seems to be a need to come up with a divine explanation. With all of the tragedies plaguing this generation, how can there be a god or divine being that would sanction the loss of innocent lives and allow misery and terror to run rampant? God cannot exist from this viewpoint because then He does not actually care for creation. As society becomes more and more educated and evolved, religion loses its purpose. In the past, it was used to control the masses and give rulers an excuse for their decisions and to stay in power. Now, the populace is not as easily swayed and is capable of making informed decisions for

This issue is not purely black and white. Although there are people who will cease to believe in a god, God will always remain an integral part of society because belief in a divine being gives a different outlook and dimension to life and its purpose. As the God of biblical times adapted to change to the modern interpretation, so will this present God adapt to fit the needs and mindset of future generations. Much as God no longer sanctions the stoning of a woman for adultery, maybe in the future, all mention of violence will be eliminated to emphasize the need for world peace. As horrible events like the shooting in Las Vegas and the AIDS epidemic are highlighted, there is an ever-increasing need to establish the importance of human life and to protest needless violence. Society seems to be becoming more disillusioned and apathetic as time goes by. News sources keep claiming that millennials cannot do anything for themselves and that this generation is corrupting society. What, precisely, this generation lacks is a comprehensive worldview, a means of interpreting the world around them, a goal, and guidelines for how to live life. Science has failed to provide an interpretation of the meaning of life, and cannot set moral guidelines.