Religion & Belief

Is Religion Harmful or Helpful?

A serious judgement of religion must look at both benefits and harms without slogans.

Do Gods Exist?

The question of gods cannot be answered properly until the claim is made clear.

What Is Life After Death?

Life after death is one of the deepest human questions. It is connected to grief, fear, justice, identity, religion and hope. A reasoned approach must treat the subject seriously without pretending to know more than the evidence allows.

What Does Origins Mean?

Origins questions ask where life, the universe, humans, morality, consciousness and belief systems come from. These questions are important, but they must be separated carefully because not all origin claims are the same kind of claim.

What Are Gods?

The word gods can refer to creator beings, personal deities, spirits, symbols, cosmic principles, tribal protectors, moral authorities or imagined beings. Before judging claims about gods, it is necessary to ask what kind of claim is being made.

Charles Darwin

Scientist · 1809–1882 · Evolution, biology, natural history

Charles Darwin is important to Truth By Reason because his work transformed human understanding of life, species, origins and humanity’s place in nature.

Doreen Valiente

Writer · 1922–1999 · Wiccan writing, ritual, poetry and modern Paganism

Doreen Valiente was an influential Wiccan priestess and writer who helped shape major ritual texts and the public identity of modern Wicca.

Gerald Gardner

Religious leader · 1884–1964 · Wicca, modern Paganism, ritual and religious writing

Gerald Gardner was the principal public founder and promoter of modern Wicca in twentieth-century Britain.

Mahavira

Religious leader · Traditionally dated to the 6th century BCE; exact chronology differs between traditions and scholars · Jain ethics, nonviolence, ascetic discipline, karma and liberation

Mahavira is regarded in Jainism as the twenty-fourth Tirthankara and the central teacher associated with the historical formation of the present Jain community.

Margot Adler

Writer · 1946–2014 · Modern Paganism, journalism, religious diversity and participant observation

Margot Adler was an American journalist and Pagan writer whose Drawing Down the Moon became an influential survey of modern Paganism in the United States.

Starhawk

Religious leader · 1951–present · Goddess spirituality, modern Paganism, witchcraft, ecology and activism

Starhawk is an influential modern Pagan writer, ritualist and activist associated with Goddess spirituality, Reclaiming witchcraft, ecology and social action.

The Buddha

Religious leader · c. 5th century BCE · Buddhism, suffering, mind, ethics

The Buddha is important to Truth By Reason because his teaching placed suffering, craving, impermanence and mental discipline at the centre of human inquiry.

Can morality exist without religion?

Yes. Religion can shape moral systems, but morality can also be reasoned from suffering, wellbeing, fairness, responsibility, consequences and social life.

Does science prove there are no gods?

Science does not simply prove there are no gods in every possible sense. It can, however, test many specific claims made about gods, miracles, origins, healing, revelation and the physical world.

Is evil supernatural?

Some religions describe evil as supernatural, but many forms of evil can be understood through human behaviour, psychology, institutions, fear, greed, obedience, ideology and dehumanisation.

Is evolution a threat to religion?

Evolution is a threat to some literal religious claims about creation, but not necessarily to every form of religious belief. It depends on what the religion claims.

Is questioning a religion disrespectful?

Questioning a religion is not automatically disrespectful. It depends on how it is done and whether the aim is honest examination or needless insult.