HISTORY OF IDEAS - Religion 

While reading these comments, it's quite obvious that the problem is not religion, but instead, close-minded, moral absolutists who wish to impose their ideologies on everyone else. Moral absolutism is not a characteristic that is exclusive to those who embrace religion. It's also embraced by those who embrace nationalism, secularism, patriotism, or any kind of political ideology. Just let people be.

My mother is a deep believer in the Hindu religion. I don't believe in any of it. But when I didn't do well in school and my mother was extremely anxious about my future, she would pray a lot and visit a temple. It's in her nature to worry a lot. After her prayers her despair would be replaced with hope. Even though I'm still not a believer I appreciate what religion has given her. Thank you school of life for this video.

I like the phrase "humanity is painfully ended its childhood" when we discover cosmic science.

5:38 my Favorite part.... “It’s tempting to laugh at the Catholic Church but the church is trying to hold on to something rather lovely that had served humankind well; the idea of our cosmic significance; the idea that we matter; that someone out there cares. Copernicus and Galileo's theories are like the very painful end of the childhood-of-mankind.** Their discoveries that we are but a tiny forgotten meaningless blue dot in the randomness of space, is akin to a child discovering that his or her parents are in truth, really unimportant in the scheme of things. A new existential terror will echo down the ages from these scientific discoveries we are still dealing with. "

Finally someone talking about religion in a productive, rather than passive-aggressive or defensive way!

This video sums up my life of recent years. I have abandoned 2 years of Computer Science to pursue a degree that acknowledges my interest in religions. I'm beginning this degree very soon, to hear this video is so informative and inspiring. and id like to say that I love and appreciate the work you people put in your videos. Your videos are most definitely having an impact on what I'd like to be in the future. From my experience, religious people are some of the most happiest people I have seen. Ajahn Brahm/RU-vid for example. In my opinion science will never be the answer to happiness and contentment. I believe that either a life of simplicity or a form of religious/philosophical dedication is the answer to contentment and happiness. Religion teaches selflessness, far from science such as technology which has made us more selfish. Technology and science are far from evil though, with the declining interest in religion we just need to find balance with it.

"Science now makes it almost impossible for any intelligent person to believe in the Bible as literally true." Damn that's a hard one to swallow

I'm an Atheist and I thought this was a wonderful explanation of religion...

Religion itself isn't the problem. Dogma and blind allegiance is. It's just that religion is more likely to align itself with dogma. It's troubling to have certainty without basis of facts. Science alone doesn't bear facts. We must never ignore this. Phrenology was once s science.

For those who say that science will never be the answer to finding happiness and contentment, I agree. But do not limit yourself with social conventions such as religion. Instead; unravel your ever expanding mind with a pursuit of *Truth*.

Basically, respecting othets' believes, as long as they are not 'imposing' upon others, seems to be the right approach for the timebeing...Thsnk you! I love your talks!! Teresa

I love watching these videos while I am working out...it eases the pain

I'm so glad I can hear people say religious stuff and just not give a shit. Otherwise I'd be like one of the hundreds of people in the comments fighting a futile and tedious argument. Enjoy your gods or atheism or whatever you believe, just don't force any of your shit on me and we'll be fine.

What an outstandingly mature and thoughtful piece, you were stepping on landmines and made it look like an elegant dance.

I'm not an atheist, nor religious. I do however, believe that love, hope, piece... God and spirituality... are all very real and important things. Science takes a mathematical and physical evidence approach to understand the world. Spirituality takes an emotional, moral and intangible approach. Both are important for human kind.

"Religion may well have been a deep illusion but it was an important one." That's how I felt when I became an atheist. I grew up in an abusive home. 'The meek shall inherit the earth' meant a lot to me. I'd read the bible a lot and to this day I can recite quotes that my parents hadn't even read. Reading 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' helped me when I became an apostate. Religion is an analgesic for existential grief more than anything else. To know you exist and your life and sufferings are acknowledged and maybe rewarded.

Please do a series on mythologies around the world.

That was a great argument. People need to know that although throughout history many leaders have Used (abused) the power of religion to accomplish their goals ; it's not tge true nature of religion. It's very simple to relate all terrors and wars of our modern era to religion, but that's not the main purpose of religion. We need to understand the need of religion for self improvement and try to integrate it in our modern lives. I consider myself a Muslim but my modern life in Canada doesn't allow me to follow all Islamic rules nor I seek the need to do that, but still I find it very useful to have this religious beliefs and it has helped me a lot.

Everyone in the world needs to watch this. Again and again, if necessary.

Such lovely essays on this channel! Thank you, School of Life!

If aliens ever come to earth and ask to learn about humankind we should just show them this channel.

This is seriously my new favorite channel. You guys have equal amounts of compassion and intellect. It is wonderful.

Yes. Exactly. Now that I am old. If only you were around when I was young. Much modern discussion is with someone who is angry. No one likes anger or hate. The truth of your words shows because you are at peace with yourself and the world. There is no hate or anger in your voice. Keep up the good work.

This makes me appreciate the beauty of all of the religions in the world, the ideas they have, their similarities and differences, and the community they do to people, the morals they tried to teach to make people as good persons, and the beauty of their traditions, art, culture, etc. I am a Christian Catholic, but I am not religious but kind of spiritual, and I also try to have open mind when discussing religion or dealing with other's religions and ideas, because above all of the ideas I learned as a Catholic is that "I should love my brothers and sisters as I love myself" and it is a hard thing to do, a hard process to perform, a hard challenge to perfect, but still I constantly try to do it. I also kind of practice the good things that other religions do and teaches about morality, how to live a good life, and how to be a good person. I also appreciate the role of religions as social and cultural structures that provides us something that we still look for and struggle as human beings that modern science and technology can't sometimes offer, and the gave people relief, assurance, be at ease, and to continue to live a good life. The only problem with religion for me is how they divide people, how they fight against one another through ideas and their hold on for their faith, the killings they did to people in the past, how some force people to believe in their faith, and how religions teach children to just belief in a strict linear path seriously, to be close-minded to other ideas and beliefs, to have prejudices about other's beliefs, to be intolerant of others in other beliefs, to control the entire life and future of their children, to not respect other's beliefs, and to think that they are the most special human beings and other people are not and that the only way to save ourselves is to strictly believe in our beliefs and to do and save others by forcing them to convert. All social and cultural things we have always have pros and cons with them making them not perfect, whether religion, art, language, technology, etc. There's nothing in this world and in our human existence and culture that only have good side without potentials of being bad, used for evil, or be imperfect. Technology, science, religion, and even society all have their pros and cons, their potentials to be bad, used for evil and immorality, and to always be perfectly imperfect part of our reality, and this is also what religion tries to say, that amidst the imperfections and of not having perfectly good and complete things in our world, there's still that perfect thing that awaits us whether called heaven, afterlife, resurrection, nirvana, moksha, enlightenment, spiritual liberation, freedom from suffering of life, etc. .

Buddhism is more a philosophy and a way of life than a religion.

Best channel out there at the moment.

As a Bible teacher, this was interesting, thanks.

Thank you for this video. This is the most unbiased video on religion that I have ever seen. Amazing.

“It is morally as bad not to care whether a thing is true or not, so long as it makes you feel good, as it is not to care how you got your money as long as you have got it.” - Edwin Way Teale My thoughts on religion enclosed in one marvelous quote.

"Religion may well have been a deep illusion, but it was an important illusion..." Was is the key word from that quote.

Ancient people used religion to explain what they couldn't understand. But now we are practicing those old religions without updating them.

4:17 Treat the poorest with kindness and give them kind sweet stinky bud

Thank you for always bluntly and rationally addressing even the most controversial topics. It is unbelievably common in other media for the narrative to resort to being peppered with disclaiming language or waltzing around stating things as a definitive fact, so as not to offend. Perhaps that is why I've found that SoL content has been an impressively effective informative resource; you are clearly putting into focus ideas that seem to naturally align with my own on a number of subjects.

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful perspective! I had once been very enthusiastic in the church I had been raised in. Now, I hold a much more skeptical view. Even still, I have had to come to terms with what I had lost (whether real or imagined). Today, I believe religion is much like money. It is simply a tool that others will use in what ever way truly reflects their character. If you a good, kind, charitable person, going to church will help you become more of those things. If you are a fearful, judgmental, hateful person, then going to church will also help you there as well.

Nothing matters and nobody cares! That's why people need to help each other and other beings. Because there is nothing "there" at all. So only we are and our surroundings are important. Look around! That's all you (we are) have. Accept it and deal with it. Stop searching for something beyond ourselves. There is nothing more significant except us. And everybody of us is just a part of this planet, born here and will die here. So live your life with joy and dignity, because it's all we have (joy and dignity).

The charitable aspect of religion is my favourite❤.

I would argue that philosophy is the most important ingredient to have a good life with peace in mind for those turning away from religion.

Beautiful, refreshing and thoughtful analysis of the importance of religion.

do we really need to be lied to in order to get through life.

I have never agreed more to a thing lasting 11 minutes. Thank you for the beautiful and insightful content of this video.

I believe that both religion and science are very important to be knowledgeable in. One provides answers to what the other cannot. A person loses a large part of there humanity when they are only religious or only scientific.

The remarks on Buddha weren't quite correct. His goal isn't to "abandon" suffering or pain of the world through mental practices. In fact, he says the very search for comfort and satisfaction is "WHY" we suffer. We suffer because we want things, because we want a lasting happiness in a world of transient phenomena. Meditation is simply to still the mind, to stay mindful of one's own desire's and thoughts. With enough practice, when the mind abides in its natural state, unswayed, one finds Reality, or in this case Enlightenment. It's very hard to describe this state, because it is not a mental state, or of any state. It is not something conceptual. Reality is not a concept, it isn't something experienced or perceived. It can only described in terms of negation as uncaused, independent, unrelated, undivided, uncomposed, unshakable. Buddhism is quite the most misunderstood religion. It isn't direct and presented. One must analyze, investigate and meditate to understand. It's also best to add in that other ritualistic and deity worshiping addition to Buddhism were created by man for the common lay people to help them. However, they are unnecessary and irrelevant towards gaining Enlightenment, and are not part of what Buddha taught.

What a beautiful channel this is. Pure goodness and adding to the universe. Thank you to the team behind these wonderful works.

I live in one of the poorest countries in the world and I'm one of the few who are privileged enough to be an atheist. It's true the fear and love of God is really helpful for poor countries. In a way religion is still government in my country. It keeps the peace.

The description about Dawkings's view is a little narrow, but this video is a wonderful thing, and this channel gives "faith" back to mankind. Thank you very much

Wow, the history of religion in 11 minutes. I feel like this was a drunken bet made in a pub.

Funny that after leaving religion, having taken 12 yrs to exit, I had, myself, come to the same conclusion; that the human existence desperately needed one single thing that should never be erased from any culture, and that thing is hope. İn order for us to be able to bear the burden of existing, we all need a form of hope, or at least something to "look forward to," whether it be an after life or a session at our canvas painting.

To quote CS Lewis, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else".

This is an important video. It reflects a deep understanding of man's nature and religion that few secularists and fundamentalists possess.

And with Dawkins' approach, I also fear the "Brave New World" scenario. I imagine he's read that book, but the point is, when science and pleasure replace God, you also lose humanity. Humans are only human when we struggle, and God is needed in that struggle. I DON'T mean the Abrahamic God, either. I'm a Pantheist, so everything is God to me.

I’m Buddhist and every religion goal love and Compassions and the deferent is way of teaching love kindness compassion

WOW really an amazing work was done on this video!! Thank you for your wisdom♥

Nothing about the Vedas and how religions have developed rigid social hierarchies throughout the world?

Despite the occassional curse word in your videos, your channel has some of the most well-thought-out and meaningful content on youtube.

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. Philipians 4:6 1. Prayer of thanksgiving 2. Prayer of requests.

That is one of the most diplomatic reconciliatory conclusion I have ever heard

I love your attempts to being open to religion and to trying to find new ways of explaining. I found a few ideas in this video new to me and quite interesting. Nevertheless, I think that 11 minutes are not enough. A lot of what you said should be explained more deeply. That said, I won't "like" nor "dislike" the video, hoping that you will upload another video on this subject that is more explanatory. Thank you School of Life!

Love how you put a picture of Pat Robertson in the video when you said "Religion just comes to seem like something a bunch of mad people could ever be interested in."

This video really opened my eyes. Thank you.

I can call myself a big fan of your channel and this is absolutely the best video you guys ever produced. Thanks ❤️

Greetings! Have a brilliant day. ☀️

Life in itself is meaningless, but we ourselves can give it meaning.

Eclectic, inspiring and moderate throughout. Thank you.

Believe in whatever gives you hope.

so good i subscribed. (for the rest we have television and the news)

Talking about religion in past tense is somewhat optimistic but still gave me a pleasant glimpse of the time when it is not. God bless America.

Excellent! Just replace 'needs' throughout with 'desires', and you've nailed it.

This is one of the best pieces of knowledge that modern generations should consult, meditate, process and reflect on their day to day lifes. It would help to improove the current situation around the world.

I think that we should replace religion with philosophy, because it has a scientific approach to the fudimental questions in life. There is no dogmas in philosophy and evetything can be doubted. Philosophy gives you the tools to determine what is right and what is wrong, and in doing that makes you wise and in peace with yourself. Another interesting thing is that christianity, islam and judaism incorporated a lot of ideas from Plato's philosophy. Therefor I state that the reason why christianity seem so appealing and wise is the fact that it uses Plato's philosophical ideas... Literally ( those of you familiar to Plato's philosophy are probably grinning right now).

Wonderful as always TSoL. I'd love for you guys to address mass migration through the ages and how those situations worked out. Is there anything we can learn from history?

Ideally, I would like to be a part of a school of thought that meets the needs that religion has filled throughout human history through the perspective of science and philosophy; a way of approaching the world that uses all that we know to be empirically true and consistent combined with the ability to think critically and accurately about our situation as a vulnerable animal slowly piecing together our part in all of this; something that acknowledges how scary life can often be, and how little control we really have over how we react to these difficulties, but something that also sheds light on the 'normalness' of it all. Religion filled very real needs in the past, and I think it's time it is updated to encompass all that we've learned in the past couple of centuries. In short, a philosophy that uses science, psychology, and art to ease the tensions of a mortal existence. Something that acknowledges the different ways that we see the world and reestablishes connection in the things that all humans have in common. I think we've paid too much time and attention to what separates us. Anyway, seems to me that all religions, at their foundations, are talking about the same thing: the miracle that anything even exists in the first place. Surely it would be much simpler for nothing to exist at all? To me the real problem is when people use such vulnerabilities to push their own agendas. There are problems in our past that need to be learned from and avoided in the future. Perhaps we'll work it out.

This was yet another interesting one..thanks.

Its an amazing perspective that, how human's curiosity of his surroundings made him find religion to satisfy that curiosity of his surroundings.

It’s so refreshing to hear a secularist speak with tenderness, love, and compassion in the midst of the “new atheist” frenzy which stirred such hatred, arrogance, anger and bitterness. Thank you Alain

Maybe the best video I have ever seen. Thank you so much

Beautifully and eloquently said, and a wonderfully humane response to militant atheism. I'm an atheist myself (& a scientist), but I seem to be a terribly spiritual atheist, who's always recognized that religion is much more than just ignorance and superstition. It's an attempt to satisfy a deep emotional need for meaning and truth beyond ourselves. Religions may come and go, but the religious impulse will always be a part of the best of us.

This explains why there's more churches in poor neighborhoods. For charity.

School of life: "capitalism is immoral, we should all be marxists" School of life: "if you like our films take a look at our shop (we ship worldwide)"

The School of Life always has the most nuanced approach to any topic.

How wonderful! I'd love for intelligent Christians to admit this. I have lost so many friends because of my beliefs. I have been condemned to hell on a regular basis, by my closest friends, simply because I take a lot of inspiration from the teachings of other faiths.

Weed leaf at 4:20 anyone?

“The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” - Werner Heisenberg

this needs to be translated to all languages, and be spread far and wide!

Thank you for this video. I had my doubt about the origin of religion. I believe after seeing your video I have more clarity on life and its existence. I can now write my paper after seeing your facts that you had to put on the table. I need to gather more and bring it in one single piece.

Good video. I'm not religious, and I don't have the cash, but if I did, I would have no problems sending my children to Catholic school. I don't mind them learning about Christianity while at the same time receiving, in most cases, a better education than what public schools in the U.S. dish out nowadays.

This series was really shaping up to be amazing but this "slight" against Dawkins and the misrepresentation (or under-representation or misunderstanding) of his message and his work... Is really really disappointing.

I agree. A loving Religion is very important to all mankind.

I'm a christian recently but I am aware of the people that hold their moral values as absolute and I try to be balanced and find a way without becoming arrogant. It has helped me in becoming a better man...

Why on earth would you be afraid of death? You've been dead for longer than you've been alive.

I doubt religion originally had the intention of helping people cope with death. Many religions had no notion of a (rewarding) afterlife. The ancient Greeks, for instance, didn't believe in a reward after death. The Greeks believed in an underworld where every person went to. The stories about the underworld are generally unpleasant, oftenly filled with people lamenting their previous decisions and at worst about people going through cruel punishments. Only the most exceptional went to a better place (Elysium). Even the Judeo-Christian religions didn't start out with the notion of a rewarding afterlife. The oldest manuscripts contain no notion of heaven or hell, those were added in with the New Testament. Judaism till this day has no official notion of an afterlife. The Torah does have some vague description of a hell (Sheol, it's like a region of darkness/nothingness), but other verses state that *everyone* goes there after death. I think that the notion of an afterlife was invented as a method to keep people from engaging in immoral behavior. The idea is that you have an authority figure that is always watching you and capable of punishing you after you die (because he sure isn't going to do it immediately).

I am from kushingar I feel glad to hear this

Great video...clear, concise & informative

Like I always say, accepting your not unique is the first step to being unique

You're videos are so healing. ❤

it really depends on your definition of "religion", which has traditionally been used to control the masses. people need to find their own connection with "all that is" if they want to find purpose for their life and acceptance of their eventual death. institutions become corrupted, dogma becomes inflexible, people believe what they're told to believe, not what they feel. we don't need religion.... we need acknowledgement of our personal connection to..... everything that exists.

Why people tend to say that their religion is right and the rest are not. If we have this thought, we automatically disgrace our oun faith. Because God through thousands of years sends prophets to guide humanity. So that we learn to love, and so on. We cannot say that other religion are wrong as they are all from not other but God. It is called "progressive revelation" in all religions, the spiritual aspect are the same, only the social aspect changes. Because the world is also progressing and not staying still.

Hi I describe myself as definitely agnostic, that was beautiful thank you

They are worshipping a weed plant at 4:20 lmfao

Deeply insightful.

This video is an extraordinary masterpiece. Wether you believe in a God or not, it shows us a deeper view of who we are, before you (the person reading this) and I even existed. It shows us that morality is essential and can’t easily be undermined!