Religions: Will they survive in a high-tech 21st century world?

By Dick Pelletier

      

    At the center of our civilization lies culture – and the core of our culture has traditionally been religion. More than any other factor, religion provides a perception of reality by explaining the origins of the universe and giving meaning to history as well as humanity's place in it. Religion defines the nature of good and evil and creates reward and punishment images of life after death.

    Most religions share values but not philosophies, and conflicting ideologies have prevented peaceful coexistence through the ages. As the following Wikipedia statistics indicate, no single religion dominates: Christianity, 2.1 billion; Islam, 1.5 billion; Secular-Nonreligious-Agnostic-Atheist, 1.1 billion; Hinduism, 900 million; Chinese traditional, 394 million; Buddhism, 376 million; Judaism, 18 million; all others, 480 million.

    Religious traditions include compassion and harmony, but some tend to evoke conflict. While the world benefits from leaders like Pope Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama who promote peace and benevolence, others, like evangelical Christian James Dobson and Taliban leader Mullah Omar cause strife with their "I'm right; you're wrong" mantra. This stance often inspires terrorists who try to weaken nations through fear.

    Spiritual leaders understand that religions must change if they want to fill the needs of a civilization about to experience overwhelming science and technology breakthroughs. During a November, 2009 Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Sciences conference, officials embraced the probability of extraterrestrial life. Advisor to the Pope, Jose Gabriel Funes said there is no conflict between belief in these beings and faith in God.

    As the Internet grows and absorbs more of humanity's knowledge, technology will soon enable two-way natural voice access with auto-translation software; making all of the world's information available to anyone with a computer or cell phone. This will equalize many 3rd world nations and curb tensions caused by misinformation.

    As life extension technologies mature, futurists Ray Kurzweil, Aubrey de Grey and other forward thinkers predict that science could one day eliminate all unwanted deaths; humans would not die from sickness, old age; even violence or accidents would not summon the Grim Reaper. Should death rates shrink, there will be less demand for religious counseling to overcome fear of death.

    But theologians believe religions will still have much to offer. They can help people identify good and evil, which promotes a healthier moral life; preserve cultural and religious differences, which evoke feelings of pride and esteem; and instill a sense of belonging with community get-togethers.

    Ethics Professor Thomas McFaul believes that distrust will give way to trust, and religions of the future will come together to bring greater peace and justice to an evolving global village. "By mid-century," McFaul says, "religious groups will treasure what is at the heart of their own beliefs and still respect and appreciate the uniqueness of other traditions."

    Experts predict that future religious leaders will encourage their faithful to act as unified citizens practicing justice, peace, and optimism. Obsessions over cultural differences will disappear as civilization morphs into a 'global village'.

    So to answer the question, "Will religions survive in a high-tech 21st century world?" Futurists believe that religions willing to adapt to exponentially-advancing technologies will prosper in this "magical future" time.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.