Episode 223 - Religion: Reality Behind the Myths

Are religions the primary source of violent conflicts of human history? Can a person be spiritual but not religious? Is secularism devoid of close-mindedness and irrationality? These are some of the questions addressed in this episode by theolgian, Jonas Atlas. Jonas is a Belgian scholar of religion who writes and lectures on religion, politics and mysticism. Growing up Christian in predominately secular Europe, he found himself having to defend himself for being religious. Additionally, his marriage to a Muslim from Turkey influenced his interest in deconstructing the way people think about religions. Jonas currently teaches classes on ethics, spirituality, and religion at the KDG University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. He is also an independent researcher at the Radboud University, as a member of the Race, Religion, and Secularism network. His latest book, Religion: Reality Behind the Myths, unravels the most common misunderstandings about religion. Here are some of the things we talk about:

·      What are the seven myths about religion?

·      What is religion?

·      Religions, like languages, evolve

·      When we pretend to live without structures, we become blind to all the structures we are really in

·      Can you be spiritual but not religious?

·      The characteristics and behaviors that people think are bad about religions are in all organizations because violence, control, oppression is in our consciousness

·      Everything that can be said of a religion can also be said of the secular world (i.e. they both do dumb things)

·      “Us versus them” mentality keeps us from reconfiguring our consciousness

·      The spirituality of the big bang

Jonas Atlas links:

Website: https://jonasatlas.net/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Reality-Behind-Jonas-Atlas/dp/1803411821

Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/re-visioning-religion (where you can hear the conversations with Jeffrey Kripal and William Cavanaugh)

Interfaith conversations with Muslim scholars, activists and artists: https://halalmonk.com/

© the spiritual forum 2023

Jonas Atlas

“Just as politics can lead to emancipation or oppression, religion can lead to peace or war. Just as economic policy can lead to redistribution or exploitation, a religious approach can lead to inclusion or exclusion. Just as cultural customs can lead to acceptance or marginalization of minorities, religious practices can lead to freedom or coercion. Just as in politics, economics and culture everything depends on the interaction between a multitude of interpretations and on how various power dynamics play out. The same is true when it comes to religion.” Jonas Atlas in Religion: Reality Behind the Myths