Religion is often described as the realm of the supernatural. The entities and phenomena it treats transcend the natural world and its natural laws. Believers in religion accept this description and don't require natural explanations for what they experience in their world of faith. If asked where religion came from, they answer: From God of course.
I loved the Benjamin Franklin story; I hadn't heard it before. One of my favorites is the following dilemma posed by the English philosopher Bertrand Russell: In one of his books, he discusses people who try to reconcile Biblical fundamentalism with evolution. Russell says "this poses a problem. At what stage of evolution did Neanderthal man become capable of eternal damnation?"
I loved the Benjamin Franklin story; I hadn't heard it before. One of my favorites is the following dilemma posed by the English philosopher Bertrand Russell: In one of his books, he discusses people who try to reconcile Biblical fundamentalism with evolution. Russell says "this poses a problem. At what stage of evolution did Neanderthal man become capable of eternal damnation?"
HAL. .... HAL!
...
"My God, it's full of stars!"