Religion & Ethics: Content from Across the ABC     Date/Time 17
Mar 2014 7:14:43pm I think I see rationality not as a
description of facts but as a tool of investigation by which we
explore the universe. It is in a sense a means of extending our
perception and updating what we might call "facts" which we then
might understand to be dynamic rather than static.  Religions
are less dynamic as many religious adherents are much more prone
to wanting static "facts" in the form of divinely inspired
doctrines or truths.This is a form of investigation of the
universe that uses authority as a tool, not rationality.  I too
consider that religion has too priviledged a position in
society. The evidence as I see it is that the use of authority
in a religious way is polarising and divisive and too often
discriminatory and repressive.  For me rationality is a more
useful tool, especially when coupled with skeptism and the
willingness to embrace "not knowing", the antithesis to
authority.