Should we eliminate culture, language and religion?

[Nakura Chambers]

This seems to be a popular opinion on the internet. The view that culture has no place in society anymore and that all such cultural manifestations should be exterminated and replaced with a single homogenous group. Rather than derailing the other thread, I have posted a new one for this discussion. Do you agree with such individuals?

Here's my view on it:
Science and physiology can tell us what we are, but it cannot tell us who we are. Only we can do that. Our culture is what defines our civilization, it is a manifestation of mankind's thoughts, desires and attitudes. From the Mona Lisa to the Moonlight Sonata, from the Eiffel Tower to Christmas, from American gun ownership to Italian pasta. Our culture is what defines us and to eliminate, no, to deny, this is to deny who we are.

[Rukentuts]

Culture is impossible to eliminate.
If language is eliminated, how would we communicate?

I abstain from the third topic.

[Daelak]

This seems to be a popular opinion on the internet. The view that culture has no place in society anymore and that all such cultural manifestations should be exterminated and replaced with a single homogenous group. Do you agree with such individuals?

Here's my view on it:
Science and physiology can tell us what we are, but it cannot tell us who we are. Only we can do that. Our culture is what defines our civilization, it is a manifestation of mankind's thoughts, desires and attitudes. From the Mona Lisa to the Moonlight Sonata, from the Eiffel Tower to Christmas, from American gun ownership to Italian pasta. Our culture is what defines us and to eliminate, no, to deny, this is to deny who we are.

Not in our lifetime, but we will reach a cultural singularity, probably decades after the technological singularity, which we will live to see.

[Catta]

Culture is impossible to eliminate.
If language is eliminated, how would we communicate?

I abstain from the third topic.

What he said - and though i dont think you can eliminate religion i think it should be treated as any other mythology ie irrelevant save for history.

[Tierbook]

no i think the internet just wants to get rid of religion

[Deleted]

No, No and No. Nothing much more to be said, the idea itself that you could "Eliminate Culture" is just plain moronic. Equally so for Language and Religion.

[derpkitteh]

i would love to see culture destroyed. a universal language would make things more ideal as well. religion would just be the icing on the cake. with these things accomplished, i think world peace might actually be possible. that's a slim might though.

[Tokru]

However you want to end culture, everything you could do to achieve this would be considered culture too.

[Deleted]

By "eliminating" things you are pushing them underground. What's done is done.

Would the world be a better place if most of these were not invented in the first place? Absolutely. Forcibly removing them right now would only make it worse.

[Nakura Chambers]

However you want to end culture, everything you could do to achieve this would be considered culture too.

True, I should have asked if people think we should eliminate all other cultures and languages, replacing them with a single homogenous culture/language.

[xinjun]

I don't think any of them are inexolerably "bad" on their own. However, what I would like to remove is people's extreme pride and narrow-mindedness toward their own one of these.

Keep your culture amongst your family and people who want to participate. Don't shove it down the throats of others or use it as an excuse not to do things by accepted way of whatever country/culture you happen to be in NOW.

Keep your language, teach it to your children. But DO learn the language of the country/culture you need to interact with on a daily basis. Don't force them to learn yours.

Keep your religion. Don't shove it down the throats of others or use it as an excuse to force someone else to do something because it's supposedly "right" and they are "wrong."

Sounds simple, doesn't it?



Human nature dictates that these things will likely always exist and people will continue to have extreme pride and narrow-mindedness toward their own. What I would really like to eliminate is human nature

[Jackmoves]

Cultures only develop, they are never really eliminated imo. Languages can be eliminated and there is really nothing weird with that. Languages are also under constant development, if you listen to old recordings you will notice how much things change in just 50 years. Religions are similiar to languages. New ones appear, old ones get eliminated, old ones change. It's how it's always been.

---------- Post added 2013-06-12 at 06:38 PM ----------

and though i dont think you can eliminate religion i think it should be treated as any other mythology ie irrelevant save for history.

Our ancestors religion is hardly practised is it? Pretty much only some few icelanders that practise Asatro lol. Of course it's not completely eliminated since there are historical records etc of it but it doesn't really exist in our sociaties anymore.

[Dezerte]

Here's the rundown for secular humanism:

• Need to test beliefs – A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted by faith.
• Reason, evidence, scientific method – A commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence and scientific method of inquiry in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions.
• Fulfillment, growth, creativity – A primary concern with fulfillment, growth and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general.
• Search for truth – A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.
• This life – A concern for this life (as opposed to an afterlife) and a commitment to making it meaningful through better understanding of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the outlooks of those who differ from us.
• Ethics – A search for viable individual, social and political principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility.
• Justice and fairness – an interest in securing justice and fairness in society and in eliminating discrimination and intolerance.
• Building a better world – A conviction that with reason, an open exchange of ideas, good will, and tolerance, progress can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children.

This is more or less what I subscribe to in life. Figure out the rest yourselves regarding the poll options.

[Deleted]

True, I should have asked if people think we should eliminate all other cultures and languages, replacing them with a single homogenous culture/language.

Which one? American, Esperanto, one made ad hoc?

Cultures only develop, they are never really eliminated imo. Languages can be eliminated and there is really nothing weird with that. Languages are also under constant development, if you listen to old recordings you will notice how much things change in just 50 years.

Languages are never really eliminated, either. They subsist as an influence to others — as a substratum, if the invading language became the dominant one, or as a superstratum, if the language of the invaders never really took root or was eventually displaced).

Religions are similiar to languages. New ones appear, old ones get eliminated, old ones change. It's how it's always been.

New religions adopt elements of the old ones as well — which is why you can find so many pagan elements in the Abrahamic religions, for instance.

[Jackmoves]

Languages are never really eliminated, either. They subsist as an influence to others — as a substratum, if the invading language became the dominant one, or as a superstratum, if the language of the invaders never really took root or was eventually displaced).


New religions adopt elements of the old ones as well — which is why you can find so many pagan elements in the Abrahamic religions, for instance.

Yeah I guess you are right, what I meant was that they don't really get "conserved" in their original shape or form. ;P

[Deleted]

Traveling around the world would be pretty boring if we eliminated cultures.

[Deleted]

Traveling around the world would be pretty boring if we eliminated cultures.

This is a really, really, BAD argument.

You would suddenly change your mind if you were to live in a third world country. This is more like a petty byproduct that doesn't matter at all. It's a luxury.

[Deleted]

This is a really, really, BAD argument.

You would suddenly change your mind if you were to live in a third world country. This is more like a petty byproduct that doesn't matter at all. It's a luxury.

But I'm not wrong, right?

[Kalis]

As erosion of culture seems to make people to drop to the lowest common denominator, I'd rather that we kept culture.

I'm a native English speaker and, I'd guess, that would end up being the default language.

Religion plays little part in my life.

So, to answer your question, no, no, and don't care.

[Kathandira]

True, I should have asked if people think we should eliminate all other cultures and languages, replacing them with a single homogenous culture/language.

This is what i assumed you meant.

Culture would be hard to eliminate because individuality is what defines us. Our personal interests and habits and such are what lumps us all into "cultures" Some cultures are short lived, others go on for millenniums. So I do not believe culture can be eliminated or even homogenized.

Language may eventually be unified. Languages have always borrowed from one another, eventually it will be one world language. But that is a very very long time from now.

Religion will never go away. It just might not be as widely practiced as it is today. It will have it's cult followings, but eventually, people may turn away from the continual practice.