Cragun Argument

Another area where I find myself further agreeing with Cragun is based on the interpretation of religion. People who interpret religion as black and white are particularly irrational and not showing elements of modern or critical thinking ability. Fundamentalists and even secularists who see religion as black and white are both equally wrong and Cragun acknowledges this fact. Interpretation is mainly opinion, but the fact that you can block out all alternatives and see elements of only right or wrong within religion makes for serious bias. The main example that proves religion as a subject with significant gray matter would be all the splits within religion throughout history. Judaism has the ideas of Reform Judaism vs. Orthodox, Christianity …show more content…
Cragun says the idea that people who associate religion with happiness are not really happy it is just how they think. This an example of where Cragun tries to turn an argument that shows the benefits of a religious presence, into an overall weak association. I think that religion for some people can give them a sense of true happiness, and that’s why I feel Cragun’s argument is relatively weak. Cragun many times attempts to apply characteristics of large groups to every individual which is clearly not the case. Despite the weakness of this argument I feel it serves a benefit in that it strengthens his own thesis. The fact that religion is based on interpretation shows it should not be the basis for society. The ideals of less religion would overlook these aspects such as religion’s correlation to happiness, health, moral reasoning etc. While I do feel that Cragun’s argument is weak it serves the purpose in showing that religions are all based on how you perceive them. The presence of uncertainty shows that we would be better off looking past religion and into more rational data. Cragun also makes the assumption that religious individuals are more likely to fear death. I also feel this is relatively weak because some people are comforted by the idea of an afterlife and because of this they turn to religion. Cragun again makes broader assumptions and attempts to apply them to the masses of people. The logic behind the argument is weak, but in terms of a call for less religion it shows another reason why we should look past religion. Cragun does present some weak arguments, but he has the clever ability to use these weaknesses to strengthen his thesis. Cragun makes the case for less religion by showing if we rely on religion then we would rely on weak arguments and other baseless claims.