different perspectives

My girlfriend always talks to me about religion. Before you think she's a Jehovah's Witness or an over-zealous evangelical, let me explain. She's studying theology at university, and so when I say religion I really mean high theological issues. One running argument which we have is the use of religion in modern day society - she sees religion as intrinsically useful as it helps people live and grow. Rather than about subscribing to a set of belief or dogmas, religion is more of a 'guide' or rather a certain perspective through which one can see and order the world. In such a way she offers a redefinition of religion - one centred not around dogma, nor even notions of faith, but rather simply of world outlook. My rebuttal would be to see that this all sounds like an illusion which can be used to make sense of a purely nonsensical world. When I look at nature and the general makeup of things, I don't see order - I see chaos. Animals become extinct, we die of preventable disease in our old age after we've lost a large majority of our sensory capabilities. None of these things suggest any sort of intelligent designer - let alone a benevolent one.

I misunderstood what she had said, however. Her argument is not a teleological one - nor is it one for the existence of God(s). Rather, it is a defence of a perspective - one which can be likened to a preference and more importantly a way of life. When it comes down to it we are all forced to form the conditions and logical processes which then set out to create an order out of the chaos in front of us - and religion is one such order. There is hence dialogue between religion and secularism. Rather than see the two perspectives at complete odds, perhaps we should begin to focus on their similarities. They are after all different perspectives to the same view.