Skepticism and Religious Relativism

In philosophical terms, religions can be understood as the search for purpose, goals, meaning, and order. It is a search for what we might call the cosmic order some greater structure within which human lives and societies exist. In this context, religions are systems of belief and commitment around which the faithful order their lives. The twin pillars of Western civilization are Greek philosophy and the JudeoChristianIslamic religious tradition. Philosophy affirms that, in principle, all things ultimately can be explained by reason; religion, however, sees the cosmic order as mysterious and beyond human comprehension. Questions about the cosmic order include whether it is transcendent or immanent; whether the world is purposeful; the extent to which personal perspective is related to truth; the role of the state in human salvation; and what kinds of knowledge (reason or faith) are most reliable. Although skepticism is an ancient part of the Western intellectual tradition, the conflict between reason and faith may be said to have become a crisis only in the modern age.