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Believers
AMEN..to that..I believe in God and I consider myself a Christian, but I do not try to influence others in their beliefs and I don't appreciate others to it to me/LB
posted by
MsJudy
on June 11, 2010 at 11:46 PM
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Re: Wow, I admire the way your mind works!
In my model of the Universe, Sage, there is a wide and wonderful ground between dogma-based belief and scientifically proveable belief. It is in that ground that my faith finds roots. It is a transcendant faith and I believe that the high-planes thinkers you refer to tend to be of this sort of faith, too.
Transcendant because it rises above dogma and human-taught religious instruction and institution.
In my model, a 'God' can't help but exist. I have written in this blog about this before, it is what this blog, actually, is about: what my model has come to be, how it grows, and why I believe in it.
Thanks for your great comment! I love the ones that open conversations!
posted by
Ciel
on May 13, 2010 at 10:21 AM
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Wow, I admire the way your mind works!
Ceil,
I think that what you have said, is that you LEAST enjoy conversations with zealots of every stripe, and enjoy far more, conversations with thoughful, reflective, considerate, concientious, open-minded people, who are willing to concede that their opinion MIGHT be wrong. Doesn't mean that if such turns out to be the case, they are likely to change their minds or how they (we) will continue to live our one life, though. As I said recently, (yesterday?) I cannot think what I would find acceptable as proof of a deiety, even materialization right before my eyes, and pulling off several miracles, just for me. What I will always find mystifying however, is/are those whose minds are undeniably brilliant, anylitical, and who dwell on a plane of thought high above the ability of my mind to grasp, who have a deep religious belief of ANY type, based only on dogma, and religious instruction by HUMANS, based only upon faith, with no tangible, verifyable proof whatsoever. Men like Arthur C. Clark, C. S. Lewis, and many, many others. I ask myself if this a way of compartmentalization of a fear so vast and terrifying (of eventual, inevitable, personal NON-existance)
posted by
northsage_45
on May 13, 2010 at 6:44 AM
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Re: Rockinrector,
I enjoy far more the company and conversation of people of faith who have no religion, than those who eschew all matters of faith with a religious fervor.
In my experience, there are people of generosity and people of contempt on each side of the question of God's existence, even the definition of God. It is that, more than their position on faith, that makes them enjoyable or avoidable company.
posted by
Ciel
on April 28, 2010 at 7:52 AM
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Ciel, this is great. I agree with every word! I love discussion and conversation with atheists, but not with any on either side of the debate who are narrow-minded and evangelistic. Let everyone believe what they want to believe and open discussion with them in order to discover their truths as well as my own. That's my thoughts, anyway!
posted by
Rockingrector_retd
on April 28, 2010 at 3:58 AM
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dsm tchr, that sounds like a really interesting interview!
It's a fact, there are nearly as many notions of God as there are people... and that is an interesting interpretation of believing and knowing, and faith.
A true scientist can adamantly refuse to accept a thing as fact because it has not been proven, yet still accept some things as real, as a person, that can only be accepted by faith.
posted by
Ciel
on April 23, 2010 at 11:17 PM
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Re: A lot of thought went into this post I can tell and it is a wonderful post
Thanks, Kabu-- I'm glad you enjoyed it!
posted by
Ciel
on April 23, 2010 at 10:58 PM
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Ciel, you distinguish between atheists and hedonists, and I agree. I found it interesting the other night when I ran across interviews with Karl Jung the noted psychologist (archetypes and collective unconscious), a scientist who cannot believe by faith, but who knows a thing by empyrical data. When asked if he believed in God, he replied that he did not believe anything, but that he KNOWS there is God. I thought that was extraordinary, and may not fit with some notions of "our" god. Great post! I remember.
posted by
dsm_tchr
on April 23, 2010 at 7:15 PM
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A lot of thought went into this post I can tell and it is a wonderful post
and very fair. I enjoyed reading you.
posted by
Kabu
on April 23, 2010 at 3:23 PM
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