[quote]ephrem wrote:
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
[quote]ephrem wrote:
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Atheism does not allow for singular experiences. Atheism restricts knowledge to those concepts that are formed by comparing objects. For ex, the concept of ‘chair’ is formed from observing several very similar objects and tagging those objects with the word ‘chair’.
But then we run into difficulties with things like ‘justice’. Plato wrote a whole book trying to extract the concept from examples about cities (Republic).
God is a singular being. To know God is a singular event. If we restrict our knowledge to only those concepts attained by comparison, then that excludes God. But in my many years I’ve yet to see an acceptable argument for such exclusion.
That God has not chosen to speak to you, is sad.
God bless and Happy Hannukah![/quote]
…does the absence of belief in a god stop me from basking in the beauty of a glorious sunset? No, it doesn’t. Does the absence of belief in a god stop me from loving those close to me wholeheartedly? No, it doesn’t. Does the absence of belief in a god stop me from being kind to those who deserve it? No, it doesn’t…
…the absence of belief in a god does not stop me from being human, from being a good person to the best of my ability. It does not stop me from all of that because this is who i want to be without the threat of hell or the gift of heaven…
…has it ever occured to you that some people need speaking to, and some don’t?
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You don’t need to meet Ayn Rand, Richard Dawkins, or Mother Theresa either. I’m simply saying that religious experience is different than a common experience. Rejecting the first because it doesn’t fit the second is a sign of a closed mind.[/quote]
…what is rejected is not the experience, but the notion that it’s religious. When you experience something profound it’s normal to make sense of that experience by pouring it in a religious mold, making it palatable, but the experience itself isn’t explained by it…
…i’ve had profound experiences. Experiences that changed my outlook on life and reality, and i didn’t reject them. There was a lesson to be learned…
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So, you are not rejecting the experience, only the interpretation of said experience. There was an Event. You experienced the event and immediately began the process of interpreting the event. In doing so, you filtered it through your individual world view, and then examined the pieces through the lenses of your various intelligences. In your case, your worldview filtered out most if not all of the elements that were of a religious or spiritual nature, and your intelligences then began to shape and interpret the rest into an understanding that would fit within your belief system.
This is good. This is how it is supposed to work.
It appears to me that maybe your problem is not with religion in general, but a specific manifestation of religious belief. In your case, you have a problem with fundamental, mythic, ethnocentric, absolutist religion. I would guess in your case it is Islam. I am with you. I would ask if you also have a problem with Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Shinto, Taoism, Confucianism, etc. I have noticed that, at least in the U.S. to more contemplative a religion is, the less polarizing it is. I would remind you that there is such a thing as Contemplative Christianity. I would probably fit this description. Actually, I have a sneaky suspicion that far more Americans would truly fall in this category than is suspected. To give a simple example, the Baptist Church which I attend believes that the Bible is the absolute literal word of God. If it says the world was made in 7 days then it was. Adam and Eve were the first residents and we all came from them. Creationism. And so on.
However, in the most private of settings, if they trust you, most will admit that these stories are myth and allegory, not to be taken as literal fact.