I enjoy your perspective as well, but inevitably, I disagree with you on
this point. To me, religion is a practice, as is playing music. Not
everyone in this world plays the guitar, correct? It is also a *belief*,
as is
"I love the Spice Girls, they rock, and I am right." However, not everyone
listens to them, in fact some hate them. (atheists, figuratively)
I don't think it's good to mix up the terms of religion and reality, as if
relgion is an innate form of conciousness; it isn't. It may be somewhat
instinctive, as in all cultures create it. But there are always those who
go against so-called "nature". (a word implying it's inescapable)
So are you saying then, that religion is *not* a choice?
I just want to be clear on that. Wait, I thought God supposedly gave us
'free will', so that we could choose, and therefore that is the only way we
can truly Love Him.
Also, skin is physical, and spirituality, well, is a concept and
definately not physical, heck, we don't even know if "spirits" exist.
(my patented super-spirit-detector broke on me) =)
>What you will find here on this list are people who believe they are human
and
>have 0 religion. If that is not deluded then I do not know what is.
>
>Religion to me is just the way we frame our existence. I have skin that
divides
>me from what is "not me". Religion is what connects me to what is not me.
I am
>interested in what connects you to me. I know what connects me to you.
>
>For people to come here and quibble about the meaning of words (oh my I
have done
>that too) and not get the bigger picture... well I still enjoy seeing the
>process. And I am not so deluded to not see my own progress as being
measured by
>all of you and the others I choose to associate with.
>
>So keep on whacking on me! I have more living to do and more learning and
lovin.
>
>Marie
>
>ECheung76 wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 98-03-27 11:34:55 EST, you write:
>>
>> << It is quite a good conversation. If what you are asking is this really
>> GOD... well I have no idea. The thought came to me after being
involved in
>> some earlier discussions on this list with a born again who chose to
leave us
>> because she did not feel that anyone really wanted to listen to her
side of
>> things.
>>
>> We square up our vision of life and how we relate to it based on lots of
>> ideas from others on what is ok and what is not ok. And talking to
oneself
>> is one of those not so ok things to do. Well, I feel that the hardest
thing
>> to do is to really be aware of our own lack of true skepticism about
our own
>> blindness.
>>
>> It is easy to view religion for example as all negative. Well, life is
not
>> that simple. All things in life are choices. Some people here seem to
>> cherish athiesm with the same fervor of religious fanatics.
>>
>> Someone said for example that athiesm has not produced bad things for
>> people. Sigh... this is a time of post communism. How quickly one
forgets
>> that oppression in the name of any "ideal" still hurts as much.
>>
>> To Marie,
>>
>> You said:
>>
>> So back to that conversation. I like a course in miracles. The reason I
>> like it is that it squares up with my idea of what Jesus Christ was all
>> about... And yes, I was raised as a Christian just not the born again
type.
>> So, I have always kind of liked the picture of this man who just seemed to
>> understand what people are really all about.
>>
>> And in the quiet times when all about is still, a voice calls to me.
It is
>> my own personal experience. Sharing it here is difficult. Perhaps
when you
>> are all my age, you will have your own voice. I have had life without
it. I
>> do not want to go back.
>> >>
>> First communism isn't equal to atheism, atheism doesn't prosecute people
>> because of what they belief. To me, although religion is the opium of
the mass
>> but it is better let it fade out rather than suppressing it. Believe in the
>> power of people's intelligence, don't guide them.
>> Beside, by now you know the voice is from yourself rather than from
without,
>> why shall you afraid of it? To attribute it as god and follow it like a dog
>> "love his/her master" is a choice, to discard it as merely voice is another
>> choice. As what I study in psychology I know our so called personality
>> actually is quite fragmentary, it is not surprising to found out a voice
out
>> of some sub-formed personality comment on your behaviors or it is your
>> instinct (i.e. the six-sense, whatever you call it.) The biggest sin of
>> christianity is claiming something within yourself as from without. It
is like
>> compartmentalize yourself.
>>
>> I hope this would help,
>> Born-again Atheist,
>> Euler
>
>
>
>--
>Marie
>
>Who in real life exists as
>
>The Noble Lady Casey, Serpent's Hold, Sonoma Shard, Britannia
>
>
>