OrionTheWolf -> RE: christian terrorism? (5/31/2009 6:16:35 PM)
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Hiya Tim, quote:
ORIGINAL: Musicmystery quote:
Yep all religions are dangerous, especially those Taoist and Buddhist. ;) Hi Orion, I know you're joking, of course, but it's an important point and one avoided in our society. I'm an atheist (neither Taoism nor Buddhism recogize gods), but I respect others' beliefs. When applied positively, theistic beliefs can support good communities and well-examined ethical lives. These are admirable contributions. It is the application and definition of morals that determine the positive and negative. We both know that at the root, is personal responsibility. Too many are willing to give that up for an ideal, whether it is religion, philosophy, or a belief. It is when these are taken to extremes that mankind has a problem. quote:
But when used to intervene in society, we have essentially people who hear voices, or who believe the books they read were written by people who heard voices, or that their leaders hear voices, and those people are dangerous, whatever the voices say. Not necessarily, it depends on what the voice says. Carl Jung's work may describe this as a manifestation of part of the sub-conscious, guiding the person. I have meditated and "heard voices", the difference is that I realize it is a part of myself that has been brought forward, that this "voice" is actually a sensory and rationalization of my mind that interprets the message from my sub-conscious. quote:
Sorry to put it so starkly, but when "God's will" is the heart of both policy and actions defying that policy as it appears in law, the stakes are high, and the "faithful" become criminal (and illogical, since the rest of the voice-hearing faithful received different messages). I believe this to be a different issue. There should be a difference between personal belief, and public service. If someone cannot seperate the two, then they should not swear an oath to do so. quote:
If only society could arrive at their ethical codes through logical means rather than indoctrination or whim, we could have meaningful debates--and a fair, just, yes, even moral (as distinct from the broader ethics) society, where the faithful could again focus on positive contribution instead of self-righteous disruption. The hand of mankind is involved too much, and it is more difficult for each person to find their own path. There are more distractions to draw us externally, than contemplative introspection that may lead to what you describe. I attempt to know myself better each day, but I still have a temper and a sometimes use physical violence to resolve an issue. I believe there will always be some things in mankind that draw them to "believe" more in the external, than themselves. It is my belief that if it ever occurs, we will have made an evolutionary progression so that we would be something other than what we perceive as human today. Live well, Orion
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