Belief, Truth, Assumption, and Reason
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But we can trust the past, if only we are courageous enough to look there. Fundamentalists who deny the full spectrum of the past are in turn painting over the colors of the present with shades black and white. Considering the history of Israel at the time of Jesus without examining the extensive history and religious customs of Assyria, Babylon, Canaan, Phrygia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Italy would be like writing a dissertation on the American Revolutionary War and only giving a passing reference to the French or British. It could be done, of course, but it would be so lop-sided and revisionist as to be outside the pale of honest inquiry. And yet it is with this very singularity of purpose that Christian fundamentalists use only the bible and a select few documents to reference their supernatural cause (the oft-quoted Josephus comes to mind, never mind the hotly contested interpolations in both the Testimonium Flavianum and The Jewish Antiquities).
History, when treated purely as book learning, can be deceptive, for, unlike work in economics, mathematics, or the sciences, the existence of inherent patterns of reasoning may escape the uninitiated almost completely. Thus the mature student reads between the lines in the textbook and sees social forces in action, the complexity of causation in an episode, the strands of continuity, and the relevancy of the past to the present, while the beginner, on the contrary, merely sees facts on a printed page that must be learned. Confronted with phenomena beyond his ability to analyze because he lacks knowledge of the historical approach, the beginner will necessarily memorize capsule versions of generalizations without acquiring the mental capacities which should be a by-product of [study]. He may seek the assistance of outline series, where others have digested the materials for him, and his rote learning gives the illusion of a valid achievement… When the untrained mind must grapple with the broader historical problems, it finds its explanations in certain rudimentary concepts and gross oversimplifications based upon inadequate observation and strong subjective preferences. Among these are the Great Man theory, the single-cause explanation for a complex event, the naïve good-evil or black-white judgment of people and issues, the application of a single formula to all problems, the use of absolutes, and others.
From A Preface to History by Carl G. Gustavson
From A Preface to History by Carl G. Gustavson
No doubt the world has seen how the printed word is interpreted. More curious is the way in which people interpret themselves.
Does not all religion start in the heart, and work its way up to your head, then come out through your mouth, and then it is written down.??? to believe is simple. it requires little or no faith, but faith in ones religion is a different matter.!!!it requires love.
That's the problem. Religion can be taught. Love for it can't. Between that which the mentor speaks and that which I hear, a strange metamorhosis occurs where the charm is lost from the words. It would be so much easier if we could transpose thoughts directly from one mind to another because in hearing or reading, something is always lost in the translation.
listen to your heart m8 no one can tell you what to believe, things of god were written in side of you that only apply to your reasoning, others cant tell you about god, they can tell stories about what has happen, but the conscience is the closest thing we have to god,and that is always with you, you know right from wrong, whether you hear it or not is your free will, this is whats meant by god the voice inside of people,nothing more religion has corrupted that voice .
That sounds like a reasonable opinion. What I have noticed, however, that one person's god is different from another and so their interpretation of what it is varies from one person to the next. Your god may be your conscience, whereas another person's god/dess may be their happiness or even whatever causes lightening.
Personally, I have no gods, goddesses, or demons. There is only me and I am just another critter wandering about on the surface of this globe at the whim of the universe the same as any other critter.
Personally, I have no gods, goddesses, or demons. There is only me and I am just another critter wandering about on the surface of this globe at the whim of the universe the same as any other critter.
What a hoot this "I KNOW THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH GOD"....
You and many "believers" enjoy the right to believe what you want to believe and use the written word and speeches and pictures and whatever you choose to use to proclaim your beliefs. You enjoy this right because reason dictates that so long as you behave within the strictures of law as embraced by this society...that you can believe and say anything you like. NOT GOD's LAW but human law.....
Your pontifications cover a spectrum from incredibly boring to outright insulting...and when some of that insult is returned to you you get all bent out of shape....
You believe that your beliefs are "right".....I believe your beliefs are the product of an adolescent mind that's afraid to grow up. You have no convincing evidence that your beliefs are based on anything but this warm fuzzy feeling you get when the feeling strikes you..... My world and my mind and my value structure and my awareness of self and everything else in this world....doesn't need you and doesn't need your harping about how right your views and belief in "god" are......
You go merrily about your business and I'll go merrily about mine. But note here, I'm not the one selling anyone else my ideas about atheism or "god"....I'm not the one telling everyone else..."You're wrong and wrong-headed if you don't believe what I believe"!
You're the one with the axe to grind.
Go grind it somewhere where there are people interested in listening to your whine...
You and many "believers" enjoy the right to believe what you want to believe and use the written word and speeches and pictures and whatever you choose to use to proclaim your beliefs. You enjoy this right because reason dictates that so long as you behave within the strictures of law as embraced by this society...that you can believe and say anything you like. NOT GOD's LAW but human law.....
Your pontifications cover a spectrum from incredibly boring to outright insulting...and when some of that insult is returned to you you get all bent out of shape....
You believe that your beliefs are "right".....I believe your beliefs are the product of an adolescent mind that's afraid to grow up. You have no convincing evidence that your beliefs are based on anything but this warm fuzzy feeling you get when the feeling strikes you..... My world and my mind and my value structure and my awareness of self and everything else in this world....doesn't need you and doesn't need your harping about how right your views and belief in "god" are......
You go merrily about your business and I'll go merrily about mine. But note here, I'm not the one selling anyone else my ideas about atheism or "god"....I'm not the one telling everyone else..."You're wrong and wrong-headed if you don't believe what I believe"!
You're the one with the axe to grind.
Go grind it somewhere where there are people interested in listening to your whine...
where have i said this
and you don't i suppose your a hypocrite
Ive never said they are right just my musings
your an idiot does not every one think about god and i don't need you either so whats your point oh yea your turn to whinge and whine
wish you would instead i have to read your deluded ramblings on your opinion of me constantly Ive not told any one to believe anything Ive only said things that cross my mind from time to time
oh the law according to MikeyDB the most wise the most beneficent
get a life looser You're the one with the axe to grind. in your opinion
I don't see the need to be nice as you put it when others choose to attack me ,you may be a coward pal I'm not, i will defend myself and any other person i feel is being picked on This is my nature live with it pal
Yes, Gil I am definitely on plain with your philosophy, and I love it. Being just another
critter wandering about on the surface of this earth is a wonderful and free way of life,
and in answer to the question about conscience, my conscience tells me to be a good
person here on earth, and take care of the earth, it is the reason we are here, it is our
'mother earth', and we will return to it after our life, a feeling of complete security for me. I have absolutely no connection with any fantasy gods or any other figments of
people's imaginations at all, they can have all of the guilt and obedience that goes along
with all of that silliness.
No, it's not. It's a violation of copyright law, it's dishonest, and deceptive, to pass off other people's words as your own.