That Old Time ReligionFollow

I think the only time I ever openly ridiculed someone was when I was talking to a Jehovahs Witness. He was telling me the bit about how there are only so many seats in heaven and I started asking questions about who is chosen and what happens to everyone else (including JH's since there is only like 128,000 seats for the entirety of the human race over the entire course of history).

He started telling me about the people that were getting in like the obvious ones like Jesus etc and then he mentioned that his pastor is getting into heaven. This struck me as odd so I asked how they knew his pastor was getting in. His reason and only explaination was that his pastor said so and therefore it must be true.

I laughed out loud. Made a snide comment and then changed the topic.

The science folk usually tend to look superior when these types of arguments come up, thinking of course that they're backing the person into a corner. As Flea said though, when you know something, you know something.

I usually tend to keep my trap shut when discussing religion because I know I'm not going to change any minds. If it gives them hope for the future, who the hell am I to make their life miserable.

Why bother? Well, because in my view the person is suffering from a delusion, and delusions are generally not good. I'm not saying I'd belligerently try to force my own views on her, but as long as she's willing to talk about it, I'm willing to challenge her irrational view of reality.

I understand why you would have a more positive regard of others who are in any sense spiritual. You're spritual, too. But unfortunately I'm not, and I'm afraid I can't upgrade my view of someone to the next level when I encounter their "sprituality." Of course there are many people who are perfectly rational otherwise, so in those cases I'd count their spirituality as a neutral trait. There are others who live their lives by it and even evangelize it, and I'd count their spiritualiy as a distinct negative.

Ah, so less an informational inquiry and than an argumentative challenge. Again, I don't do that because I assume they're where they want to be. Even with folks that have no belief in a higher power at all. I don't assume that they're delusional. I assume they've assessed their world, and this is what makes sense to them. Spirituality (or lack of it) isn't only a feeling, it's a conscious decision, and I respect and hold people to that.

Almost anyone I have spoken to about spirituality that nominally shares my beliefs parts ways with me on this. I don't evangelize, and I won't.

Edited, Nov 14th 2006 at 10:58am PST by Atomicflea

I would probably get into a deep discussion on various symbology of the Greek myths and how the Romans twisted and changed them to fit their empire. I am spiritual, but I am also level headed enough to try and keep up to date on the newest sciency things (yes that is technical term). I try to live each day with the ancestors and lwa in mind. As I have told Christians before "I'm nice to you bacause you are human, not because some dead dude on a stick told me to".

"Nice necklace."

"Thanks, I'm a Neopagan, we worship the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece."

"Huh, that's cool. So did you want to go out with us again this weekend? I think Bob likes you."

"Before this goes any further, you don't happen to follow the practices of the Isle of Lesbos as well do you?"

I submit!

You'd owe me

rationally (in correct context of the OP) , I assume that the point of the OP was the fact that this person in question is evoking 'fantasy' in order to explain things that are quite explainable and describable scientifically....

rather than looking to fantasy as an explaination for something wholly mysterious... like the origins of life and conscoiusness....
Yet here is a person looking at completely obvious things and attributing them to a pantheon... I assume out of ignorance toward the science...

But, my persoal view is that the realm of the physical and the realm of the pysche are not contradictory. To elabborate; that even though things happen that we can clearly see the mechanics of, there is still no absolute answer to WHY.... and going even farther I would even say that it is plausable to question how... IF you sucumb to believing that there are underlying forces that are happening that we can only see the surface results of.... Then (with lighting for instance); I may damn well know about static, pressure, and friction in the atmosphere causing lighting to happen....
However this would only explain the properties of the surface maechanics of an instance...
Wehn you start adding purely objective connotations to your viewpoint on a thing; I believe that you change the entire context under which your answer should be sought.
So I may choose to still believe that Zues was throwing lighting bolts.... on another level.. whether that level be dimensional , physocological, spiritual.. wahtever... and the scientific reality of the matter wouldn't really enter into it... For the realm of the psyche IS the realm of the spiritual world... So one can study physics and biology all their lives... I still don't believe that those fundamental scienticfic facts need contradict any spiritual viewpoint.
One is merely the Earthly "translation" of an occurance... and the other is a Spiritual "translation" of an occurance.

This is where is all still would boil down to personal faith and waht that personal faith means to you and how you live your day to day life.