thread: 2005-08-09 : The New Open House 2: Religion
On 2005-08-09, Clinton R. Nixon wrote:
I believe in the idea of God. I think the idea of God is these things:
- Necessary. We wouldn't have thought it up without a reason. Personally, I think that a majority of people could not function without a concrete answer in their head to the question "Why?"
- Powerful. There's a weird one. But if we're the controllers - people, that is - and we change and affect change because of belief, then what we believe in is powerful.
- Beautiful. The imagination, wow. There's so much truth in the world, and to imagine something beyond truth and lies is amazing and a testament to what we are.
I don't believe in a God, to be frank. I think we made it up. I think that I'm a big, smart monkey, and am cool with that. But the idea of God - amazing.
Give me hours and I'll extend this analogy. The afterlife - don't even get me started.
And lastly, I think modern Christianity is a plague upon the land. I read the Bible - I grew up soaking in it. I know what Christ said. And this modern thing - it ain't it. Not one bit. The Christ I believe in - and I do believe in that person - preached love and tolerance and a primitive form of socialism. According to who you ask, he didn't even say much about being the son of God, except to tell people that they all are the children of God.
I believe in the God of these books: Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow, and Lamb by Christopher Moore, and Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg.
Wow, I could go on for days. I should start a religion or something - the Seekers.
This makes MW go "smart monkey"
weird factoid: latest evidence is that people are genetically closer to dogs than apes.
This makes VB go "no way."
Citation, please, Matt.
This makes CRN go "agreed with VB"
I'm really going to need to see a citation, too. I like dogs, but I can look in an ape's face and see myself.
This makes NInJ go "Answers are a trap."
You can answer "how" but not "why". When you ascribe an ultimate purpose to the Universe, you make it small and petty and humanoid. You make an idol out of it.
This makes CRN go "NinJ, at GenCon"
Hey - we keep getting our wired crossed. It feels like you've been vehemently arguing with me. Let's talk this stuff out at GenCon.
This makes CRN go "Continued..."
Yeah, actually, I'm kind of ticked off now. Not because you've offended my beliefs - I have few, as shown - but because of the misreading and basically sniping at me in this thread and before. I'm on your side, so, you know, what gives? E-mail if you like. (crnixon@gmail.com)
This makes XP go "Amen."
That part about what Christ really taught is right on.
This makes CRN go "You know what else Christ taught?"
I totally forgot about one of my favorite parts. And it's "get your damn greed out of religion." The only place we see Christ get visibly pissed off is over moneychangers in the temple.
I think Pat Robertson, George Bush, and the rest of 'em might should read that again.
This makes BT go "Seekers"
Interestingly, a group called the Seekers features in the early Quaker movement. George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, preached to this group, and a lot of them became Quakers.
This makes misuba go "One's born every minute!"
i heartily agree with the substance here... just wanna shout out to firesign w.r.t "seeker" is all
