Tell us about your religion

Nmysys wrote: I only have one concern, your statement

True, but I still maintain that faith is not a rational activity in an otherwise rational world.

Where do you get the, rational world, from?

On what level? Are you saying "the rational world came from the creator (God)?" or are you saying "how is the rational world proven?" Because the rational world is verifiable, provable.

There's a group that calls themselves "The Church of Reality." They believe anything that is real, that is provable. I'm thinking of joining.

Do you believe that the posters on this forum are rational?

Do you believe that the world has ever shown to be rational?

We argue rationale all the time and never come to any conclusions. It is obvious to me that just when I think the world is rational, something else happens to prove me wrong.

What was rational when I was young, is no longer rational to my mind. That may be an overstatement, but I believe you can see where I am going with this.

Let me put it this way, for a joking analogy:

I can remember when the air was clean, and sex was dirty!!

Scruffy wrote: On what level? Are you saying "the rational world came from the creator (God)?" or are you saying "how is the rational world proven?" Because the rational world is verifiable, provable.

There's a group that calls themselves "The Church of Reality." They believe anything that is real, that is provable. I'm thinking of joining.

How does that church explain the unexplainable? Only believing in what you can prove seems very narrow minded and unimaginitive - as well as somewhat lazy.

Advancements in science have come from people stepping out of the accepted 'truth' of the time to imagine a different 'truth' - and then proving it.

dmcdd wrote:

Scruffy wrote: On what level? Are you saying "the rational world came from the creator (God)?" or are you saying "how is the rational world proven?" Because the rational world is verifiable, provable.

There's a group that calls themselves "The Church of Reality." They believe anything that is real, that is provable. I'm thinking of joining.

How does that church explain the unexplainable? Only believing in what you can prove seems very narrow minded and unimaginitive - as well as somewhat lazy.

Advancements in science have come from people stepping out of the accepted 'truth' of the time to imagine a different 'truth' - and then proving it.

I don't know.

Here's a link to their website. It's somewhat interesting - and amusing.

http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/welcome_home/

I think they are serious, but there seems to be a sarcastic tone to some of their writings. They could be making fun of current religions, but yet they seem to be serious about reality.

Nmysys wrote: Do you believe that the posters on this forum are rational?

Do you believe that the world has ever shown to be rational?

We argue rationale all the time and never come to any conclusions. It is obvious to me that just when I think the world is rational, something else happens to prove me wrong.

What was rational when I was young, is no longer rational to my mind. That may be an overstatement, but I believe you can see where I am going with this.

Let me put it this way, for a joking analogy:

I can remember when the air was clean, and sex was dirty!!

For the most part, I think people here are rational. Some are here just to stir up trouble - but we all know who they are. The world is rational, and by that I mean, there is order and reason to the way things occur. If you are applying the term "rational" to this forum, then we will probably never agree with what is rational, as we each have opinions and this particular forum is mainly political.

But the way that the wind blows is rational. There are reasons behind its behavior. The manner in which an airplane stays in the sky is rational. Again, there are provable reasons for the phenomenon of flight. That's what I mean by rational.

Scruffy wrote: I don't know.

Here's a link to their website. It's somewhat interesting - and amusing.

http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/welcome_home/

I think they are serious, but there seems to be a sarcastic tone to some of their writings. They could be making fun of current religions, but yet they seem to be serious about reality.

Blocked from work - I'll read it tonight. It sounds entertaining.

My point is that rationality of one age is different in another. Flight by man was only a dream until it became a reality, and it is not rational for thousands of tons of airplane with fuel, to fly, yet it does. Scientists have a particular rationality, and believers in a Supreme Being have a different rationality coupled with faith. You may be an Atheist, but still have faith, in some way. You have faith in yourself, you have faith that there will be a tomorrow, and in most cases, you still have faith that you will live to see it. IMHO there is absolutely nothing rational about it, except it is relevant to your reality.

Rationality and logic are two different things. but I still think they are relative.

Try this one: There is nothing less common than common sense!

Scruffy, I've committed to reading the Bible many times, but never made it past the Genesis.
To me, the allegory (which is what I take it to be) of the Garden, Snake, Adam & Eve demonstrates a striking understanding of what must have seemed a good way to begin the book: an acceptance that there's something different about us, something challenging of The Scheme, that makes it hard for us to stay in the Garden with appreciation -- the way all other creatures do. This "free will" of ours is both our Naughtiness and our Gift.

Many jokes are told on the Adam & Eve story. My favorite reference is from "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever," where the psychiatrist asks God, "Why didn't you make woman first.....while you were fresh?!"
Then there is the age-old question voiced by the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof: "God, it's not that we don't appreciate being the Chosen People. Only, just once, couldn't you choose somebody else?"

If people with simply live by what they said they believed, the world would be a better place. Unfortunately, many people I know who consider themselves "good Christians" are anything but! They think they are superior to others, know everything, and are in a position to lecture, distress and "correct." Yuck. If that's what "being religions" means, I can most surely live without it.

BuyersAgent wrote: Unfortunately, many people I know who consider themselves "good Christians" are anything but! They think they are superior to others, know everything, and are in a position to lecture, distress and "correct." Yuck. If that's what "being religions" means, I can most surely live without it.

No you can't live without it, and I'll be by dressed in my IBM best suit at 7:30 Sunday morning to show you the error of your ways!

Some of the most basic, important things in life can't be scientifically proven. If/when medical science can prove when a life with a soul, begins, a LOT of conflicts will be resolved.

When does life end? We "knew" a person was dead when their heart stopped beating. Then we realized that the heart can start beating again. We "know" that someone is not dead until their brain stops working.

What will we "know" next year? or in 50, or 1,000 years?

In the meantime, I think we do have to rely on unprovable beliefs in some situations.