click here for pele's theory on religion and arguments with/for/against it

[GILD]

I hear you KNOcking but you can't come in.

[peleschramm]

Phlegm,

I would still be delighted to hear your response.


Also, I thought of another question to bring forward. You seem to believe that you can adapt the philosophies of Christianity to fit reality in a very nice manner. Now I'm curious; are you a believer in an afterlife of some sort? Do you believe in heaven and hell? Do you believe in god (Or is god just a synonym for "love", or approaching others in a fair and objective manner, and not an actual being, merely an abstract concept?)? If you believe in any of these, what are your reasons for believing in them? How strong is your belief in them?

[phlegm]

Originally Posted by peleschramm

I would still be delighted to hear your response.

I'm not sure what you mean by approaching others "objectively". The term "objective" seems to me to be more focused on how I or we can approach an other. But love is an attempt to transcend the "us vs. them" mindset and recognize that we are all together.

Originally Posted by peleschramm

Also, I thought of another question to bring forward. You seem to believe that you can adapt the philosophies of Christianity to fit reality in a very nice manner.

I probably wouldn't say it that way because it presumes a single fixed conception of reality. Christianity is part of my ever changing conception of reality, and I am part of the catholic church and the evolution of Christianity.

Originally Posted by peleschramm

Now I'm curious; are you a believer in an afterlife of some sort? Do you believe in heaven and hell? Do you believe in god (Or is god just a synonym for "love", or approaching others in a fair and objective manner, and not an actual being, merely an abstract concept?)? If you believe in any of these, what are your reasons for believing in them? How strong is your belief in them?

As meaningful concepts in some ways, yes. As meaningful concepts to say physics or biology, no.

I believe in God as what unifies the universe. This is a presupposition of a similar kind as when a physicist presumes that physical reality is a unity governed by mathematics.

I believe Jesus and his spiritual legacy is God in our world because what the stories about Jesus portray, e.g., intense love, is worth believing in.

My belief is as strong for them as my belief is for anything else in my conception of reality.

Throughout this thread, I think my largest gripe has been the way you seem to have chosen to read the Bible, i.e., your hermeneutic. I just finished listening to this podcast, and I think it nicely presents various Biblical hermeneutics along with their respective pros and cons. You might get something out of it. (The first few minutes of the podcast are kind of goofy, but the rest is solid discussion.)