The NO god question

[cantdog]

Maybe I'm weird

Well, okay

but I don't get dissauded from illegality by the justice system and man's judgement, either. Deterrent it never has been, not since I lost my better-dead list and grew up. Obviously I'm immune to the eternal thing.

All in all, Joe, I think the real kindness done to society at large-- in regard to your question a few posts back-- by the New Testament is much the same as that done by the Dao de Jing. That is, not the hovering menace of judgement, but the preservation of a genuine wisdom which is beyond the capacity of most of the audience of it.

Most people are egotists, pure and simple. Advanced people adopt a group-centered morality, and are fewer than the self-centered. Jesus clearly had moved beyond that into a world-centered viewpoint, and those people are far fewer still.

But, like Lao Tzu, he left us an impression and a record. He was uninterested in the factions and nationalism around him. King of the Jews, inspiring a revolt, was not where he wanted to go. His words about loving your enemies, because even an idiot can love his friends and it doesn't make him a particularly loving guy-- this is so obviously beyond the scope of the many. But we make sure little children hear it, even though little children are, of course, still egotists, whatever they may mature into later in life.

The record of a high wisdom is a priceless thing. I think the example of Jesus's wisdom is far more important for bettering the state of the world than the doctrine of Last Judgement, although young believers do go through many sweaty long moments of guilt over the latter.

cantdog

 

[minsue]

The record of a high wisdom is a priceless thing.

That's a beautifully put statement, Cant.

 

[cantdog]

Just going by the dictionary*, not being philosophical. I'm too tired for that this eve.

*2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

Yes. Premises do not rest on anything else, necessarily. Check Joe's post again. "Belief is premise, not method."

cantdog

 

[cantdog]

Psychodynamic theory seems to act more like a hypothesis than a theory, then, the way it comes forth full-blown and other things rest on it and relate to it.. As you tell the thing. I'm not even sure what it is.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Originally posted by cantdog
Psychodynamic theory seems to act more like a hypothesis than a theory, then, the way it comes forth full-blown and other things rest on it and relate to it.. As you tell the thing. I'm not even sure what it is.

Its an indefeasible theory. But a really, really helpful one.

 

[cantdog]

IThe therapy derived from it sounds from the google descriptions of it to be much like gestalt . Close?

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Originally posted by cantdog
IThe therapy derived from it sounds from the google descriptions of it to be much like gestalt . Close?

Gestalt isn't my field... don't know much about it.

 

[Kassiana]

What if you suddenly discovered absolutely in-your-face irrefutable evidence that there is no god. No afterlife,

Entirely possible that there is none under my current beliefs, where I hold only that there is no hell and if there is an afterlife, the Gods will take care of me in it.

no sin,

There is no sin, that's right.

no right or wrong,

Oh, no. There's right and wrong, whether there are Gods or not.

no going to hell

Also right. There is no hell.

If you were hit with something like this, how would it change your life?

I really don't know, as it hasn't happened to me yet and I can't imagine that it will. I would guess I'd adjust fairly well, though ... much better than when I was a fundy.

 

[cantdog]

Attagirl. Rock on. You have the nails all hit and on the right ends. No wonder you can write.

I'm old and decrepit, and I did TA back before it was cool, even, as a study a student was doing, part of her master's thesis. She recorded every word of it. Esalen was in Maine as well as Big Sur, you know.

I read Fritz Perls because gestalt kept popping up when I was reading about the beats.

You only need a chapter or two and a quick skim of Gestalt Therapy Verbatim to get the flavor. Perls's view of how to deal with guilt made complete sense to me.


But you have other fish to fry, I bet.

Especially now, with that enviable opportunity of yours.

 

[English Lady]

Well Ok so I've read this through and thought about.

If there were evidence that there was no God -wellI'd be one of those who'd stil believe.

You see it's that word belief and that one called "faith" I am pretty certain I would put my personal experiences in front of that evidence that can prove completely there isn't a God.


I remember a conversation i had years ago with a friend of mine doing religious studies at A level. He was saying how there was a line of thinking that said if you could ultimately disprove God 100% then the otherside of thecoin would be you could 100% prove that God did exsist. Kind of a balance thing I think.

But me personally?I'd still believe. I feel God in my life so very much that I'd not be able not too. My belief in God is tied into me living my life. I cannot see every being able to untangle the noth -or ever wanting too.