Swami said:Ah, a poster with some balls! Er, I mean, some ovaries!
And they're armed and dangerous... 
No, but by inference, you can see sunlight reflected from the moon and you may travel and note that the sun also shines on other parts of the world though at different times. This is evidentiary unlike a standard belief system.
Actually, I made a mistake. The earth revolves around the sun. Swami, I can't believe you let me get away with that one.
But still, the point is that we don't always have scientific explanations for everything. There have been times in history where people believed things that were later proven or disproven, such as why it rained or why there were comets or streaks of smoke in the sky. Usually these things were attributed to angry or benevolent gods, or "signs".
A belief is just a belief. It doesn't necessarily have to be true. Some beliefs are innocuous, like someone believing in God and living according to the standards laid out in the bible.
Some are dangerous, like the beliefs of the Muslims that recently beheaded that American on Friday.
There is a saying in computerese: GIGO or garbage in = garbage out. By this I mean if one is basing one's actions or decisions on a falsehood (garbage in) then the decision or action will be wrong (garbage out) or will be right for the wrong reasons. Taking a non-religious belief for a moment, I generally crush poker opponents who make decisions based on how their luck or opponent's luck has been going.
But who is to prove that what goes in is garbage? I've been told that I believe in fairy stories. I guess that would also mean that what I believe is based on garbage going in, right?
So taking me as an example...I believe that God is taking care of me based on things that have happened in my life. Consequently, I have a sense of security that I don't have to worry. Worry is unnecessary and can make someone sick. So then maybe having a belief that God is taking care of me isn't so bad.
There certainly are glaring inconsistencies in the Bible which is indicative of a flawed system. The basic premise that it is the Word of God is supported only by the Bible itself. This is called self-referencing and is not a logical method of validation.
Yes, there are flaws in the bible. And yes, the bible could be a tautology. Belief in God is an act of faith. But I'm talking about the basic tenets of the bible, such as "love thy neighbor", etc. What's wrong with that? If someone looks at the bible rationally, and doesn't distort the message taught therein, it's not such a bad way to live one's life.
We miscommunicated on this one.
6. Real-world "results" from following any system are not required (even though it is a "good" thing).
If I do good acts then I will reap a reward. Sometimes yes; sometimes no.
Well, we can't always see the big picture. I was reminded of a story in that book I was reading, that you said you had also read, "Journey of a Peaceful Warrior" or something like that, by Dan Millman.
I probably will not get the story exactly right, but you'll get the idea. He tells an old story about an old farmer who has a son and one day their only horse runs away. The townspeople all cry "what a terrible thing". The farmer says, "Good or bad? Who's to say?"
About a week later, the horse comes back, bringing with it about 5 or 6 wild horses. The townspeople all cry "what a wonderful thing." The farmer says, "Good or bad? Who's to say?"
About a week later, the son breaks his leg while he is breaking the wild horses. es. The townspeople all cry "what a terrible thing." The farmer says, "Good or bad? Who's to say?"
About a week later, the king's men come marching through the town, drafting all the eligible young men to fight in a war. Because the son had just recently broken his leg, he was not taken.
But in general, if we do good, we will reap what appears to be rewards. And if we do bad, we will reap what appears to be just desserts. But we don?t know if those rewards are really rewards, or if the desserts are truly desserts. Sometimes we find out much later that the bad we reaped as a result of doing something good was actually a good thing.
My marriage will be better if we are equally yoked. Nope, divorce cuts across all faith lines equally.
I agree with two people being equally yoked, but not just in religious beliefs or nonbeliefs. Socio-economics, parts of the country, education, etc. The more two people have in common, the mjore likely they will not end in divorce, but I could be wrong. Maybe Markos will come in and set me straight.
See Hawk's earlier response. This is typical. How are you feeling when responding to this post? Loving, irritated or neutral?
I used to have hurt feelings when people appeared to attack me. I had to learn through it. I?m not being attacked. These are just your opinions and beliefs and whatever. You DO tend to generalize a bit. So, I?ll just have to take these opportunities to set you straight.
The words infidel and heathen were coined specifically as derogatory phrases towards non-believers or those of different faiths. This denotes a superior stance, does it not?
I have not seen Christians on this forum call nonbelievers or those of different faiths any names. I may have missed it. I personally don?t know why people criticize each other for their beliefs. Might be out of fear.
We are all foolish in some areas and wise in others.
fool: One who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding
judgement:
1. The capacity to form an opinion by distinguishing and evaluating.
2. The capacity to assess situations or circumstances and draw sound conclusions; good sense.
Would you call it a foolish act for someone to bury their children in dirt to protect them from evil spirits?
Yes, but as I stated above, some people have beliefs that are dangerous. Most are innocuous. I believe in God, and the Bible, and the Universe, and karma. I am not going to bury my children in dirt to protect them from evil spirits. Some people have off-balanced brains, regardless of their beliefs. Again, generalizations aren?t very helpful.
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The day will come when, after harnessing the ether, the winds, the tides, gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire. -Teilard
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