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Alright, I sorta skimmed through it and nothing was really interesting about. You don't have to be spiritual to love life, but if it helps you, why not be spiritual? I just don't think the article itself was relevant to anything. It just seemed like it was trying to hard to prove that God was real in a subtle way, but thats probably just what I got out of it. Also I kinda agree with billion. Us humans are so fucking full of ourselves. Does anyone ever think about other animals? I mean, there are billions of them I bet. Also I bet if you knew enough about most fields of science, somehow all religions could be proved false. Just my :twocents:
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I looked at the site... I kinda see where they're coming from and what it is they're referring to, but it seems... overdone and overthought. I dunno, the way I see it, if this caused you to grow and become a better, more altruistic person, all the better :jointsmile:
However, 12-Step Programs are COMPLETE CRAP. All it is is government-mandated religion, which goes against classic-liberal concepts of seperation of church and state. I can't support any idea which says 12-step is good. Go watch the Penn and Teller episode on 12-stepping, while it's still got the libertarian bias of all episodes it helps show how kooky those people are.
I looked over some more of the site... actually, I've ran into what they refer to as 'dysfunctional' relationships among many of my friends, and I've thought extensively on this subject. While I never thought in the terms of this site, it does seem to share some of the same ideas I have... I recently fixed my own problems related to this sorta thing though *snaps* Oh well
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Spirituality and religious parts of the brain are simply evolved features that help humans use things like a god/goddess(es) to explain what we do not know. Notice as humans evolve, so does the type of religion- there aren't many humans left who truly believe in the Zeus/Athena type, nor Thor, Raa, ect.
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Originally Posted by Purple Banana
Spirituality and religious parts of the brain are simply evolved features that help humans use things like a god/goddess(es) to explain what we do not know. Notice as humans evolve, so does the type of religion- there aren't many humans left who truly believe in the Zeus/Athena type, nor Thor, Raa, ect.
Good point.
Many of my religious friends say they KNOW there is a god because they have felt something spiritual. But these "spiritual experiences" are explainable today by the latest research in such fields as neurobiology and neuropharmacology. Having a "spiritual experience" doesn't prove God exists any more than swimming in the ocean proves Poseidon exists. I've had experiences of oneness and connectedness so I know what they feel like, and I'm guessing these feelings may be responsible for the invention of religion in the first place back when Homo sapiens was evolving.
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You can scientifically rationalize all aspects of the human expirience,
because everything is biological. But I love being human. I love feeling emotions and thinking thoughts, and maybe even delving into the biological processes that allow me to feel my Higher Self. I do not consider it "proof" of anything, merely that I want to utilize all aspects of my mind for the greater good of my mental and physical health.
If someone wishes to interpret the "godlyness" aspects of their human expirience as proof of something greater than themselves, that is their choice. Personally, I am going to interpret it as a wonderful self discovery that I am capable of of perceiving, like any other expirience.
And I see god as a crutch for fear.
I have faith in myself, and in humanity, not in God. I know that the "spiritual" expirience is highly controversial, but I think that's because none of us has the exact same expirience. It is up to us to decide whether we beleive the expirience comes from within, or from some unreachable Controller.
I choose within.
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Originally Posted by Inferius
You can scientifically rationalize all aspects of the human expirience,
because everything is biological. But I love being human. I love feeling emotions and thinking thoughts, and maybe even delving into the biological processes that allow me to feel my Higher Self. I do not consider it "proof" of anything, merely that I want to utilize all aspects of my mind for the greater good of my mental and physical health.
I love being human as much as you do. The fact that our evolution is scientifically explainable doesn't take anything away from the wonder of consciousness. If anything, it's more wonderful that life evolved, and then humans capable of self-awareness evolved, than if it's all explained by a miracle. That I am conscious and can look up into the night sky at billions of stars and billions of galaxies is fucking incredible. What a short time (in the scheme of things) we each have to enjoy life. And one of the best aspects of enjoying life is in the relationships we have with each other. That there is a scientific explanation for life doesn't take anything away from the incredibleness of it all.
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If someone wishes to interpret the "godlyness" aspects of their human expirience as proof of something greater than themselves, that is their choice.
Absolutely it is their choice. And living in the US, we have the freedom to believe as we want. Where I have a problem is where believers go from having a personal connection to what they call god, to trying to legislate morality and making the rest of us live as they see fit.
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Personally, I am going to interpret it as a wonderful self discovery that I am capable of of perceiving, like any other expirience.
And I see god as a crutch for fear.
You and I are going to agree here. How wonderful that we exist, and more than that, that we are conscious and aware of the universe around us. And even more wonderful when we modify that consciousness with THC and contemplate the universe. Go outside this evening right after sunset if it's not cloudy where you live. Venus is very close to the crescent Moon. Our ancestors thought these lights in the sky were Gods. To me, it's even more incredible that they aren't.
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I have faith in myself, and in humanity, not in God. I know that the "spiritual" expirience is highly controversial, but I think that's because none of us has the exact same expirience. It is up to us to decide whether we beleive the expirience comes from within, or from some unreachable Controller.
I choose within.
I'm with you on that one.
And my faith in humanity is restored a little bit when I talk to someone like yourself that can at least say why you believe as you do.
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I'm happy, I like seeing someone on the same page as me.
The moon and venus lately I see as very poetic, the afternoon sky clear except for a crescent and one, singular, throbbing light.
It's all connected. Astrology has a lot of muck in it, but so does anything that complicated. But i'm discovering that, unconsciously, I do interact with those big lights in the sky and expirience things, sometimes, corresponding to what astrology says. Which leads to me to question that whole 2012 thing... What will happen when the planets align?
I can't wait.
Everything is so beautiful.
Peace and love.
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I verily understand what you mean by your previous post, Inferius. I too feel those same feelings when I see the beauty that lies in an intricate moth wing, or the myriad of stars in the sky at night... My beliefs lie more with pagan ideaology- That is, I am not Wiccan, nor part of any major recognized religious group, but I simply recognize each animal, plant, and bacteria is its own existence. These feelings do have a lot to do with neurochemical pathways, I'm sure, but for the most part, everything we do is determined by our mindsets.
Now I'm off to smoke a bowl under the stars :thumbsup:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anandamide
I'm guessing these feelings may be responsible for the invention of religion in the first place back when Homo sapiens was evolving.
We need new dreams now, but still dreams, as we begin to leave homo sapien behind...
On a sidenote, yeah, the moon and venus have been fantastic lately. Totally struck me last night as the sun was setting. Glad to hear other people are noticing...
:thumbsup:
