Quote Originally Posted by Graywolf
Due to my Native American perspective, I usually avoid discussions on religion because I have come to believe that they are all a leap of faith.

Believing is seeing, so after making that leap, we are no longer logical in our beliefs and see only facts that support our position.

Very much like Zen, I believe we are all one and but individual pieces of the whole. Sort of like cells in the body, or drops of water in a river.

If there is a concept of sin, it is creating disharmony against the whole, though my beliefs allow me to thwart the minions of chaos in defense of the whole, after the harmony has already been broken. Very much like our own bodies have anti-bodies.

As a student of ancient history, it is impossible to not be aware of the founding of the current dominant religions, of which there were about 10,000 different ones with a following of 500 or more devotees, last time I researched it.

There are divisions within that 10,000 of course, and for instance Christianity itself had about 32, 000 and change different variations, and growing rapidly.

Each of those religions and divisions will die believing they are right, and the odds seem high to my engineering mind, that most will be wrong, including the sheer probability of the numbers that I am amongst them.

I like to think I have a discerning scientific mind, but alas the more deeply I dig into the celestial dance that is going on, the more I realize how little I understand and the more in awe I am of the details of what is going on.

It appears to me that life itself is constantly searching and finding ways to evolve and fill new niches.

A study of the Cambrian explosion and mathematical odds with hundreds of zeros after the decimal point and before a real number for even single celled bacteria, will put some of that into better perspective for any of ya??ll who haven??t.

I salute the good things that organized religion has provided, which have served to bind civilization together under a moral code.

I reject and abhor that the name of the creator has been dirtied and sullied by the mind of man and used to justify genocide. I also reject attempts at proselytizing me, because I know I??m right.

One old man??s opinion and given my limited years left, it won??t be all that long until I find out for sure.

GW

PS: My creator gave the fox and hare everything they needed to win, but is indifferent to which one does.
I can see that you are wise, and know we are all part of the whole.

It is refreshing to read words of one whose mind has not been clouded by dogma.

Hopefully, in your remaining days, the creator will give you a gift of more wisdom. Hopefully you will be able to share it before you leave this state of being. :rastasmoke: