On Wed, 25 Sep 2002, William T Goodall wrote: > Belief in a deity. There are three main philosophical views regarding the > existence of a deity. Atheists believe that no deity exists. Theists > believe in a deity or deities. Agnostics say that the existence of a deity > cannot be proved or disproved.
If we expand "philosophical" to include the world's religious and spiritual and religious views, it seems to me that there must more than just the three "biggies" common to the arguments of modern westerners, which are shaped by the presumption that the only God worth debating is the monotheistic Judeo-Christian-Islamic deity. Instead of just the yes/no/maybe options that presume an argument about a single possible God, one should also be prepared to wonder about: God or gods? Character of God or gods? Personal or impersonal? Moral or amoral? Authority or archetype? Linear or cyclical time? Duality or unity of spirit & matter? Illusion or non-illusion of existence? Duality or unity of god(s) & humans? Divinity or nondivinity of nature? Subjectivity or nonsubjectivity of being/nonbeing? Exoteric vs. esoteric belief? Faith vs. experience? Faith as definitive goal or as stepping-stone? What is "spirit" anyway? I'm sure there are more. In a way, the atheist vs. theist debate as we've had it here on Brin-L is like arguing over whether the front cover or the back cover of _Moby Dick_ is better while ignoring all the pages in between.... Marvin Long Austin, Texas "Two bits, four bits, six bits, a peso. If you're for Zorro, stand up and say so!" _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
