> Travis Edmunds <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >From: Deborah Harrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Oh, dear, I don't have those posts anymore...but one > >issue had to do with the existence of God (I had > never > >questioned that until sometime in college), of which > >I was absolutely certain, and quite vehement about > it. > >(Now, I'm still certain, but acknowledge that there > >is no proof whatsoever, and figure that the Divine > >must have a good -even warped! - sense of humor.) > Do you really believe that, or are you just being > witty? <sniplet> It's just genuine curiosity. > Besides, the whole argument > is ultimately futile, and Robert had a nice > summation of the whole situation > a few weeks ago anyway. Yes, I actually do believe that -- I'll go so far as to say sometimes the Divine's humor is downright twisted. At least it seems so from the trenches of mortal humanity. My relationship* to the Divine varies from awed to furious to bewildered, and 'most everything in-between. *Perceived relationship, for you purists out there. :) > >Another was that 'absolute certainty' about most > >things/issues > Question: Do I really come off like that? <sniplet> I _did_ say in a later post that that paragraph came off rather arrogantly, but yes, in a few instances your posts did. Please note that *I* come off arrogantly certain at times -- quite honestly, I might add. ;) > >-- and my conviction that I wouldn't be changing my > >mind just because of experience* > I think we are, or in this instance, were, similar. > That is definitely a > good example of how I *sometimes* think. Of course there are ideas and memes that few if any of us think would ever be altered by anything, and why should they be? Freedom, responsibility, compassion, etc. etc. -- these are, to my mind, enduring values. I didn't mean to imply that having no convictions at all was a virtue, only that an open mind is better able to perceive Reality. As much as a human/sentient being is able to, anyway. :) <snip> > >It is a much tougher world-view, because I see > >various facets of issues, and cannot easily dismiss > >others' opinions without at least trying to > >understand them. > That's interesting. Interesting because I see some > similarity in our > thinking, but we have different approaches to > things. In the above instance, > I certainly would see various facets of issues. In > fact, I can't think any > other way! However, I would without a doubt EASILY > dismiss someone's > opinion, if that opinion was based on a blind stand > behind some issue that > was seen as purely black & white by that person. You > have probably seen me > do this many a time. And perhaps that's where the > "absolute certainty" thing comes from...I dunno. Not to be ageist again, but 2 decades ago I frequently did automatically discount what I considered ridiculous opinions; now I at least wonder "what made them believe such nonsense?" Rob and I think Dan made cogent points about this in earlier posts. <snip> Debbi O'erweening Arrogance And Genuine Humility Maru ;D __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
