I read something along those lines the other day that I found interesting Curtis. It defined Christianity as:
"The belief that a Cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree....yeah, that makes perfect sense." I haven't tried that out on any of my xtian friends yet, but it is Sunday today and I do tend to get a few doorbell ringers. I do try and remain gracious and at least offer the Mormon ones a beer. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Good luck outsmarting the Devil Turq! It's what we're all trying to > > do! Believing he doesn't exist is one of his oldest tricks, don't > fall> for it! :-) > > An important point about beliefs: Atheists don't "believe" there is > no God, or "believe" that there is no devil. It is not an active > process. Atheists see no compelling reasons to join the belief, no > worthy evidence. > > If I assert that there is a green dinosaur in the room, you don't have > to have a belief that there is no dinosaur. You lack the belief due > to insufficient evidence. > > This is important because one of the polemic tricks religious people > pull with non believers is to assert that atheists just have beliefs > like their own belief in a God, that there is no God. > > The atheist says: "what is your evidence for your assertion that there > is a God or devil or Lock Ness Monster?" So far that evidence is not > sufficient for atheists or non believers. The person with the > assertion has to give the evidence since you can't prove a negative. > > There might be a time when the existence of God can be demonstrated to > the satisfaction of atheists. The situation is the same with God > believers who don't think of a God like Zeus as more than a > mythological character. Thousands of people did have a belief in him > the way Christians believe in their God, but today most Christians > don't share it. They are a-theists with regard to the belief in Zeus. > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "BillyG." <wgm4u@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > Just curious, not as any kind of argument... > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "BillyG." <wgm4u@> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I've always thought that the name 'Cosmic Consciousness,' > > > > > proposed as a synonym for the first stage of enlightenment, > > > > > kinda misses the point. 'Cosmic' is just too damned serious. > > > > > > > > > > I don't know about the rest of you out there in FFL-land > > > > > who have had extended periods of realization or enlighten- > > > > > ment, but my second reaction to it happening (my first was > > > > > thinking "Wow, this is odd.") was thinking "Wow, this is > > > > > funny." > > > > > > > > > > I mean, I stood there in my hotel room in Fiuggi Fonte and > > > > > looked around at the world as it now was, the thing I had > > > > > been seeking for so many years, and realized that it had > > > > > always already been like that, and I began to laugh. I may > > > > > have laughed continuously for fifteen minutes. My neighbors > > > > > in the hotel must have thought that I'd lost it. Some of > > > > > them were probably angry that the sound of my laughter > > > > > coming through the walls was getting in the way of being > > > > > all SERIOUS about their quest for enlightenment. Whereas > > > > > what I was laughing at was the realization that all my > > > > > years of questing after enlightenment had been getting in > > > > > the way of realizing that enlightenment had always already > > > > > been present. > > > > > > > > Only if you've overcome delusion!, if you still think a rope is > > > > a snake then you are still 'reacting' with fear or ignorance as > > > > the case may be. And as such you are subject to the law of karma > > > > and samsara. > > > > > > > > Intellectually you may understand reality, but you must experience > > > > it by shedding the veil of maya which is basically a delusion, not > > > > quite that easy my friend! > > > > > > Have you personally done this? > > > > > > Or this a theory you've heard that you believe? > > > > > > > > So, based on my first (and temporary) experience of CC, I'm > > > > > going to propose a new definition for that creaky old TM > > > > > acronym CC. I think that 'Cosmic Consciousness' is just too > > > > > damned serious, and that CC should really stand for 'Comedy > > > > > Consciousness.' > > > > > > > > A flippant comment to a profound state of consciousness which > > > > defines the state stated in the Bible that, "man was made in > > > > the image of God". In CC you realize that image, in GC you > > > > realize the image of God not only in you but in the manifest > > > > Universe and in UC you realize the fullness of both the relative > > > > (CC) and the Absolute (UC) or "purnamidah purnamidam" (inner and > > > > outer fullness). > > > > > > Same questions. You seem to be very sure that > > > these descriptions of enlightenment are correct. > > > > > > Have you ever had the experiences you're so sure > > > you can define? > > > > > > It's a valid question, right? > > > > > > > > The people on this planet who have most convinced me that > > > > > they are experiencing Enlightenment Or Something Like It have > > > > > all been, more than anything else, funny. If you ask their > > > > > long-time students or people who have met them only in passing > > > > > to describe them, the first words out of their mouths are often > > > > > "He was funny." > > > > > > > > > > And I don't think that this description trivializes or demeans > > > > > them in any way. I think it's one of the best things that any > > > > > human being can say about another human being. It's certainly > > > > > the thing I would hope someone would remember first and say > > > > > about me when I am dead and gone. > > > > > > > > > > We're all a bunch of spiritual groupies on this forum. We've > > > > > paid our dues hangin' out in rooms with a lot of spiritual > > > > > teachers. Being as different as we all are, however, I'm sure > > > > > that we all had different things that we were looking for IN > > > > > those spiritual teachers. Some were looking for flash (shakti), > > > > > others for wisdom (an intellectual facility with words), and > > > > > others for silence (stillness, samadhi, the transcendent). And > > > > > all of these things are important, I guess, but that's not what > > > > > I look for in a spiritual teacher that makes him or her inter- > > > > > esting enough for me to drive across town to see them. > > > > > > > > > > I'm looking for funny. > > > > > > > > > > I'm comfortable with describing enlightenment as Comedy Consc- > > > > > iousness because I consider being a real-deal, no bullshit, > > > > > honest and spontaneous spiritual teacher to be only the second > > > > > most noble profession on the planet. The first is being a real- > > > > > deal, no bullshit, honest and spontaneous comedian. > > > > > > > > > > Both professions involve helping others to take themselves (and > > > > > life) a little less seriously, and helping them to laugh more. > > > > > On the whole, comedians are better at their jobs than spiritual > > > > > teachers. > > > > > > > > > > One of them, a little chap by the name of Charlie Chaplin, said, > > > > > "Life is a tragedy in close-up, but a comedy in long shot." > > > > > > > > > > That's it. That's it exactly. That's the thing that all of > > > > > these spiritual teachers have been trying to convey to all of > > > > > us spiritual groupies for all of these centuries. They've been > > > > > telling us, essentially, to Lighten The Fuck Up. The "long shot" > > > > > on the quest for enlightenment is that it's a joke. > > > > > > > > > > Enlightenment has always already been there. ALL of your oh-so- > > > > > serious attempts to achieve it have been and will always be a > > > > > joke, because you are trying to achieve something you already > > > > > are. > > > > > > > > > > That's funny, right? > > > > > > > > No...you underestimate the 'devil' or maya, delusion! You think > > > > God made the devil stupid Turq? > > > > > > Quite seriously, if I believed that there was > > > a God, I would certainly assume that he made > > > the Devil. If I believed that there was one > > > of those, that is. > > > > > > > He's outsmarting you even now! (Or you > > > > (little ego) are actually outsmarting yourSelf (big Self > > > > or soul). > > > > > > And you know this how? > > > > > > By first-hand experience, or because someone told you? > > > > > > Just askin'... > > > > A little of each! For me the 'Quest' didn't end with MMY but began > > there! Though I still practice TM, I have never stopped seeking the > > truth, at least intellectually. > > > > In fact, the way TM is/was taught (as a science) a real seeker had NO > > choice but to seek in other places for Spiritual and Religious truth, > > MMY wasn't teaching it, now it seems to be leaning back to its > > Religious roots however. > > > > Good luck outsmarting the Devil Turq! It's what we're all trying to > > do! Believing he doesn't exist is one of his oldest tricks, don't fall > > for it! :-) > > >
