--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer <groups@> wrote: > > > > on 9/3/06 10:23 PM, curtisdeltablues at curtisdeltablues@ wrote: > > > > >> > Thanks for posting this, I would have missed it. I am so happy > that > > >> > this perspective is in the mainstream media and on a group like > this. > > >> > It speaks well for the open mindedness of both. I think at > the end > > >> > of the article they misjudged the number of people who have dropped > > >> > the belief in any of the recently popular God ideas on earth. I am > > >> > not a member of the American Atheists which they use as the low > number > > >> > of people who think this way. I can say that being an outspoken, > > >> > positive atheist makes me a safe person for some people to express > > >> > their spiritual doubts to. I have so often been pulled aside > when I > > >> > have expressed my lack of belief by someone who feels bullied by > > >> > believers to tow the party line. I know that faith and mystical > > >> > experience is cherished by many here on this group. I greatly > > >> > appreciate that my lack of valuing these experiences and beliefs is > > >> > accepted by most of the people I communicate with here. We all > have > > >> > our own reasons for including and excluding beliefs. Nobody > believes > > >> > everything. We are all on that same human mission to discover the > > >> > meaning for our own lives. That is a much greater commonality than > > >> > whatever specifics each of us has come up with so far. I consider > > >> > myself and everyone here a work in progress. I enjoy hearing about > > >> > and sharing what we are noticing along the way. This post made me > > >> > feel really glad I check in here, thanks. Kumbaya baby. Thanks > purushaz. > > >> > > > > > I wish I had time to get into a serious discussion with you about this. > > Maybe some time in person. But here¹s my take in a nutshell. > Essentially, > > these guys are objecting to the fanaticism that results from belief > > unsupported by experience. I very much believe in God, but I think > belief > > without substantiating experience usually does more harm than good. It¹s > > still rare as a percentage of the world¹s population, but many have > attained > > that level of experience, including some friends of mine. These > people exist > > at the opposite end of the spectrum from religious fanatics, have a > > wonderful influence on the world around them, and would charm the > socks off > > Dawkins and Harris. If guys like that (and yourself as well) could spend > > enough face time with the kind of people I¹m talking about, they would > > probably end up rethinking their perspective. > > > When you do this, I hope you trot out people more substantial than > Jim, Tom and Rory. :) > Not a very innocent response from you, eh? Seems like you are just as guilty of reading things into someone's (Rick's in this case) comments as you often accuse others of doing...
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