--- In [email protected], new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], new.morning <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], 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... > > Your comments become more and more goofy Jim. > > I was making both a joke -- can you laugh* -- and making a light > obvservation in the context of humor. Expressing an opinion. What does > that having to do with lacking innocent view, per my discussions of it? > > It appears from your response, you may have no clue as what I am > referring to as innocence of view. That sort of makes the point of my > humor above. > > *Actually, I speculate if Rory read this he would laugh. > It appears we were BOTH joking then- get it?
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