“My OP, in one major import, was about opposing this attempt to wipe out the diversity inhering in the spectrum between Unity and Disunity. Christianity and Islam, the theists, did it in the past. Why are the atheists ( beg your pardon, some of the more visible among them ) attempting the same now ? That, one doesn't know, cannot be an excuse.” – Vam
Vam, while I’m sure there are numerous ‘reasons’ for xenophobia, some more rational than others, the major reasons seem self evident, no? For theist vs theist, when one has not examined a specific set of theological tenets deeply, they remain as dogma. Dogma is threatened by apparently different dogma. So, in this case, the relatively ignorant mind wishes to reject the apparent ‘other’ in any way possible. For theist vs atheist, in most cases I would guess the reasoning is similar. Perhaps a little of the next reason exists here too. For atheist vs theist, it differs quite extensively as far as I have found so far. The two most pressing reasons observed so far are: 1) A wish for more rational thinking. And 2) A wish to not be ruled by any system, political mostly, that would impose beliefs and limit actions in an evangelical way. “My other point is that there is ' value ' for us in realising the Unity, even intellectually ! Like, the General Theory Of Relativity and the Unified Theory are a stretch to the human mind, such that one who knows is not the same as before. It's transforming. The value is then known, if not beforehand. So, why must people rubbish one pole of the spectrum beforehand, when they do not even know ? It's strange, to say the least. It would seem, ' religion ' is more deeply set in such atheists than in the religionists themselves. – Vam Vam, not being an apologist for either theism nor atheism, I find fundamentalism (‘religion’ as you call it) rampant in both schools of thought. And, again, you already expressed the reason/why, the knowledge you express is NOT known beforehand, nor at all by most. On Aug 15, 12:05 pm, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > My OP, in one major import, was about opposing this attempt to wipe > out the diversity inhering in the spectrum between Unity and Disunity. > Christianity and Islam, the theists, did it in the past. Why are the > atheists ( beg your pardon, some of the more visible among them ) > attempting the same now ? That, one doesn't know, cannot be an > excuse. > > My other point is that there is ' value ' for us in realising the > Unity, even intellectually ! Like, the General Theory Of Relativity > and the Unified Theory are a stretch to the human mind, such that one > who knows is not the same as before. It's transforming. The value is > then known, if not beforehand. So, why must people rubbish one pole of > the spectrum beforehand, when they do not even know ? It's strange, > to say the least. It would seem, ' religion ' is more deeply set in > such atheists than in the religionists themselves. > > On Aug 15, 10:36 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > ...and there's relativism, in a nutshell. > > > On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 1:34 PM, deripsni <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > What some consider black, others consider white. What some consider > > > evil, others consider normal behaviour. Many types of people make up > > > the world. There sometimes seems like no good reason why what some > > > dislike, others love. But, thats the way it is it seems. > > > > On Aug 15, 12:41 pm, retiredjim34 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Vam - your initial post, and so many of the replies, focus on one side > > > > or the other of a duality: theism/ atheism, material/spiritual, unity/ > > > > disunity (chaos), good/bad, do/don't, etc. In all of the dualities of > > > > which these are typical, there seems to be much to be said for each > > > > side. Have you ever wondered why things are set up that way. We seem > > > > to be living in a time and place that gives no simple answers, only > > > > poses conundrums. I have wondered about this, and I think the only > > > > reasonable answer to be quite interesting - we are here to engage > > > > others. These conundrums, offering no simple answer, get us engaged > > > > and keep us engaged. Which seems largely what many of the threads in > > > > this discussion group do. Why might that be? Jim > > > > > On Aug 11, 3:48 am, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > One dimension of the perennial debate between Theists and Atheists, > > > > > Spiritualists and Materialists, has been of the kind : > > > > > > There is spirit. Where is the spirit ? > > > > > > There is God. Where is God ? > > > > > > There is One, Whole, Unity. Where is One, Whole, Unity ? > > > > > > Now, dialectically, the discussion goes far but nowhere. So, let me > > > > > place the issue in a familiar context that may perhaps express the > > > > > separation and the connection between these two poles. Here it goes : > > > > > > My Father and I are one. >>> Unity > > > > > > I am the Way. >>> Connection > > > > > > I know not ; only my Father knows. >>> Separation > > > > > > These may not exactly be his quotes but they are what Christ seems to > > > > > have expressed at some point of time or other. What they reveal, if > > > > > indeed they do, is that all three exist, are there within us, in the > > > > > way we are, know, think, believe, feel, and look upon upon others and > > > > > themselves. > > > > > > So, why are the Materialists or Atheists saying they alone are valid, > > > > > true, correct and, by implication and their crusade, have the sole > > > > > right to exist or occupy the thought and knowledge space in human > > > > > minds ? > > > > > > Or, is their crusade merely reactive, historically speaking, against > > > > > the ( highly unreasonable and destructive ) religious crusades and > > > > > millenia - long ( unreasonably subjugatory ) proselytation efforts of > > > > > ( mono ) theists ? > > > > > > Why can't the theists realise that atheism is inevitable and atheists > > > > > see the Whole, the Unity, as Universe surely is, even though it is the > > > > > parts that are apparent to us ? > > > > > > What prevents the understanding, even among people who are so well > > > > > informed, read, educated, and intellectually endowed ?- Hide quoted > > > text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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