Hi Kevin, On Oct 30, 2011, at 5:10 AM, Kevin Kervick wrote:
> This is how I talk about my own beliefs: > > Deism means that there is something powerful and grand in the universe that > is bigger than us. It is larger than our ego's projection. Experiencing the > Deity, how ever one does that (for me it is often being in the state of awe) > diminishes our own tendencies toward narcissism and our controlling > instincts. It helps us see order in things and brings peace. Deism > motivates us to do good things in the world out of respect for that amazing > order. It also humbles us. > > Deism also means that we strive to be rational in how we explain the world > but we are also open to all other ways of knowing, such as emotional > experience, intuition, or social intelligence. Deism also means that we > claim no superior knowledge and seek to learn continuously from others. We > do not criticize other faith traditions but we do point our where we believe > we have reasonable interpretations that may be inconsistent with those other > beliefs. Most importantly we approach life with realistic optimism and hope > because we appreciate the wonder of the universe. > > Thank you for the conversation. For the record, I consider this very close to my ideal of "deism as a neutral meeting point" for various faiths. Well said. -- Ernie P. Transformational Christian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Transformationalism -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
