Religion and belief systems exist out side the realm of logic. They gain
their power in part from the salient property of human nervous systems which
could be called "pattern regonition". It the funamental to all our sensory
systems and to our survival. It is how we make "sense" out of the sensory
input and arrive at "how the world is". How good that model is affects our
survival, our ability to predict and interpret. Animals share this and the
ability to use symbols. Human use of words and labels extend the reach of
pattern recognition and enables us to confuse words with things to our
continuing peril.
There is a state of conciousness in which existence is perceived without the
cloud of words and labels in which one can feel free and the instant somehow
vital and alive. Many systems of practices and discipline have evolved to
produce this state. I'm confident that Ed has been 'there' many times,
listening for Nature's whisper [and chuckle]. Those who experience this
persistently are known as saints and prophets. No positive description of it
is complete, so writigs are filled with allegories, etc.
Unfortunately people create belief systems to blanace the chaos of
existence. And the cloud of words makes one indetify self with words and
symnbols. Attack that system and you undermine the sense of "self". To one
who sees beyond the words -- where the finger points, instead of the
pointing finger -- all the sayings are from a common source applied in
different ways.
I should point out that "science" is a "belief system" as much as
"religion". We at the fringe see this all the time. As for "logic" there are
strict rules of play in the "universe of discourse" --- but the decision on
what to admit to the universe of discourse is as subjectinv and arbitrary as
jury selection for the OJ Simpson trial.
Mike Carrell
