Dear Doug What is taught in Sunday School is the problem with the "Christian" religion which for the most part seems based on gospels, unprovable historical events and parables etc. The ancient Eastern religions Dave mentioned don't have that problem insofar as their core beliefs are concerned
For instance, my own religion's very ancient working principles can be distilled into 4 or 5 sentences. I would really like to know where and why you differ with me on them. 1) "GOD" (aka "Singularity"). Infinite, formless, beyond description, ruling principle of existence. [Comment - In other words there is a Unified Theory of Everything but "we" can never know it.] 2) "SALVATION". There is no salvation and no way to achieve it. All life exists to be consumed. There is neither Heaven nor Hell nor rebirth. 3) "WORSHIP". There is no scripture, revelation, creation, prophet, priest or teacher to be revered. Worship consist of revering the "inner light within" (i.e. enlightened conscience / intelligence) 4) "CULTS". There is no distinction. (All men are equal. Distinctions like caste, race, creed, colour, gender, nationality etc. are artificial. There is no need for priests, places of worship, long sermons etc. "Man-worship" or "God-men" are abhorent to the faith and denounced since there is no mediator between man and God) 5) "LIFE-FORMS" God / religion is not limited to "Man" alone, but covers / permeates all "life" Sarbajit On 4/1/12, Douglas Roberts <[email protected]> wrote: > But, what was taught in Sunday school *was* taught as theology, which is a > very large part of the whole problem of religion. > > And if these holders of bizarre fantasy beliefs can't take a little > disparragement now and then, well, their beliefs can't be all that solid > now, can they? > > -Doug > > Sent from Android. > On Apr 1, 2012 8:15 AM, "Prof David West" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> On Sat, Mar 31, 2012, at 01:02 PM, Douglas Roberts wrote: >> >> >> If you are a Mitt Romney-class Mormon, you may pass directly on to Kolub; >> the issue of intelligent life is obviously of no meaning to you. >> >> >> au contraire, asking if there is intelligent life elsewhere is a >> meaningless question only because, if you are a "Mitt Romney-class >> Mormon," >> you 'know' there is intelligent life elsewhere - a large, but unknown, >> number of populated worlds, and that many have come and gone before ours >> and many will come to be after ours is long gone. >> >> There is speculation on the physical form of the life on those other >> worlds - as the only requirement to be 'created in God's image' is not >> physical - it is the 'spirito-intellect something' ( a concept very much >> like purusa in Vedic - and later Buddhist - philosophy) that is >> fundamental >> for 'godly imageness.' >> >> When disparaging others' beliefs, or rejecting those of our own >> childhood/upbringing, one should always recognize that what is taught in >> 'Sunday School' is not theology. >> >> dave west >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >> > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
