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clarym29
Ah. (nm)
Tue Apr 3, 2012 17:48
108.193.201.141


  • Who am I — clarym29, Mon Apr 2 16:08
    Since I've last posted here, a few of my ideas, beliefs and thoughts about religion have changed. I was going to Unity regularly 10 yrs. ago. I liked it then because I could tell myself it was not... more
    • Re: Who am I — blilith, Sun Apr 8 21:54
      Dearest, I cannot agree with you, Jesus was not a myth, there is historical proof that he existed, Confuscius certainly did as for the other two I have not studied to the depth that I can say yes or... more
      • Nope--myth. — clarym29, Sun Apr 8 22:43
        Blilith, I used to think Jesus was a historical person as well--I mean, so much has been written about him that he must be real, just not accurately portrayed. As a history buff, I decided to check... more
    • You are almost ready to leave the monastery, grasshopper! — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 08:10
      So you have been engaged with religion for awhile, and you have managed to change your mind. You are a very special person for the second point. Joseph Campbell is an awesome teacher ... just read... more
    • You are lost — wolf, Tue Apr 3 15:49
      Probably always have been lost. Possibly when you were a child you might have experienced some true faith in Jesus Christ, but sometime during your growing up the world influenced you to the point of ... more
      • Am lost — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 17:37
        Probably always have been lost. --Yep--still am and always will be. Possibly when you were a child you might have experienced some true faith in Jesus Christ, but sometime during your growing up the... more
        • Thanks for explaining Unity ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 08:31
          "Christ Consciousness within each of us". I did know about Unitarian-Universalist. Seems like both groups have something going ;-) But the whole congregation thing can be a drag, either too many... more
          • Unity — clarym29, Sat Apr 7 10:38
            Yes, the entire institutional thing with religion I find tiring. So I have not attended one in years. But the Fillmores had a solution to that feeling. They had envisioned a bunch of study-centers,... more
        • Sure can — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 20:14
          "And there is no such thing as Truth. Can you name one??????" ....... how about your body will experience death.....or all things is maded from energy...but here is one I especially like...again from ... more
          • Okay, but.... — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 21:43
            I don't consider the certainty of my death a Truth--it is a fact. Semantics, perhaps. Or not. Usually when somebody tries to push their Truth on me, it means they want to control my thoughts and... more
            • Ah but — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 22:11
              you can say what isn't a Truth....but can't say what is one?...if you can't, then saying what isn't doesn't have much merit.....here's one....the reason for death is birth..... "happenstance brought... more
              • The reason for birth is death .... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:01
                depends on which end of things one is looking at. One Buddhist, the other Hindu. In ancient Indo-European culture, death was celebrated as a trip to a better world, and birth was mourned as entry... more
              • Chicken — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 23:02
                Here are the nutritional benefits of chicken. You can derive all of these elements from other sources, as long as you remember to go to the effort.... more
                • here's PETA version — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 23:45
                  http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/Top-10-Reasons-Not-to-Eat-Chickens.aspx I remember as a young boy moving to a new farm house in Iowa...so of course I had to do the mandatory exploring.... more
                  • Re: here's PETA version — Mirage, Wed Apr 4 00:09
                    PETA doesn't bother to urge people who do eat chicken to eat organic free range chicken rather than factory birds. I never understood why they don't do that, because obviously not everyone is going... more
                    • Hydrogen sulfide is toxic ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:12
                      we had a chemistry grad student die from it, in the chem lab in college, while I was in school. It becomes sulfuric acid in your lungs. Shalom
                    • it seems groups — sai ram, Wed Apr 4 00:20
                      its seems groups on both the left and the right...are always taken over by the nuttier of the group's members......while some of PETA cause is good....the crazies of that group keeps me away.....sai... more
                      • Yeah same here — Mirage, Wed Apr 4 00:29
                        There was a time when I respected them for the most part, but they got weirder and weirder. I totally gave up on them around the time they became associated with a group that several countries... more
                        • There was an old Dr Who episode ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:14
                          where the Doctor has to defeat an eccentric English vegetarian, who conspires with large vegetable aliens, to conquer the Earth, by exterminating all animal life. Shalom
              • Fat fingers — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 22:33
                Sorry, chicken eating does not reduce my fat fingers. But you may give it a try. Actually, I do not believe there is a Truth--so everything is an un-Truth, I guess. There are facts that can be... more
                • You are closer to the Truth than you realize ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:04
                  when you say there is no truth. In the highest reaches of Mahayana Buddhism, even the teachings of the Buddha are considered fictions. There is a phrase, skillful means, which means that the Buddha... more
                • Sorry but — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 22:42
                  "--there is no purpose to life, but life"....but since you don't believe in Truth...this must be one of those un-Truths.....I'll have to thing about this one......sai ram
                  • L'Chaim .. so he must be Jewish ;-) (nm) — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:06
                  • Yahuh — clarym29, Wed Apr 4 00:48
                    Since nothing is Truth, then your are right, it is an un-Truth. :)) All things are relative.
                    • Buddhist logic isn't Greek ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 22:09
                      there is A, not-A and not-not-A. To the Greeks, not-not-A equals A ... but not to the Buddhists. So not a fiction doesn't equal truth to them. There is truth, fiction, and un-fiction. It is the third ... more
                  • While I'm thinging — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 22:43
                    I'll be thinking as well.....sai ram
      • :) — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 17:14
        Wolf, You say "I love you and there is not a damn thing you can do about it...." What the hell---you take that back----:)))))))))))) Hey, I'll take that all year! And back at you.
    • You need to read "Jesus the Man" by Dr Barbara Thiering (nm) — Kasey, Tue Apr 3 06:12
    • I think it's many layered — Frashavan, Mon Apr 2 20:08
      But I will use Zarathustra as my example, if I might. I think that "someone" speaks in the Gathas; I think it is one person -- perhaps one person and a few very early followers, in a few verses --... more
      • In Buddhism there is the same problem with ... — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 21:54
        the Mahayana and Vajrayana, vs the Theravada. If we accept a historical Buddha, then the Theravada are closest to the original literal teachings. But it is possible, because of sectarianism on the... more
      • Mythology is dependent on indoctrination! (nm) — Kasey, Tue Apr 3 06:15
        • Really? — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 08:38
          How so? It seems to me that it would be repetition, and of a tale that struck deep cords in the listeners, who then would ask for the story to be repeated or repeat it to others.
      • I remember again. — clarym29, Mon Apr 2 21:31
        Frashavan that you were a student of Zarathustra--I was always intrigued by that. I have no knowledge of that religion--what I know of it can fill a thimble. I agree with you about myth. In our... more
        • One of the things I have notice... — Frashavan, Tue Apr 3 08:10
          ...over the last couple of decades is the growth and spread of polar thinking; it's all either/or, black/white, good/evil, us/them these days. This is not something I think is a good thing.
          • That is ironic for a Zoroastrian to say ;-) (nm) — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 09:37
          • Maybe I am reacting to that — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 09:09
            I've noticed my own thoughts are tending toward everything being very complex and nuanced. I think I am currently so biased in that direction I might actually miss something that really is on one of... more
          • Exactly — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 08:35
            I have noticed the same thing. And it seems to me that the Bush/cheney era made that much worse. I have never seen such a feeling of disdain for "intellectuals" as I do now. If you reason then you... more
            • Hmm — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 08:52
              Anglicans/Episcopalians, and Quakers traditionally welcome differences of belief, although the Anglican Communion is still in turmoil over the homosexuality issue that has mainly been caused by... more
              • Unity — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 09:13
                Mirage, for about 10 years I attended a local Unity Church. I even became President of the board for a year and was on the board for over 3 years. I enjoyed the give and take of talking about Unity's ... more
                • Oh btw — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 11:00
                  I forgot to tell you how glad I am that you seem to have found your bliss. It always really fills me with joy when someone figures out what they believe or don't believe and has contentment there.
                  • Contentment — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 12:14
                    "There is no greater happiness than contentment. Man seeks happiness in various forms. But there is no happiness equal to peace...There is no greater happiness than that derived from contentment.... more
                    • yep, I still wrestle with that — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 12:30
                      It is not possible to be content when one is experiencing fear or greed, which I think are probably the most basic negative emotions.
                  • Thanks — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 11:46
                    I agree with that idea. I like to discuss--sometimes in great detail--but discuss topics. That is a great way to learn and grow. But too often in the relm of religion discussion turns to... more
                • Have to disagree — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 10:39
                  I'd say political organizations gone bad are equally scary. Maybe even moreso in terms of body count. I don't have the figures on that.
                  • For me — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 11:44
                    religious organizations are the scariest. Why? Basically it is the total hypocrisy of it all. Political organizations have one thing in common. All want control and make no bones about it. All... more
                    • Re: For me — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 12:00
                      Sometimes political parties do try to disguise it, claiming they represent freedom when they actually represent a new crop of political prisoners and a military coup or something. Oil and diamonds... more
                      • The average joe — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 12:47
                        doesn't have a choice generally, who will kill him and his--they die at the hand of zealots of every stripe. But religion can so easily be used (no greater use of fear than from the fear of God) to... more
                        • parties — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 13:04
                          I can't tell them apart anymore. In some areas Obama is more rightwing than McCain. I consider myself a moderate but I'm not a vanilla pudding I-couldn't-care-less type moderate. I feel strongly... more
                          • Yep — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 13:45
                            You sound like me. I am not fond of either party right now.
                            • Not me — sai ram, Wed Apr 4 01:07
                              I think both parties suck equally well....my only pleasure in casting my ballot is the chance of voting one thats currently in power....out......sai ram
                              • I know what you mean. — Mirage, Wed Apr 4 01:26
                                There are a lot of people now who register for the party which has the candidate they most wish to block in the primaries. I did that the first time I ever voted.
                • For me — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 09:40
                  how many times have you heard in Church that greed is a bad thing?......how many times have you heard there that they got enough money last Sunday in collections that they don't really need anything... more
                  • Yeah, i did — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 10:03
                    Didn't I? :)) I was trying to remember--always a hard thing lately--the board we met on. Wasn't it a board discussing the beliefs of an ex-Adventist preacher who then lived in Australia? I cannot... more
                    • this will shock you — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 10:35
                      but I can't remember.... Yank from the East Coast...but the board was kind of going out of business or being put on hold...but your facts kind of ring a bell about ex Adventist...but then again the... more
                      • Neither did I — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 11:37
                        But something compelled me to dig up this board again. I had all the sites bookmarked at one time, but that was two computers ago. Besides, the best use of a computer is still games, especially RPG... more
                        • Ooooh — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 12:03
                          I loved Oblivion, modded the heck out of it. Gave my husband Skyrim for his birthday. He hasn't loaded it up yet, but I hope he will like it.
                          • Skyrim — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 12:53
                            is the best! It is Oblivion on steroids. I have played about 600 hrs now and am still finding new things. The length of it is remarkable. It's depth is something to behold. But even Skyrim is in... more
      • Beautiful, thank you — Mirage, Mon Apr 2 20:24
        Religion evolves and I think that is is also possible that all longlived religions are at least somewhat syncretic. I don't see that as a bad thing. I don't think it disproves or debunks them,... more
        • Religion — clarym29, Mon Apr 2 21:38
          Oh, I agree with you Mirage. Religion does evolve. For me when a religion becomes it's hierarchy, then it has turned destructive. The hierarchy spends too much time maintaining itself and the actual... more
    • I'm a big fan of Campbell — Mirage, Mon Apr 2 18:46
      Baruch has said sometimes that he believes Jesus is real, but not historical, which is an interesting perspective. I'm intrigued by Spong's argument for the historicity of Jesus. He argues that the... more
      • Nothing wrong with having "historical" beliefs ... — Baruch, Sun Apr 8 08:00
        except that I note that they are "beliefs". To believe otherwise is to buy into the rhetoric of the one selling you the history. Herodotus was the father of history, because his stories were more... more
      • To an extant, Socrates was right — Frashavan, Mon Apr 2 21:08
        We don't, most of us, anyway, manage to understand the Truth. All we can grasp, with greater or lesser fidelity and attention to detail, are the imperfect reflections of Truth "in" something. We... more
        • Re: To an extant, Socrates was right — Mirage, Mon Apr 2 23:42
          Interesting observation about mirrors. Perhaps the taboo black mirrors were actually safer. The more I read about other faiths, and also about secular philosophies, the commonality I see. Under the... more
          • Some have theorized that... — Frashavan, Tue Apr 3 06:27
            ... the human mind is naturally religious. (This can be framed either as a positive thing, or in a terribly deterministic way, like many scientific theories.) It's possible, of course. Or, it may be... more
            • Limited to 16 Meyer-Briggs personality types (nm) — Baruch, Sat Apr 7 09:39
            • Great analagy — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 08:47
              I like the ant comparison. I think that mankind is naturally drawn to what is later called religion. Humankind has a natural curious streak. Why this, and why that. Cave man, lets say, wanted to know ... more
              • Father/Mother — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 08:58
                I tend to call Him Father. I could just as easily call Her Mother. Baruch sometimes refers to Her. I am just traditional in that the generic pronoun in English has traditionally been masculine, but... more
                • An explantion — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 09:55
                  Sai Baba gave an explanation once on why God is viewed as a male.....Avatars decend on earth as males because men would relate to them better and they also need their message more. Women are more... more
                  • Thanks — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 11:17
                    It seems kind of pessimistic about the male potential for spirituality, though. I'm thinking of you and the other guys who post here, and there are some pretty spiritually advanced men around here. A ... more
                    • Men — sai ram, Tue Apr 3 12:31
                      men are more (generally) aggressive...more violent....alot of less than spiritual traits of human life...its women that usually are the ones that go to Church with men being pulled by the ear..(I... more
                • Well, — clarym29, Tue Apr 3 09:15
                  If you said "she" you would include both. :))
                  • Re: Well, — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 10:47
                    I've dabbled in S/He but it seemed sort of stilted. I don't really think of God as either. I don't think of God as having a body unless manifesting physically. I do believe in the Holy Spirit so in... more
            • There's some science in it — Mirage, Tue Apr 3 08:34
              There are areas of the brain which do appear to have something to do with religion. There are injuries, seizures, and chemical imbalances which can change people's perception of the spiritual, even... more
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