Quote from DagoodS’ blog entry today; it echos my own case. Emphasis on the last sentence is mine.
In retrospect, I now realize my God-belief was NOT at the core of my being. It was NOT the very center. What was more important to me was the answer to the question: What actually is? If it was the Christian God; good. If it was some other God: not-so-good, but doable. If it was no God; bad, but if that is what actually is then there is no use crying about it. As key as God-belief was, there was something even deeper—something that could trump that God-belief to the point of no longer believing in a God—the desire for what is actual reality.
Couldn’t agree more, Micah. Regardless of your beliefs or dis-beliefs, knowing what is True (with a capital ‘T’) should be of the utmost importance. Otherwise, we’re all just kidding ourselves.
Yeah. That’s why the “God’s wisdom is better than man’s” argument for why we shouldn’t trust our own reason about whether or not there’s a God, and what Per character might or might not be, really bugs me. Sure, it’s conceivable that our logic and reason are hopelessly flawed, and that it’s not at all trustworthy in determining these things: but it’s all we’ve got. If we can’t trust our reason, flawed thought it may well be, then what’s the point of trying to decide anything?
So, if you want me to “return to God”, give me reasons to believe/accept Per, not reasons why I shouldn’t trust reasons! 🙂
What’s the point, indeed. Camus said the only meaningful question is whether to kill oneself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus
What is the Truth, anyhow? The only substantive Truth is that one exists. You establish free will (i.e. you’re not a figment of another’s imagination), by realizing the choice, and then choosing to live. Thus, you yourself establish the only Truth knowable at the outset, that you exist. Its a truth that you yourself realize and manifest.
Thus, I don’t understand why one must kid oneself by not accepting that there is external/eternal/fixed Truth. (Note, this isn’t the same as accepting that there is no external Truth; the latter is affirmative) All meaning in life is something you impart yourself. Love, Kindness, Charity, Empathy… these are all things with meaning because you chose to give them meaning.
You wake up one day not believing (or, not affirming) that God exists. Your car may be parked in the same parking space, but isn’t your entire world different? The meaning of everything has changed; indeed, the meaning of everything is only what you choose it to be.
That’s not to say Truth is subjective. There cannot be an objective/subjective dichotomoy if it hasn’t been established that there’s anything material external to your mind. But why bother establishing that? Much like organized religion, such an attempt could only be in the service of judging and forcing others to conform. Why conjure a fixed Truth without the motive of coercion?
The only Truth is the what you manifest everyday in your choices.
Science, Logic, and perhaps Faith are just practical devices for projecting your will.
Science, Logic, and perhaps Faith are just practical devices for projecting your will.
I don’t think someone who understands the essence of science, could make such a statement. Indeed, science seems to be far more about tearing down your prejudices and preconceived notions, in the face of empirical facts, than it could ever be about “projecting your will.” Certainly, preformed notions of truth are frequently promoted in the name of science (much as Christians will tell you that un-Christian-ly things are done in the name of God); this doesn’t make them scientific.
Proper science consists of twisting your perceptions to match the facts,not the other way around. It is impossible to practice science if you are unwilling to accept, on an ongoing basis, that your understanding of the way things are may be wrong.