My reply to you if I was going into detail would take pages but I will not seek to change anyone’s mind. I just want to respectfully point out that you make the common mistake of making the terms Religion and Spiritualism interchangeable. They are absolutely not.
Spirituality is in fact largely based on faith by its very nature because it’s based on a clear understanding that the universe is so big and complex that it is impossible for any human to comprehend everything or even have the capability to absorb all knowledge even if offered, so you do take a leap of faith and believe that there has to be a bigger power beyond our comprehension running this show. Then you spend a lifetime trying to understand this concept and how it affects your life, or you just accept it at face value and follow what you believe is the right path.
Religion is a construct of humans seeking to explain what they can not understand. If you agree with the basic tenements of a religion then you accept its explanations and rules as guidance for your spirituality.
I’m Catholic by heritage/birth but Christian by choice. After studying many “Religions” I do believe that Jesus is my personal example of how to live and what to believe. But I am no longer a practicing Catholic.
Many religious people are not spiritual and in fact quite a few, in my experience, have very little faith or conduct their life in a manner that would fit into their “Religion”.
I have not researched this subject, so I can only offer an opinion based on experience so far.
The bible I go by, and the God of that bible, does not give a commandment on such a tool, be it a sword, knife, or speeding vehicle. What it does do is to give higher level instructions on conduct and motivations, rendering the actual device or tool just another thing that can be used, or misused. While the verse saying that " he who lives by the sword will die by the sword" mentions a particular implement of battle, it is none the less addressing lifestyle and behavior rather than the implement itself.
I would conclude by pointing out the more direct warnings about " the tongue" which represents the tool used to form words, and what a dangerous and harmful implement that can be! Christians are responsible for how they use their tongue, so having a tongue, or knowing how to use it, is not the question, it’s manner and intent of use is. We are instructed to use it for the good of others. and I would suggest the very same applies to a gun, or a car.
Just a qiock post for now… but question, is it possible to select multiple posts to “reply” to? I have not figured it out.
DS1 and Enzo_T
Both of you make great well considered points.
Enzo_T I believe your point about Religion vs Spiritualism is correct. As you said, it would take a long discussion to explain the nuances of the actual difference, but I believe many people use the term interchangeably without realizing the difference.
DS1 your point about % understanding vs not is also very accurate and interesting in my opinion. I could give you very specific examples of how this has affected the evolution of many religions over time. We can have that discussion if you like but it may offend some as it involves naming the religions/beliefs involved.
I think the one thing that ties both your thoughts together is the need for one to accept truth as the reality regardless where it takes you. Some things require facts, some faith, others both. Kind of reminds me of the theme of The Matrix.
I selected the definition appropriate to the discussion at hand. Can you be objective and also have faith, no. Objective by it’s very definition indicates that you don’t believe something without reason. Trusting something or someone you’ve never seen, has never proven anything to you, has never demonstrated their abilities that we can see today…only a bunch of far fetched fantasy stories written by a bunch of “believers”, is not objective…it’s blind faith.
Consider Jonestown or Heaven’s Gate cults. What you are following is really no different than what those poor idiots followed…the word of the believers and look where that got them. Finding someone guillible to believe in this world isn’t a problem…they’re everywhere. Finding someone who is actually objective, well that’s another story all together.
During college I attended many classes and I “tested” how impressionable people really were. Tell them you saw elvis and they look at you like you’re crazy. Tell them you felt jesus touch your shoulder and they all consider that evidence for the divine. That isn’t being objective, that’s looking for reasons to believe so much that you’ll grasp at anything and call it evidence. On the other hand, I simply won’t believe without something more to show for it. That’s being objective.
Don’t argue with this guy… his examples are very poor and his arguments are merely strawmen arguments. He takes a couple of incidents over 2000 years and makes them the norm. This guy thinks he’s the only thinking one among us who can think and reason, and considers us fools. He cannot prove any of his beliefs and yet call us fools.
You suggested that you can be faithful and objective. That’s simply not true. The two are contradictions to one another. You are either objective, or you have faith. Sorry you hate the truth so much that you’ll consider me the enemy but you do you and I’ll keep being me.