Hmmmmm... Tangible, tangible you say...
*ponders*
Well, thanks to Tai Chi I can now pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. If that ain't a benefit, I don't know what is... :p
It's hard for me to answer questions like these. I can never really define where my religion stops and I...
*sighs*
Could you at least, you know, stay in one topic? A cursory glance gives at least half a dozen threads started by you on this very subject. It's annoyingly akin to spam.
Here be the relevant bits of my reply from an earlier topic on Maitreya:
Among the other fine links suggested, I'd try here as well:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/scientol1.htm
Oh, and neither.
*goes back to sweeping dead leaves*
Curses! I was prepared to make some (no doubt cutting) remark to this effect, but it had already been said. Far better then I could have, incidentally.
*departs thread, sarcastic wit sheaved... For now*
:D
Hola! I'm James and I'm a Taoist, or perhaps 'Seeker of Tao' or some similarly convoluted title would be more accurate. I follow Taoism because, well... *is trying to come with suitable words*
Ever since I can remember, I've often felt a sense of serenity, complexity and beauty all around me...
Since 'morality' is a human invention, why not? :)
@GreyHam: Atheistic and theistic viewpoints concern themselves with matters of faith, they do not require scientific evidence to back them up.
*nods*
Though my religion doesn't have any scriptures or sacred texts, so I'm not entirely sure why I'm replying. :rolleyes:
If there were anything that I 'hated' about my religion, I simply wouldn't include it, though I've rarely found anything that I can easily define as being simply...
I don't know. Purpose implies a separate beginning and end, a fixed past and future; I simply don't know if such things can be said to exist.
@Maize: Wonderful! :)
I chose Other. While I seek harmony with Tao, my religious beliefs couldn't be accurately summed up as simply 'Taoist'. To attempt to do so would, I think, restrict my ability to understand both myself and Taoism.
That, and I'm an argumentative old sod. :p
*mumbles various magical words. A flash of green smoke appears, out of which arises...*
http://www.maitreya.org/
http://www.shareintl.org/maitreya/Ma_main.htm
(I've just been reading Harry Potter :p)
I remember a discussion on this subject a while back. I must admit to not putting great...
*suddenly has an image of Jesus wearing a purple velvet hat*
:D
Oh, and no; no more then any other specific human action of Jesus invalidates the belief in his divinity. I fail to see how the 'fully god and fully man' theory fails to cover (human) sexual activities.
Personally, my reading of the Tao Te Ching was that, at least on one level, it advises rulers to act in a certain way; instead of stating that there shouldn't be any rulers.
For example:
(Though to be fair I could easily find verses pointing to the contrary. Paradox; such is the nature of...
Who says you need be right? :)
Incidentally, I admire you for being able to be open like that, without pretense. It's much harder to do then we'd like to admit.