Blissful ignorance? Or regretful enlightenment?

[Crystal Red]

Let's give an example, let's say a God(ess), one you didn't believe in, appeared in front of you (& this is undeniably God(ess)), & told you the truth, but you didn't like it.

Looking back on that experience, would you rather have lived on in blissful ignorance, or seen the truth, even though it is not the truth you wanted to see?

 

[michel]

Ah well, yes, you live in Guernsey; explains a lot!:biglaugh:


I really don't know. I hate these "what if's " - I guess if it had to happen, then I would want to know the truth; to have the opportunity of enlightenment and to deny it would be senseless...........(for me)

 

[Crystal Red]

I know you couldn't deny it, I doubt even the hardest skeptic could, I just wondered if you'd regret it, if truth was not really desirable, for you.

 

[Tawn]

Id always pick the truth. Even though that may not necessarily be the best for me..

If given the choice to reveal this 'bad' truth to another person, I would say that we have to be very careful indeed before telling 'white' lies. We cannot forsee all things and in the long run a white lie may lead to a worse situation than telling the hard cold truth in the first place.

From my perspective then, I do not justify religion as 'ok' because even though it may be untrue - it does good things.. I dont believe that. Religion is capable of as much evil as it is capable of good - there are examples of both.

Let truth prevail! ..but what is true?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Tawn, I don't want to argue with you, but shouldn't people be allowed to have their religion if they do not try to use it to justify evil?

I'm pretty sure I would want the truth. It might be hard at first, but I'd probably be better off knowing it.

 

[Crystal Red]

Tawn, I don't want to argue with you, but shouldn't people be allowed to have their religion if they do not try to use it to justify evil?

That all depends what you view as evil, they do not use their religion to justify evil, their religion defines what is evil, & they follow, so killing in the name of God may not appear evil to one person, but to another it may seem evil. There is no universal evil. One man's feast is another man's poison, one man's good is anothers' evil.

 

[ch'ang]

I will just say ignorance is bliss I would rather be stupid and happy then smart and depressed

 

[Crystal Red]

smart and depressed

I'd rather you use the word enlightened instead of smart, I know plenty of smart but still ignorant people, I got to school with tons of them. You could haev 5 doctorates in metaphysics but still not have found God, & of course you coudl always be a bin man with no education & have found God, thought it's much less likely.

 

[michel]

I know you couldn't deny it, I doubt even the hardest skeptic could, I just wondered if you'd regret it, if truth was not really desirable, for you.

We fit into the word - not vice versa as some people think; if the truth did'nt suit me, I would just have to change; rather that than be a square peg in a round hole.

 

[Ori]

The truth, even if it's bad.

 

[Tawn]

Tawn, I don't want to argue with you, but shouldn't people be allowed to have their religion if they do not try to use it to justify evil?

Religion by its nature should be true if it is to be followed. What upsets me is those who practice a religion but are unwilling to question it. Considered belief can only come through doubt - and repeated doubt.

The issue isnt really whether religion does good or bad. If its true - it has universal imperative and should be followed. If its not true then we have to ask ourselves - is it necessary to use a 'white lie' to encourage people to act in a benevolent way?
How would they react if they discovered someone knew the truth?

Surely we should respect others decisions to make their own choices with the best information that is available. If you lie to someone - you take that 'freedom' away.

 

[Tawn]

I'd rather you use the word enlightened instead of smart, I know plenty of smart but still ignorant people, I got to school with tons of them. You could haev 5 doctorates in metaphysics but still not have found God, & of course you coudl always be a bin man with no education & have found God, thought it's much less likely.

Maybe those doctors know/understand something you dont. hehe

Dont be too quick to assume you are correct. That is to everyone, myself included. All you can do in life is question things. Be open to alternative possibilities - whether you like them or not. If you ignore an alternative view simply because you dont like it, you are being ignorant.

 

[Scuba Pete]

I would always want the opportunity to at least respond to the truth, than to have lost it by default of ignorance.

What upsets me is those who practice a religion but are unwilling to question it.

Often those who make such claims have no idea of how much questioning has been done. There is no need re revisit those areas you have already questioned.

 

[Tawn]

Often those who make such claims have no idea of how much questioning has been done. There is no need re revisit those areas you have already questioned.

Totally disagree. A fresh look at something can often produce new insights.
Granted, it is not practical to question everything constantly all of the time.. but an occasional probing of ones own beliefs is healthy. Believeing you have already got it all figured out is just plain arrogant.

 

[Crystal Red]

I believe as you Tawn, I don't think I am right, but thinking through & coming to these beliefs has taught me that it is likely that they are right, I am open to everything, I consider everything, & then decide to believe or not to be believe as appropriate. I agree that you must question your beliefs constantly, blind faith is as bad as no faith.

 

[Sunstone]

Totally disagree. A fresh look at something can often produce new insights.
Granted, it is not practical to question everything constantly all of the time.. but an occasional probing of ones own beliefs is healthy. Believeing you have already got it all figured out is just plain arrogant.

The only thing I'm certain of about truth is that truth is approximate and provisional.

 

[michel]

Id always pick the truth. Even though that may not necessarily be the best for me..

If given the choice to reveal this 'bad' truth to another person, I would say that we have to be very careful indeed before telling 'white' lies. We cannot forsee all things and in the long run a white lie may lead to a worse situation than telling the hard cold truth in the first place.

From my perspective then, I do not justify religion as 'ok' because even though it may be untrue - it does good things.. I dont believe that. Religion is capable of as much evil as it is capable of good - there are examples of both.

Let truth prevail! ..but what is true?

Oh what a tangled web we weave..................

That sounds as if it is coming from sheer bias; I don't know what religion you are thinking of, but I can't see evil ever being able to come out of Love.

 

[Fluffy]

Yeah I would go along with what mostly everyone else is saying. The truth even if I didn't like it. Largley because it is probably a reflection that I had gotten something very wrong in my life. It would be an opportunity to change such a mistake given this new information.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Believeing you have already got it all figured out is just plain arrogant.

Fine... I never claimed to have it all figured out, but feel free to smear me all you like. You can join the others.

 

[Druidus]

Truth, no matter what it is.