Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm not sure I follow what you mean when you say one can make personal comfort one's religion and god. Are you arguing against Satanism or hedonism, or do you mean something entirely?
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Comfort in religion - is it regarded as negative?
- Thread starter sandandfoam
- Start date
Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm not sure I follow what you mean when you say one can make personal comfort one's religion and god. Are you arguing against Satanism or hedonism, or do you mean something entirely?
no-body
Well-Known Member
No I mean when you make spiritual comfort your God by proxy. You are so afraid of life and death that you cling to your beliefs in an irrational matter.
An example would be creationist as has been mentioned.
Jiddu Krishnamurti used to say something along the lines of this: that we seek comfort, and once we have found comfort, it is all that much more difficult for us to experience realization or enlightenment. If Krishnamurti was right then, seeking comfort from religion might not be entirely advisable.
Sounds like Krishnamurti advocated uncomfortable enlightenment
I think this comes down to Indian philosophy stating that truth isn't found in material comforts and we must discriminate the spiritual from the material to find lasting comfort.
I enjoyed that essay, and intellectually I think he's right. Keeping comfort off-balanced is living in world of continual renewal. Emotionally, though, I think I'll stick with my comfort.
I don't see any problem with seeking religion for comfort, but I don't think that should be the primary reason. The primary reason should be to seek either God or some kind of spiritual enlightenment (the latter being for non-theist religions). I believe, however, there can be a lot of comfort in religion and for me, prayer.
As was the very first thing I said (which was obviously ignored), this applies to me. Prayer does work, and so those who believe in pray are not in the wrong imo, even though Jayhawker suggested otherwise. I know how prayer works from a scientific standpoint, therefore it is useless to me. For me, personally, to believe, would be to sit back without questioning. What you learn cannot be unlearned, and for me to believe would be strictly for comfort.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
Sure, but one can always learn something new - it is possible that you might believe and I might cease to. In that event believing might not be strictly for comfort?
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
I'm ok with that view - but what if one seeks truth and finds comfort?
I'm tempted to say the only lasting comfort from seeking truth might be whatever comfort, if any, is to be found in enlightenment. But not being enlightened myself, I am only guessing.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
I'm not sure I believe anyone is enlightened - but I do believe we can all experience whatever it is that we are. I can never know if what you experience it is that you are is the same as I experience. I imagine not. But I do think there are points where our experiences seem similar enough to provide a basis for meaningful exchange - poetry for example. I see this as pointing to a reality greater than myself.
The story I tell myself about this reality together with my experience of it I call God. This is very real to me, as real as I am to myself. Because it transcends me it is also comforting, facing into something daunting it gives me something beyond myself to hold to.
Of course I don't expect agreement - but do you see what I am trying to express?
I think I might understand what you're getting at. It's an interesting perspective, at the very least.
Trey of Diamonds
Well-Known Member
I think humanity has a very strong innate desire to be right and instinctively creates rationalizations to support their views. In doing so, they see those with differing beliefs as weak or inferior. If the belief is not a threat they may look at it with disdain and, if it is a threat, with fear and hatred.
So when the atheist sees the religious gaining comfort from their belief they sneer, thinking the person is fooling themselves. Not that all atheists do this, but the ones who see comfort from religion as negative probably fall into this category.
So when the atheist sees the religious gaining comfort from their belief they sneer, thinking the person is fooling themselves. Not that all atheists do this, but the ones who see comfort from religion as negative probably fall into this category.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
Sure, but I think it is unlikely.
I think you've missed my point. I have no issues with people believing and it being comforting. For me, personally, to believe would be for comfort because there is no evidence of a deity or spiritual truth. That is for me, and me alone. What you do or may do is irrelevant, unless evidence comes up I will not believe, unless I submit to comfort therefore becoming both a hypocrite and a failure of my own path.
What others do or believe, if not hurting others, I don't really care about (though I will argue it).
Erebus
Well-Known Member
I think too many people worry about being right and forget they're allowed to make mistakes and have some fun. What value does "truth" have if pursuing it doesn't make life better?
Zactly!