The Monster Under The Bed

[The Sum of Awe]

The Monster Under the Bed

What if a monster is under my bed? What if he was hungry? What if he was purple? What if he was furry, and is waiting for the slightest inch of my to go over the mattress, so he can grab me? What if he gave me freewill to choose my fate, but if I let my foot dangle off the bed, I know for sure that I'll wake up dead?

He's never hungry, he ate way too much. He's pink all around and his skin is scaly.

There's no evidence for any of this, and it does contradict... but just to be safe, I better have no limb hanging over the mattress.





*In regards to those who only hang on their faith because of fear in hell

 

[s2a]

Well, at least I now know where my college ex-gf took up residence...

.. you have my sympathies.

Suggestion: She detested Faust... some quick quotes might dispatch her from her lair...

 

[Quintessence]

Ideas have power and have a reality all of their own. Those who deny this are fools. Whether or not there is any "evidence" of a corporally existing monster is irrelevant. When it comes to human behavior, belief in the idea matters far more than the "objective truth" of things.

Something similar was said by a great psychologist once. The name escapes me at the moment. It was too many years ago.

 

[idav]

It is a good example of fear in general. You don't have anything to fear except for what you might imagine. Fear is because of what is unknown. It can be rational but usually plays on emotions.

You can try and fight it with logic. Just convince yourself there is nothing to fear cause it is all in your mind. Convince yourself it is illogical to stop yourself from hanging your limbs over the bed. Easier said than done thats for sure.

 

[TooRiel]

How could it be described as a monster if it gave you free will? Did you have freewill before you were aware of the monster?

If this scenario were approached differently, perhaps from the perspective of a smaller you, now physically less likely to "go over the mattress", would you then be less intimidated by this perceived entity under your bed?

Regardless, I would think you'd be better off finding somewhere else to sleep.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Everyone takes things too literally, unless it's the Bible...

 

[TooRiel]

Everyone takes things too literally, unless it's the Bible...

That is a very broad statement

 

[The Sum of Awe]

AWWWHHH SHEEEEE-

 

[The Sum of Awe]

But seriously, if you read the very last line, you would know what the metaphor represents.

 

[Quintessence]

We're not mindreaders, Sum. Unless you state what you mean plainly, you cannot expect everyone to get the point you intended. Frankly, the first thing I thought when I read the last line is that there's a word missing in that sentence somewhere that makes it grammatically incorrect and difficult to understand. "Hang on their faith?" Was that supposed to be "hang ONTO their faith?" Or is it a play on words regarding limbs hanging off mattresses? I have no idea. It's not very clear, doubly so since there is no asterisk in the content above indicating what the asterisked portion is supposed to apply to.

 

[Koldo]

We're not mindreaders, Sum. Unless you state what you mean plainly, you cannot expect everyone to get the point you intended. Frankly, the first thing I thought when I read the last line is that there's a word missing in that sentence somewhere that makes it grammatically incorrect and difficult to understand. "Hang on their faith?" Was that supposed to be "hang ONTO their faith?" Or is it a play on words regarding limbs hanging off mattresses? I have no idea. It's not very clear, doubly so since there is no asterisk in the content above indicating what the asterisked portion is supposed to apply to.

He is using the monster under the bed to exemplify irrational beliefs in God(s). Plus, he is drawing a comparison between the fear of being killed/eaten by this monster to the fear of going to hell.

 

[BSM1]

If there is absolutely no way to prove that the monster even exists, then a lot of folks will operate under the theory that it is better to believe in the monster and be wrong than not believe in the monster and be wrong.

 

[839311]

The Monster Under the Bed

What if a monster is under my bed? What if he was hungry? What if he was purple? What if he was furry, and is waiting for the slightest inch of my to go over the mattress, so he can grab me? What if he gave me freewill to choose my fate, but if I let my foot dangle off the bed, I know for sure that I'll wake up dead?

He's never hungry, he ate way too much. He's pink all around and his skin is scaly.

There's no evidence for any of this, and it does contradict... but just to be safe, I better have no limb hanging over the mattress.





*In regards to those who only hang on their faith because of fear in hell

I watched an episode of the outer limits a few days ago about the boogeyman. It was scary. He hung out under the bed and grabbed a boy at one point, a massive hairy claw arm reached out and nabbed him. They got that evil ******* in the end though :yes:

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

See there is a monster tht lives under beds. People sing songs about it.

[youtube]5di5EhZshdQ[/youtube]
Santana, Everlast - Put Your Lights On - YouTube

 

[Quintessence]

He is using the monster under the bed to exemplify irrational beliefs in God(s). Plus, he is drawing a comparison between the fear of being killed/eaten by this monster to the fear of going to hell.

Then what I said earlier still applies and I don't understand why Sum suggests "everyone" takes things too literally when my response was definitely not literal.

Oh well. Whatever.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

We're not mindreaders, Sum. Unless you state what you mean plainly, you cannot expect everyone to get the point you intended. Frankly, the first thing I thought when I read the last line is that there's a word missing in that sentence somewhere that makes it grammatically incorrect and difficult to understand. "Hang on their faith?" Was that supposed to be "hang ONTO their faith?" Or is it a play on words regarding limbs hanging off mattresses? I have no idea. It's not very clear, doubly so since there is no asterisk in the content above indicating what the asterisked portion is supposed to apply to.

Yeah onto

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Then what I said earlier still applies and I don't understand why Sum suggests "everyone" takes things too literally when my response was definitely not literal.

Oh well. Whatever.

I didn't say your's was, just some of them were saying I thought there was actually a monster under my bed

 

[4consideration]

*In regards to those who only hang on their faith because of fear in hell

I think I get where you are going about fears regarding something one does not see evidence for. I think this can apply to religious fears, or fears about believing wrongly about non-religious beliefs -- like fear of ridicule from peers for believing something that is unpopular among them.

What I would really like to address here, though, is that I think it is highly unlikely that -- even though a person expresses such a fear, like that of going to hell for believing wrongly -- I seriously doubt that one fear is the only reason for hanging onto their faith. I think this position is an over-simplification of another person's entire belief system.

Even though we may have a main reason that we express about why we do something, I am having a difficult time coming up with anything that I may choose to do, not do, or believe that has only ONE reason. So I am having difficulty in assuming that anyone else would make such a decison about life based upon only one belief/fear/or piece of information.

 

[TooRiel]

He is using the monster under the bed to exemplify irrational beliefs in God(s). Plus, he is drawing a comparison between the fear of being killed/eaten by this monster to the fear of going to hell.

Did readers on Religious Education Forum, in a sub-forum labeled "Religious Debates" really need that spelled out for them?

I still think it's all a matter of perspective.

Why do we perceive a monster? Why do we believe the monster may/may not consume the sleeper? Have we seen this happen/not happen to someone else?

Or

Have we been lied to about the nature of our perception of this "monster", and it's intentions, perhaps as a key element in a divide and conquer strategy, by those who would benefit from our divisive fears? (how's that for a leading question)

Maybe a few simple measures of metaphorical truth were once issued by agents of this "monster", but that truth was embraced and extended by non-monsters in an effort to gain control...

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I think I get where you are going about fears regarding something one does not see evidence for. I think this can apply to religious fears, or fears about believing wrongly about non-religious beliefs -- like fear of ridicule from peers for believing something that is unpopular among them.

What I would really like to address here, though, is that I think it is highly unlikely that -- even though a person expresses such a fear, like that of going to hell for believing wrongly -- I seriously doubt that one fear is the only reason for hanging onto their faith. I think this position is an over-simplification of another person's entire belief system.

Even though we may have a main reason that we express about why we do something, I am having a difficult time coming up with anything that I may choose to do, not do, or believe that has only ONE reason. So I am having difficulty in assuming that anyone else would make such a decison about life based upon only one belief/fear/or piece of information.

That's probably true, but there are many who claim that the fear of hell is the only reason they still believe in God. And it just sounds sad to me that they have to live with that fear.