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I'm here now because it's an opportunity to observe human behavior in a context that you can't actually have in real life. From that observation, I hope to better myself in some way, but it's tricky as it's probably 10 times the vagueness as the old saying 'behind closed doors' indicates. The door between real life and the words on a screen we see here is one thick door.
As a sampling of humanity, it's rather skewed, in favor of certain personality types, even illnesses.
As a sampling of humanity, it's rather skewed, in favor of certain personality types, even illnesses.
Exceptional in what way? In the one meeting I attended before I had to retire, all I got was a jug of warm salt water. Reflecting on that years later, it was most likely a not so subtle hint to get the heck out.
...what's wrong with warm salt water?
I suspected the warm salt was from a human or animal source. There was a peculiar odor to it.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Because I'm not somewhere else?
Because I'm not somewhere else?
Where would you rather be, but are not able to be because you chose RF instead?
I liked my time in the Solomon Islands amongst the community, helping them to build infrastructure and sharing skills they have not had access to. That life was not sustainable, as I was way to selfish coming from such a privileged background. I lost 30 kg in the Solomon's, yet 6 years back, so is the 30kg!
Regards Tony
Ponder This
Well-Known Member
I am here to bear witness to all things, whether that means unity or division.
-a lover of truth
I guess I was never so picky...
Secret Chief
Very strong language
I'm here to give @JustGeorge a feeling she has a purpose in life.
Perhaps if they'd have given me more options, I would have found one I liked.
I actually came to find out a little more about modern deism.
I stay because the exit door is poorly marked.
I stay because the exit door is poorly marked.
Poor excuse. Then again it could be difficult to ask someone who found it.
I am here because my principal interest is humanity, along with my other interests in philosophy, science and the arts.
It is impossible for me to deny that religion is an immense part of human reality. It, rather than philosophy or science, guides the vast majority of humans today -- and of course in the past and will into the future.
Forums devoted to only philosophy or science or the arts (or all of them, but without religion) tend to ignore too much of human experience -- and what can we learn about our shared reality without acknowledge our experience, much of which is religious? And that includes "religious experience" which might be (I don't say "is") the result of nothing more than brain chemistry or psychology.
One simply cannot claim to be interested in the human condition, and ignore some part of that condition which one doesn't happen to share with others. Little or nothing can be learned that way.
It is impossible for me to deny that religion is an immense part of human reality. It, rather than philosophy or science, guides the vast majority of humans today -- and of course in the past and will into the future.
Forums devoted to only philosophy or science or the arts (or all of them, but without religion) tend to ignore too much of human experience -- and what can we learn about our shared reality without acknowledge our experience, much of which is religious? And that includes "religious experience" which might be (I don't say "is") the result of nothing more than brain chemistry or psychology.
One simply cannot claim to be interested in the human condition, and ignore some part of that condition which one doesn't happen to share with others. Little or nothing can be learned that way.
Truth can set us free, at least I heard that said, most likely a Jesus wisdom given in scriptures!
Regards Tony
All great and worthy pursuits. Thanks for sharing.
The sciences and the arts are growing at an unprecedented rate. I see we have to be careful to contain them within morality and virtue, but that is me.
Regards Tony
Thank you.
As you are probably aware, there are areas where we don't agree -- and (outside of belief in deities) "morality and virtue" are the most important.
My view has always been that there is nothing that I could describe as either virtue or morality that I could force upon any other person. There are, of course, very many things that I could say ought to be proscribed (forbidden), all having to do with harming others, in any way at all.
There are, for example, many religiously-inspired notions about what people should wear, or should not wear, about who one should make love to and not. I reject anything which cannot be shown to cause harm. "You are not allowed to make love to men because it offends God," for example, is out of the question. Neither you nor I will ever know what offends God, or even if there is one. You may believe as you wish -- and so may I -- but we cannot make categorical statements about what we cannot know -- pretend as we might, and the "testimony" of self-proclaimed "messengers" be damned.
What's happening in Iran today? A woman died because she wasn't "properly dressed." Do you really think God cares whether her hair was covered? Do you? And if I visited Iran with my lover and we were discovered in flagrante delicto, do you suppose we might not be jailed or worse -- in spite of the fact that we are legally considered spouses in our own country?
Therefore, I urge you to consider carefully, as I do, what you really mean when you say "we have to be careful to contain them within morality and virtue." That has been the cause of an absolutely immense amount of human suffering throughout our history.
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This is the purpose of our life here on earth I believe.
“ I bear witness O my God that Thou hast created me to know thee and to worship thee.
In the days of Christ it was to know God through Him, at the time of Muhammad to know God via the Quran and in this day to know God and worship Him is by accepting ALL His Prophets and Messengers of the past and Baha’u’llah for this age.
The spiritual teachings are eternal and never replaced or changed such as love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness while the social laws are given to suit the needs of each age. Todays age requires accepting all humanity, religions, races and nations as one human family.
So today the purpose of our lives is to establish love between all people, races, religions and nations and spiritualise the world so that crime will be replaced with upright character and virtue and society will function on justice not corruption so that all are treated fairly.
Just my humble opinion from consulting the Baha’i Writings.
“ I bear witness O my God that Thou hast created me to know thee and to worship thee.
In the days of Christ it was to know God through Him, at the time of Muhammad to know God via the Quran and in this day to know God and worship Him is by accepting ALL His Prophets and Messengers of the past and Baha’u’llah for this age.
The spiritual teachings are eternal and never replaced or changed such as love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness while the social laws are given to suit the needs of each age. Todays age requires accepting all humanity, religions, races and nations as one human family.
So today the purpose of our lives is to establish love between all people, races, religions and nations and spiritualise the world so that crime will be replaced with upright character and virtue and society will function on justice not corruption so that all are treated fairly.
Just my humble opinion from consulting the Baha’i Writings.