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You have me there, and your words bring to mind an old joke: Descartes was sitting in a coffee shop when a waitress approached him and asked if he'd like a refill. "I think not," he said, and promptly vanished. peace, press

I agree with part of what you say. If science (logic, reason) conflicts with religion (faith, spirituality) about the nature of reality, then one is wrong. Both can't be right. I think you mean here that if religion is right, then science must be wrong. And if science is wrong, either a...

This thread hasn't had any posts for about three weeks. Since this is of vital interest to me, I'll say a few things. I've said in another thread/area that the domain of God is protected by faith in a way that does not make sense to me. What follows is a lengthy thought experiment. Please...

many thanks.

Thank you so much for your comments. They are very helpful. Now, as I begin to delve deeper into Buddhism, attempting to submit myself to its teachings...might you have a recommendation of where to go next? Thus far I've done little more than read what CR has to say about it. Though good...

Ah. You're right. But one of the "truths" we disagree on is whether or not there is an objective, absolute truth or not. it's the very reason there are different religions at all. peace, press

Erm...I've read back through my posts, and don't see what I've pulled back from. Not being sarcastic, not at all, just a bit flummoxed. Could you show me where you think I've erred? Thanks! press

You may be right, but you may be wrong. I know of no evidence to support the idea that there is something bigger than our universe, much less that that something created. Beginninngs, origins, first causes -- all of these things are quite interesting to me. If you have data to support your...

So, then. Buddhists do, indeed, believe that some passion, directed toward a worthy goal, is good. As I said before, I'm trying to square the little I'm learning with my Western perspective. Ingenuity and can-do spirit are things prized here, and they certainly call for passion in the form of...

Sorry to sound ignorant (and to mention PW again), but could you direct me to a site that explains this?

Religionists are fond of saying that belief in God is the stuff of faith, and that logic cannot go there, has no place there. Why? We believe in science because it's logical. I believe my boyfriend loves me because of my experiences with him, which is a kind of logic all its own. But...

Interesting. Of course, I know next to nothing about Buddhism, so I'll be interested in what others have to say, too. peace, press P.S. btw, I'm enjoying the conversations we've been having in various areas of the forum!

You're right. But many Christians (mostly fundamentalists) believe just that: that an all-knowing, all-loving God sends non-believers to hell. I used to be an evangelical, so I know. And I even understand the reasoning behind this belief, though I no longer subscribe to it.

I'm just beginning my journey outside of Christianity. I've read the quotations from the Dhammapada here on CR, and they confirm something I've known about Buddhism and other eastern philosophies for some time: the goal is to abandon all desire in order to release oneself from suffering, to gain...

I fear I've not made myself clear. By world of hurt I simply mean this: If there is a God and you choose to not believe, then the part about being condemned to hell is true. Hence your life ends badly. I completely agree here. Living morally is more important than believing in God. But...

I heartily agree. Unfortunately, many of us do not see it that way.

Blaise Pascal said that the safe bet is on God. If you believe and it's false, you haven't done yourself any harm. If you don't believe and you're wrong, you're in a world of hurt. So, Pascal says, it's safer to believe in God. This bothers absolutists of every stripe, who say that...

I don't like sounding a negative note, but that's what I see as not having been represented here yet. I was an evangelical for years -- decades. While what I say is not universal, it does describe the great majority of Christian fundamentalists. Here's what your potential mate believes, if...

It's an interesting question: Would a person without any influence from others develop religion on her own? I tend to think the answer is yes. Here's why. Humans are by nature curious. We look for reasons. When the thunderstorm comes, we wonder why. Perhaps a human in the wild would think...

Doesn't the answer depend on the definition of God? Some use the term to represent a personality; others a force; still others the universe -- creation itself. Believing in a personal God is easy to comprehend, since we are accustomed to believing in people. Believing in a force --...