Kevyn

Nothing should be more sacred than facts. Where we have reason we don't need faith, where we have no reason we have lost both our connection to this world and to one another. People who harbor strong convictions without evidence belong at the margins of our society not in the halls of power. We should respect the person's desire for a better life in this world, not his certainly that a better one waits for him in the next.

Artemis

~Thank you Glaucon for you thoughtful feedback, but I feel a dichotomy is exactly what it is, yet my question...does it have to be?

Someone praying to "someone" verses someone meditating may have slight differences, though I don't find either to be mindless, but where we find commonalities is where we can bridge the gap and come closer together rather than intently opposing. In both cases people are reaching beyond our physical three dimensional world, Looking for answers and /or guidance.

One praying to an envisioned single entity, while the other may be reaching for an only an inner consciousness but unknowing may also be reaching out into the unknown and become in touch with a divine source.

Either way people are constantly searching for a connection, some feel or believe in the law of god, some believe in the laws of nature, are they not one in the same?

Possibly if people understood this connection of everything they would not be afraid and stop attacking each other over differences.

Glaucon

I meditate regularly and I get a lot from it. It makes me feel good and relaxed and I enjoy it, However, I don't have any fantasies attached to it that I am aware. However, I think It allows me to tap into my unconscious mind and use it.

Artemis

~I could never consider a fact to be sacred, it is simply a fact. Sometimes facts in science can change as new undiscovered information comes forward. Science is always evolving. At one time it was thought all things were matter, now it's revealed all matter breaks down to energy.

It is not the constrictions of religious judgements of the extremists who are against all if not of their deity I am speaking of. It is the state of sharing features or attributes in simple thought or prayer we have in common.

As far as reason it may get you through the day, but faith may get you through the night.

Reason is logic and our ability to understand which is not to be under rated. If one considers reason gives us the ability to have empathy, then yes reason is crucial to our connections to all, yet there are many explainable and illogical occurrences that exist every day. It is humbling how much we don't know and will learn.

I agree Kevyn we need to respect ones right to happiness, and to value the here and now,yet we also have to respect the person who finds comfort in believing he leaves this world to a better place, that is his right also. Thank you for your thoughtful post.

Artemis

I'm with you nwtk :thumbup:

Artemis

Thank you Searching, that's all I'm going for, an exchange of thoughts. I do find it disheartening when some won't even consider a bridge of understanding.

Artemis

Well if you're not aware of the fantasies you must be doing it wrong :wink: :lol: :lol: sorry couldn't resist, things tend to be dry around here.

Yes I do also, and believe it taps into the preconscious, I also believe that thought is energy.
some interesting tidbits;

John Locke, a 17th-century philosopher, was one of the first to speak and write on consciousness. He believed that our identity was tied to our consciousness, which he essentially defined as what passes through a man’s mind, or memories. He also asserted that our consciousness is not tied to our physical bodies, and that it can survive even after our physical bodies die. In fact, Locke held that consciousness could be transferred from one soul to another.

René Descartes also addressed the idea of consciousness in the 17th century. He set out to answer the question of how it is possible that our consciousness, a non-physical thing, can come from our bodies, a physical thing.

The explanation he came up with was called Cartesian dualism, in short, consciousness resides within an immaterial domain he called res cogitans (the realm of thought), in contrast to the domain of material things, which he called res extensa (the realm of extension). He suggested that the interaction between these two domains occurs inside the brain.

My point being which ever we are doing...we are connecting, to what exactly, is not known yet.

Glaucon

That part of us that is not known to us is most of what we are. Great research on that in recent books, Thinking Fast and Slow and Strangers to Ourselves. Most on here are obviously are not readers, but if your are, you will appreciaate these books.

rebob14

The power of intention

Tasine Loc: Southwest US

Did I ever say I am NOT religious? No,I don't think so. I said I am not Christian. You surely know that not all religious people are Christian, don't you?

Kevyn

Even Devil worshipers are welcome in our nation of all faiths.

Tasine Loc: Southwest US

Worse than that - our "President" welcomes Muslim terrorists in our nation. It can't get worse than that.

Artemis

Thank you, I do love to read and will check those out.

Artemis

That's what it's all about my friend :thumbup:

bggamers Loc: georgia

I was watching a news clip about a group protesting religion and there was a man in the back ground with a sign saying let Jesus come back and we'll kill him again. If they don't believe why are they so angery at something they don't believe is real?