root@trwatf.UUCP (Lord Frith) (03/29/85)
> The contrast between intellectual truth and religious desire here is interest- > ing. The problem I see here is that this implies that an intellectual search > for truth is not sufficient for the investigation of religion and its eventual > acceptance. Since this has many important ramifications it would > be prudent to support this with some evidence. Remember "Metropolis".... the head moderated by the heart? An intellectual search helps temper faith (the heart) and serves to identify and weed out incorrect or misdirected beliefs. They work hand-in-hand. Have you ever considered Laura Crighton's postings. Pretty intellectual stuff, huh? A little too intellectual for my tastes. Laura seems more concerned with studying religions and comparing their various attributes than in finding any kind of religious truth to apply to her life. Fine. SOMEONE has to do this job. If Laura can be likened to the theorist, I would be more like an engineer in my search for religious truth. I want to find independent verification for religious thought and belief, and discuss belief from different angles and perceptions. Then I can apply what I have learned to my own experience and life. Laura seems to want to keep the subject at arm's length, although I certainly won't try to play mind-reader here. > >They do not suppose that they would want to be. But they demand evidence. > > But isn't this natural? I'm sure that you didn't just jump to Christianity > without any reason of some sort. Certainly you must have had some "evidence" > that Christianity was worth the "leap of faith." I'm sure many others > besides myself would be interested in hearing how you came to believe what > you do. And maybe to balance the picture, I should show why I had to let go > of my religious beliefs. (whimper)... This question - "Certainly you must have had some "evidence" that Christianity was worth the "leap of faith"" - has been asked again and again on net.religion with what amounts to little or no response. The believers out there are a vocal lot, but offer little to substantiate their positions. The "evidence" needn't be concrete ... even subjective experience could be considered "evidence" of sorts. Whenever this question is raised, however, a lot of "how DARE you question the infinite" or "I simply know what I know" attitudes are displayed. > Incidently, aren't there several places in the Bible where men "tested" God? > Just to name a few, Abraham saying "if only 50 good men don't destroy the > city" followed by "45" then "40" etc. Also the "test ye the spirits to know > if they be of God." These and others would seem to tell us that we *should* > test God. Often it seems that some Christians confuse 'testing' God to > 'tempting' God. I think God actually WANTS man to test him. It would be worse if we simply ignored him completely. Through "testing" within our own experiences and lives we find God at work in the world. After all, testing God doesn't hurt him. It can only help us, if we are true in our goals and methods. > >....... And in the Letter to the Hebrews, it is said that the word > >of the Lord is sharper than any sword, penetrating our very souls. > >Certainly, I did also reject Jesus as Christ, and my arrogance was, > >in that very instant, made plain to me. As it was also to Paul on > >the road to Damascus. So sure of ourselves, we were wrong about him. I do believe we have here some of that "evidence" we were looking for. Would you care to describe further that road to Damascus experience of yours? Do you consider this the foundation for your belief? > Does either of our experiences invalidate the other? I don't think so. > I believe they are at some level one and the same. My being "less sure" may > be related to your "struggle with our doubts" mentioned in your last posting. They may be one in the same. The ferverant believer is ashamed because he questions his own beliefs. The not-so-zealous believer uses this questioning as a means to find God. I dare say it's the reaction to this experience that differs the two men. -- UUCP: ...{decvax,ihnp4,allegra}!seismo!trwatf!root - Lord Frith ARPA: trwatf!root@SEISMO "And Frith made the world"