Quote from Ricter:
You're wrong about that. The fear of all that I mentioned and more is precisely what has been driving human history. You are inextricably immersed in a reality created by strong emotion.
Quote from Free Thinker:
sure those fears drove human history and invented religions. that was before scientific knowlegde showed us it was not true.
Quote from Ricter:
Showed us what's not true, fear? Despair? Sorrow? Meaninglessness? As long as we desire life, and are conscious, we will have those things. Science will do what, repress them through quantification?
Quote from Free Thinker:
those are emotions. emotions are no evidence for supernatural forces.
Quote from Ricter:
*shrug* Your comfort is evidence. Yours is not more correct, because it does not work (it's insufficient) for me. You must understand this, you've changed your own in your lifetime.
What are your thoughts on Zen Buddhism? You must feel a kinship with "pure" perception, untainted by thought or judgement, nothing between "you" and the Present Moment... ?
Therefore you understand it perfectly! Ok ok, nerd Zen joke there.Quote from Free Thinker:
evidence is only a tool to be used in determining truth. it is like a flashlight. you shine it on a question so you can see what is in front of you.
intellectual honesty is probably most important to me. i want to know the truth so i can make an informed decision. yes i changed in my lifetime but is because of aquired knowledge. i dont cling to comfortable myths because the evidence showed me they are nothing more than myths.
i dont know anything about Zen Buddhism.
i sense you feel humans cannot function without a crutch? that crutch could be religion or drugs or whatever as long as it keeps you from having to face uncomfortable reality?Quote from Ricter:
Therefore you understand it perfectly! Ok ok, nerd Zen joke there.
What's truth? That which is revealed by evidence. What's evidence? That which is true! Weeee!!! Anyway, emotions are real.
So you gave up a comfortable myth. Are you more comfortable now? Or are you free of even that emotion?
Quote from Free Thinker:
i sense you feel humans cannot function without a crutch?