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Understanding through Discussion


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Author Topic:   Introduction
Riggamortis
Member (Idle past 2390 days)
Posts: 167
From: Australia
Joined: 08-15-2016


Message 1 of 2 (789975)
08-23-2016 12:54 AM


Hello EvC! I probably should have done this to begin with, anyhow. I have been reading here sporadically for several years, so I know quite a bit about most of the views you guys have discussed. You know next to nothing about me, so here's a bit of background.
I am 28 years old, live in Tasmania and work as an engineer. I am married with a 10yr old step-son and a 7 month old baby boy. I rejected super natural explanations at the age of 12 when a priest was brought in to teach scripture at school. I remember thinking something along the lines of 'Santa all over again'. The night of the first scripture class I asked my mother to write me a note excusing me from attending in future. She refused, but I had already made up my mind.
I see all the worlds religions all claiming to be the right one and promising spiritual fulfilment to those who follow. I see the people of all these religions ALL claiming it works. The only thing that basically all religions have in common, is that they promote social interaction and unity behind their ideals. I am left concluding that social interaction, unity and feeling a part of something bigger, are the real sources of human spiritual experience. By accepting a particular dogma, people are limiting themselves spiritually rather than opening up, in my opinion. Spiritual experiences are not limited to religion unless you define them as such.
It follows then, that humans should be able to have spiritual experiences absent religion. The goosebumps and tingle up the spine you get at a sporting event when the 100k people roar in unison is just as much a spiritual experience as the same thing at a church gathering. The feeling I got when my wife wanted to give up during child birth and I encouraged her over the line, I can only describe as spiritual. Sex with someone with whom you share a deep emotional connection is as spiritually fulfilling, probably more so, than loving any deity.
To me, humanism is not about rejecting God or concluding no god. It's about realising that gods cause division and setting them aside for practical reasons. While we can't agree that prayer and fasting will help the impoverished, surely we can agree that sending resources and engineers to build infrastructure will. It may not have all the answers to our problems, but putting aside our differences and coming together to get behind the things we can agree on is surely the first step toward a better future.
I don't see humanity as having a special or ultimate purpose. I believe our self-imposed purpose should be to colonize space. This requires that we reform our system to one that puts sustainability before profit, we must use our remaining resources wisely to ensure we can survive long enough to develop the technology we need to colonise space.
Sorry if this is jumbled, I wrote it on my phone while the boss wasn't looking at work so that's my worldview in a nutshell.. Critique away!

AdminPhat
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 2 (789978)
08-23-2016 3:26 AM


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