(On some browsers you'll need to refresh this page in order to see the comment you just left.)
Flasshe - 2006-07-07 16:38:04
I read The End of Faith on a recent trip to Columbus, and it scared the bejesus out of me. I think that even if I was a religous person, I wouldn't be after reading that. It's amazing how civilization holds on to its outdated superstitions.
-------------------------------
Greg - 2006-07-08 15:00:48
I'm going to have to give this one a read, having been through a couple great books by Karen Armstrong (her entire "canon" is a must read). I consider myself a spiritual person, and lean towards the idea of a higher power, though the concept of an anthropomorphic being is beyond my grasp. I may never be able to narrow it all down to a specific definition. The politicizing of religion and spirituality is troublesome though, beyond words, and no single faith is any less guilty than another. I find myself unable, in good faith so to speak, to support any organized religion. I wouldn't call religion an outdated superstition at all though--perhaps it is just misunderstood and definitely under-realized in its nature. Mis-used, abused, and exploited are other appropriate words.
-------------------------------
Tom Ronca - 2006-07-09 09:55:01
Saw "The Big Clock" some years ago and thought it was another unsung, largely forgotten and great early noir -- Can also recommend "Gun Crazy" (AKA "Deadly is the Female") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042530/, and "The Chase", http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038409/, if you havn't seen those...
-------------------------------
Paula - 2006-07-09 10:29:02
I haven't seen those--thanks TR.
-------------------------------
Paula - 2006-07-09 12:39:04
Flasshe, Bejeesus loves you.
-------------------------------
2fs - 2006-07-10 18:11:46
The Harris interview is interesting. Not knowing much about Islam, it still kinda puts me off that his views thereon can so readily be mobilized by bigots and political zealots...but I do think he's onto something about organized religion. One problem (not the only one - and not sure if he mentions this) is that once a religion becomes "organized," some of its energy inevitably goes toward maintaining and upholding its status and prestige as organization. In other words, any organization is inherently politically involved, and thereby politically motivated. ("Political" in the largest sense, relating to interrelations of power, power of whatever kind.) Individual religious belief (or as it's often somewhat annoying referred to these days, "spirituality") might be blinding to a person, and they might be persuaded by it to do things they wouldn't otherwise do (which can be good as well as bad) but it can't command the forces organized religion does. The thing is, when you cherry-pick religious ideas, you really aren't committing to an organized religion; you are, essentially, being individually religious...even if for whatever reason you also belong to an organized religion. Americans, I suspect, are used to doing this: the a la carte notion is compatible with many of our ideals of what's right or appropriate regarding individual freedom. But (briefly, before I turn this into a full-on essay) the tension between individualism and group-think one sees throughout US history is pretty acute here: I think part of the attraction for so many to fundamentalist religion is both its status as (in many places) nearly the only social game in town, and its exclusionary nature whereby the people with ideas and practices one fears are explicitly ruled out - and not just by oneself, or even by one's community, but (so it would seem) by God himself. And that's where religion becomes scary: these zealots fulminating and drooling about "homosexuals" and "baby-killers"...
-------------------------------
Flasshe - 2006-07-10 18:39:49
I was perhaps a bit hasty with the "outdated superstitions" line, though I don't think Harris would say so.
-------------------------------
Paula - 2006-07-12 12:51:02
Americans, I suspect, are used to doing this: the a la carte notion is compatible with many of our ideals of what's right or appropriate regarding individual freedom
Yes. And I have to say, this works for me. Adaptability and flexibility in spiritual matters seems the only way to not get pulled under by dogma. In my reckoning, God is unchangeable, but I am not, and I have to do a lot of surfing to be able to maintain a connection with (it/him/her).
-------------------------------
Greg - 2006-07-13 10:22:41
Putting aside any particular faith or dogma or belief--9 of the 10 Commandments are great commonsense tenets to live by... and the Tenth (Actually the first commandment "thou shalt have no God before me") works for atheists as well if you consider that maybe the nine other Commandments should come second to nothing. Flexibility works for me as fundamentalism has no practical nor humane application in this world. When push comes to shove, and it always seems to, I fall back on the words of Bill & Ted, "Be excellent to each other."
-------------------------------
add your comment:
back to the entry - Diaryland
