The ethics of challenging the religious - given that they might be neurotic etc.

[Yorda]

It is true I know nothing about your particular neuroses or paranoia, but then no one does, as no one can view or share your personal fantasies and delusions of conversing with imaginary beings.

it's ok to have imaginary friends, many children have them. they're not schizo.

 

[sowhatifit'sdark]

come on...a psychic diagnosis? it's a blatent observation! listen, if he really wants to know god, then he'll quit talking about him, and start talking to him.

it's really elementary. maybe that's why it's not obvious to some intellectuals.

Hey,
I'm a theist. I think it was BS and yes, putting yourself in a position where you think you can diagnosis why he believes what he believes and why he does not believe what he does not believe.

You also seem to know THE route to God. How nice for you. But the routes are obviously diverse. Perhaps, again, a little humility in the face of someone who may be either different from you in fundamental ways or different from what you think a person must be like who does not share your belief.

 

[(Q)]

it's ok to have imaginary friends, many children have them. they're not schizo.

And, then they grow up.

 

[greenberg]

May I suggest that the enormous discipline needed may be to not believe everything we think.

I do not believe everything I think. In fact, I am willing to rethink and recalibrate my thinking and my beliefs anytime.
Being so "open-minded" is what gets me into all these troubles with many religious.

 

[lightgigantic]

I do not believe everything I think. In fact, I am willing to rethink and recalibrate my thinking and my beliefs anytime.
Being so "open-minded" is what gets me into all these troubles with many religious.

Its not so easy to dislodge oneself from one's psychological modus operandi - in fact that is basically what it means to come to the transcendental position (beyond the superficial designation of the mind/body etc).

Just as a simple example, one could respond that one thing you are not prepared to change your beliefs on is your belief that you are open minded.

BTW I don't mean that as an insult (ie the typical "Sciforums context") - practically we are all in the same position - reconstructing our faith/belief/values (regardless whether one is an atheist or theist) is not such a straightforward thing since it is virtually identical to what we identify with (our sense of belief is non-different from our "I") in order to begin to make sense of our external world.

 

[greenberg]

Its not so easy to dislodge oneself from one's psychological modus operandi - in fact that is basically what it means to come to the transcendental position (beyond the superficial designation of the mind/body etc).

Just as a simple example, one could respond that one thing you are not prepared to change your beliefs on is your belief that you are open minded.

I take no pride in being open-minded. I actually experience my open-mindedness as a burden, it's almost akin to paranoia.
They say it is possible to be so open-minded that your brain falls out - and I'm afraid I know what this is like.

BTW I don't mean that as an insult (ie the typical "Sciforums context") - practically we are all in the same position - reconstructing our faith/belief/values (regardless whether one is an atheist or theist) is not such a straightforward thing since it is virtually identical to what we identify with (our sense of belief is non-different from our "I") in order to begin to make sense of our external world.

I appreciate your saying this!
It is true for some of us, but not all.

There is plenty of people here who are convinced that they have "arrived", who believe that all they need to do is to persevere with their current beliefs until the day they die, and that if there are going to be any changes in their beliefs, they are going to be only minor ones, but definitely not an overhaul.