https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ex-cl...d69f1788b7

Just a quick and easy read - Baptist, Rabbi, Methodist, Monk, Yogi . . . a few people who describe what it was like to realize that they didn't believe in god.  It must be quite an experience: to be in a profession where you are dedicated to your belief and guiding folks in that belief, and then have that belief die.   I just thought that I would share.

--Fuzz

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I encountered a protestant minister back in the 80s who was there.

Also, a Unitarian pastor I encountered had such an unconventional view of God as to be there too.

If the faith in God could not die, it would not be virtue to keep it.

(April 19, 2017 at 1:01 pm)MysticKnight Wrote: If the faith in God could not die, it would not be virtue to keep it.

Interesting, Mystic.  However, in my experience, I find it impossible to believe something after experiencing that moment when you realize "this is all ridiculous bullshit".  You know?  It might be comforting to still believe, for example, that there is an afterlife where I'm going to be reunited with loved ones someday, and to have the social connection of sharing that belief with friends.  But once you say "I don't believe it for ____ reasons", then trying to talk yourself back into believing is lying to yourself.  And if there is a deity, that lie shouldn't fool the deity either. 
     (Pascal's wager - if you don't believe, act like you do believe just in case god exists.   Pascal's "god" must have been a moron who lacked the mind-reading qualities ascribed to most deities.)  No thanks.  Trying to force yourself to believe something that you don't believe out of fear, or to keep up appearances is completely dishonest.

Pope Ratzinger (via his retirement) gives me (at least) the impression his take on God isn't quite kosher with Catholic belief and practice either . . .

If God is the Most Valued being, the only eyes that can see him is that of love, and if the love perceives Value to be real and the source of potential value and the basis to all value like a streaming ocean that comes down to and extends to all things, then it sees the truth. We automatically believe in value despite people making it not inherent, it is inherent to everything that has perception as value and perception are interlinked, and our perception if not in tune with the truth, means it is believing what is doubtful and mixing that with what is certain.

Value, Morality, Goodness, Love, beauty, these are names of God, he is All-Value, All-Morality, All-Goodness, All-Love, All-Beauty, and he is the best emotion possible which is the peace we long for and ought to crave to head towards.

When you want to make justice, love, beauty, goodness, according to your desires, then it becomes ambiguous. Then the Guide and mystic link we are all connected to is no longer our leader who leads us despite him being the only means to God.

I don't doubt God at all.

When we give up what is for certain for what is doubtful, that is when we forfeit our nature.

When we build it up on what is for certain, the signs in the souls speak for themselves, he is the witness to all things by which we witness things to whatever capacity we can.

All actions that are truly to be praised are measured through his perception light from him in us, and whatever degree we love, and act with the love in tune with the life of God, then it is praiseworthy.

Anslem was also right. Praise that is existing is better then what it isn't, or otherwise imagined good actions would be just as good as acted out good actions, when they are not near the same, as power and life force is linked with it.

It is a correct argument, life power is better then imagined power, and if ultimate greatness is defined, then so does the ultimate being exist. If it's not defined then no greatness is defined in actuality as all of greatness has to be defined in theory for any of it to be true.

These premises are true whether we acknowledge them or not.

Love sees value in actions of people and builds upon them, and love of God is most vital aspect of love, the foundation of it. Without a being that should get our love to that extent, we are unbalanced creatures who don't know that love has no bounds when oriented in a balanced way.

But we search for meaning and love knowing we have purpose and move towards what we love, only that some people imagine their goal and peace achieved in what vanishes and quickly passes away and even it didn't, doesn't have iota's worth compared to the love that remains and is everlasting and grows and increases.

Maintaining a belief just because you like it but don't really believe it . Is neither healthy nor honest.

Wow MK, your posts keep undoing all the magic your avatar does here . . .

(April 19, 2017 at 3:14 pm)Orochi Wrote: Maintaining a belief just because you like it but don't really believe it . Is neither healthy nor honest.

Neither is forfeiting a belief you know deep inside to be true because of the obligations it brings, the desire that it opposes, and the perception of the self it disgraces.