RE: Atheism is irrational.
December 7, 2016 at 5:29 pm
(This post was last modified: December 7, 2016 at 5:50 pm by Simon Moon.)
(December 7, 2016 at 4:45 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote:(December 7, 2016 at 4:18 pm)Simon Moon Wrote: ...But do you accept he had an actual experience caused by the Hindu god?
I guess I'd need to talk to him first to understand what exactly he experienced. At the same time, I don't doubt that the content of exceptional states of consciousness passes through many personal and cultural filters (including Christian ones).
So, Christians and Hindus (or other religions) are all experiencing the same 'divine' but through different filters, is that correct? Even the mutually exclusive aspects?
How does that square with your god's commandment to 'not have any gods before me'?
Quote:Is there really much difference between a Marian apparition and a similar experience with some pagan Goddess? Intellectually both seem to fall into the idea of the Divine Feminine, but not having had such an experience, I cannot say.
No, there is no difference. The both seem to fall into the idea of a misinterpretation of a non-normal, but natural brain states. Including Paul's, yours or anyone else who has claimed such an experience.
Quote:The very people I know who have had profound encounters with the Divine usually do not report the outward appearance of the entity they encounter; but rather, focus almost entirely on the affect said entity produced in them - intense feelings of transcendent unity and being immersed in love, etc.
That is similar to my friend's alleged encounter with a Hindu deity.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.