I certainly understand what you're saying. I feel very much the same way. I too tend to use the term "God" to refer to the spiritual essence of life. But I agree that the very term "God" itself has been so contaminated by the "Jealous-God" religions of Hebrew mythology that this is the first thing that pops into people's minds when they her the term.
I too tend to view the spiritual essence of reality more in a Taoist or Eastern Mystical sense. I also very much appreciate and value the power the anthropomorphic spiritual archetypes for facilitating a psychic experience. This is what ultimately drew me to the various folklores associated with Wicca and Faery legends. They certainly have psychic power even in a purely secular world.
So, like you, I see value in these things irregardless of whether they are "supernatural" or just plain "natural".
Like you say, imagination itself is clearly a part of secular reality and therefore imagination is just as 'real' as reality.
Nothing gets any more real than that. In fact, without imagination consciousness itself may not even be possible. Especially in terms of sentience. After all, if a purely secular reality is true, then sentience itself is nothing more than our very own imagination that we are sovereign beings who have free will.
So in that sense, imagination would be the very core of what we are in a purely secular world.
Thus to shun the imagination is to shun the very essence of our being.
I too tend to view the spiritual essence of reality more in a Taoist or Eastern Mystical sense. I also very much appreciate and value the power the anthropomorphic spiritual archetypes for facilitating a psychic experience. This is what ultimately drew me to the various folklores associated with Wicca and Faery legends. They certainly have psychic power even in a purely secular world.
So, like you, I see value in these things irregardless of whether they are "supernatural" or just plain "natural".
Like you say, imagination itself is clearly a part of secular reality and therefore imagination is just as 'real' as reality.
Nothing gets any more real than that. In fact, without imagination consciousness itself may not even be possible. Especially in terms of sentience. After all, if a purely secular reality is true, then sentience itself is nothing more than our very own imagination that we are sovereign beings who have free will.
So in that sense, imagination would be the very core of what we are in a purely secular world.
Thus to shun the imagination is to shun the very essence of our being.
Christian - A moron who believes that an all-benevolent God can simultaneously be a hateful jealous male-chauvinistic pig.
Wiccan - The epitome of cerebral evolution having mastered the magical powers of the universe and is in eternal harmony with the mind of God.
Atheist - An ill-defined term that means something different to everyone who uses it.
~~~~~
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Clearly Jesus (a fictitious character or otherwise) will forgive people if they merely know not what they do
For the Bible Tells us so!
Wiccan - The epitome of cerebral evolution having mastered the magical powers of the universe and is in eternal harmony with the mind of God.
Atheist - An ill-defined term that means something different to everyone who uses it.
~~~~~
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Clearly Jesus (a fictitious character or otherwise) will forgive people if they merely know not what they do
For the Bible Tells us so!
