(February 19, 2013 at 3:40 pm)BeeDeePee Wrote:
(February 19, 2013 at 1:45 pm)Faith No More Wrote: If empirical evidence for a metaphysical being is impossible, do you have any non-empirical evidence that doesn't fall flat on its face by relying on logical fallacies?Yes, I think I have good non-empirial evidence or reasons for believing in God. And not in a God in purely philosophical manner, but in a personal God.
1. In my opinion and opinion of some other theologians and philosphers, religion is not something that deals with politics or science. It's not a job of religion to give answers on such a questions. It doesn't deal with morality as much, because universal moral vaules are familiar to all people. As many scientists pointed out, morality is a product of evolution.
2. So, what is the subject of religion if it's not science, morality, culture? What can it give to us? The answer is that religion deals with our inner state. Religion is interested in transformation of our personality in its completeness. This determines religion as discipline that offers us a way (or ways, if we talk about many religions) how to change ourselves; how to improve and transform some properties and potentials that we have and how to set us free from others.
3. But the question that still remains and that should be resolved is: what God is the real one in which we should believe in? From my point of view, the answer on this question depends on analyzing of different "ways of transformation" and goals that different religions are suggesting to us. It would take too much time to speak about many religions and their teachings and techniques. That's why I'll speak only about religion to whom I belong. It's Orthodox Christianity.
I believe in Christ as a perfect model of person, with whom I want to identify myself, my personality and complete existence. It doesn't mean that the goal (according to Orthodox Christianity) is to convince yourself that you're Christ or something like that. It's rather a mental state someone is trying to achieve by using some techniques and living as a Christian.
But what kind of mental state is it? A state where you're released from negative passions (anger, pride etc.), while positive passions (sex drive etc.) are developed and transformed, so that you now live a new life, that overcomes biological existence. It is existence where you can be in loving communion with God and others in true and full sense of the word.
That's the goal I'm trying to achieve, and I know it is possible (not completely) because there are a lot of people through history who made it. Such people exist even today, and I met some of them.
So, in a brief: I think that other religions don't have better existential models but Christ. I may agree with other religious teachings at some degree, like buddhism and I appreciate some of them, but I think that Orthodoxy gives best answers on some of the most important questions, and has best effects on my person.
5. As I've said, morality has a little to do with religion. Someone who's atheist can be good or evil, and it has nothing to do with his/her beliefs/lack of beliefs. Thus, someone can ask me: "Can you be good without religion?Can you achieve the same goal without your religion"?
Yes, you can be good without religion, and no, you can not achieve the same goal. Although you can improve your potentials, you can not reach the same level of spiritual evolution. My experience and experience of others told me that this is not possible. I have period(s) when I declared myself as atheist, and lived without religion. But I couldn't achieve it. Therefore, I believe that this goal (that we in Orthodox Church call "theosis" or "deification") is a consequence of sinergy of God and man. That's why we insist on taking part in holy communion, where, we believe, we unite with God, through his energies, and on personal effort, that includes fasting, praying and other kinds of asceticism.
Hope this helps to understand my beliefs.
But none of that is evidence, is it? I asked for non-empirical evidence for a metaphysical being. Are you saying that the ability to achieve a certain mental state is proof of god?
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
