Atheism, Theism, Science & Philosophy

[Creed of Heresy]

I am still very keen on the sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology (and all of the subdisciplines), but I now have a different view about mystical experience. Although I do not disagree with the neural correlations associated with mystical experience, I think extreme reductionism of this nature actually undermines the mystical experience itself. I now view this from the perspective of Aristotle: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That is, the experience is vastly more important than the biological mechanism from which it derives.

Which is a very obvious and very glaring misunderstanding of the idea of Emergence. You are grasping at straws already and I haven't even gotten to the meat of your post, yet.

We postulate that mystical experience does have a material cause, but this does not explain why the experience exists in the first place, hence my reason for attributing it to an external agency.

There is no actual "why" in regards to the universe in general. "Why" is a question posed by people who feel the need to seek a reason for everything. "Why" has never led to any satisfactory answers, only half-answers, wild speculation, and inevitable delusion, as you have proven. Whereas "how" has led to explanation, observation, and advancement. Pursuit of "how" ultimately answers "why" in the process (and always with the application of Ockham's razor, the simplest answer being the best) but pursuit of "why" leads nowhere but self-assertion, which ultimately goes nowhere but circles.

As for applying my experiences to the God of Christ. I would like to make it clear that I did not experience a momentary sacred vision in an instant,

And how are you so sure such a thing ever happens to begin with, and isn't just self-assertion?

it was a gradual process and I found myself feeling beckoned by the history of Christianity and the impact Jesus has had on history and culture;

What, you mean the centuries of bloodshed, oppression, tyranny, and corruption, the division of nations, the deaths of millions, the torture and execution of those who dared question it, the censorship of attempts to understand the universe, the continued effort to cockblock every attempt to explain how things work, the sectarian violence that was only two decades ago raging throughout Ireland, the genocides in Africa at the hands of "Christian Warlords" who use child-soldiers, the "ethnic cleansing" in Serbia about 15 years ago (Yeah, Christianity's history of bloodlust has NOT abated with time, believe history), the forced ignorance of its dogma that held us back a full fucking millenium? THAT beckoned you? Or were you talking about the pitiful offerings of "good" that Christianity has done, like...uh...give people self-deluded explanations for themselves, despite the fact anyone can be good or feel good about themselves without the religious bullshit?? Suddenly I have this overwhelming need to ensure that you stay far away from any kind of explosive materials or ballistic weapons.

I cannot explain why I felt those desires to read about Christianity and Jesus.

You can not? As in, you are completely and totally at a loss? Or, can not as in you never bothered to question it for more than five seconds so therefore goddidit? I can explain it for you, having been down that road but having taken a hard right at the offramp on the highway to ignorance: It's the fear of the unknown. You NEED to have a "why," so you chase that instead of the "how," because the "how" wasn't providing the answers quickly enough, but with the "why," well, you can make up or subscribe to whatever you want and call it truth "just because," and there's no demand for evidence for you, easing the burden on your own conscience and giving yourself over to superstition. That's all this is.

There is also something deep inside my consciousness about Christianity that feels "right" and "true" at the same time, which is significant to me. In essence, it was a gradual process after that horrific experience on December 24th 2012.

Cheers.

I'm going to ignore your "born again" story because I tire of those and I've been down the same road and never felt the need for it (because I'm not a complete pussy), and address your thing about Christianity "feeling right and true." So how then do you square the circle about those who feel that paganism is "right" and "true," or satanism, or shiite islam or sunni islam or judaism? Because they all think they're right, and they feel it "deep inside their consciousness" and yet each religion essentially states that the other is wrong. They all feel the same way, yet they all say the other is wrong. You don't see a problem with that? You have no desire to step back and analyze the "why" suddenly? "Why" is that? You did before. But suddenly now that you're nice and comfy, you don't want to investigate anymore? Why do you suppose that is?

Well, examining the "how" actually provides a clear-cut answer: You had a really traumatic experience and you suddenly need answers regardless of whether or not they actually have any basis in logic. You convolute the answers you present yourself so that it turns into a nice, neat little circle that provides just enough "personal evidence" to satisfy you, without ever having to look deeper into it. That is how it happened, and in knowing this, we have the "why." The "why" is "because you need it to." Don't try to pretend like this is some logical conclusion you came to, because it insults everyone who actually pursues the truth of "how;" you came to it out of fear and like a coward you clung to the nearest object of safety rather than facing down the experience, just like every other religious twink out there who comes to this "born again" shit after a really bad experience.

That's all you are. And having just read your other thread, you're not just a coward, you're an intellectual coward. The universe is a big scary place and like an infant hearing its first thunderclap you start screaming and wailing in horror because you realize you won't know everything about the universe even if you have all the time in the universe itself. So rather than trying to seek the complex truth you go for the simplest explanation possible, which is hilariously ironic and contradictory given you admitted your little "experience" could be due to "the extremely simplistic explanation of psychosis."

Coward. Coward, coward, coward. That is what I think of you. Do not mistake this is as hostility. It's just contempt. You're pathetic and absolutely pitiful, like a whimpering toddler beholding a thunderstorm for the first time, only you've beheld the thunderstorm many times and yet now suddenly you're scared of it for no real reason whatsoever. You're just a sad, spineless individual, that's all you are.

---

Did... Did you just... use... Aristotle????????

We're now best friends forever.

He used Aristotle in the same way a pretentious high schooler tries to use Dante as evidence of their superiority; without any knowledge whatsoever of what was being said.

But you're a fellow Christian, I'm sure the idea of using pre-Jesus philosophers fits right in with your belief syst-

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

ad near fucking infinitum...

Ooohh...yeah...that's right, the bible basically states that philosophers and the wisdom of men are irrelevant, useless, hollow, and not to be used or trusted...

You fucking cherry pickers, the both of you, no wonder you wanna be his best friend, you wanna skip down the biblical cherry orchard hand in hand and pick the biggest, fattest, most useful cherries you can together. Fuck, you Christians are all a bunch of self-contradicting dumbasses. And then you all wonder why atheists are so hostile. It's cuz we are all violently allergic to bullshit and you keep spewing it around.