RE: Quick Poll - Do you believe in God?
January 17, 2015 at 1:30 pm
(This post was last modified: January 17, 2015 at 1:31 pm by Whateverist.)
Had another thought about how to interpret your "and" position. One of my big influences was James Hillman, an american journalist who headed up the Jungian Institute for some number of years. He was a proponent of thinking about the archetypes and gods in an "as if" manner. It more or less amounts to carrying on as if a thing were real for the sake of interpreting meaning without literally believing it in the way we would something for which there is evidence. It is one possible stance.
By that light, viewing all religious claims in a literal way would be unproductive for understanding them in context. Of course believing them literally would also be unbalancing and so unhelpful.
Like Hillman I think there is a depth in consciousness below that of which I am aware. There is understanding and meaning to be had in that direction, but it is important not to confuse the world below/within with this one. Holding such things in an as-if manner is key. It is not unlike what we do when we enter the worlds of Tolkien or Martin. We immerse ourselves but we don't lose ourselves there. We don't literally believe that it is the real world and the one we're in now talking to each other is less real or only transitory. That would be a mistake.
By that light, viewing all religious claims in a literal way would be unproductive for understanding them in context. Of course believing them literally would also be unbalancing and so unhelpful.
Like Hillman I think there is a depth in consciousness below that of which I am aware. There is understanding and meaning to be had in that direction, but it is important not to confuse the world below/within with this one. Holding such things in an as-if manner is key. It is not unlike what we do when we enter the worlds of Tolkien or Martin. We immerse ourselves but we don't lose ourselves there. We don't literally believe that it is the real world and the one we're in now talking to each other is less real or only transitory. That would be a mistake.
