Belief and Knowledge

[bennyboy]

Then how would we explain the "first of the faithful"? That hypothetical prime mover of asshattery that must have (at least once but much more probably many times) been the first to have "faith" in the wider web of his peers? I think that your description of what god -is- fits like a glove. I also think that the greater umbrella of "faith" is so complicated now that no one intuitively or instinctively arrives on any modern representative. No one says "I believe in divinity and trinity" without having been conditioned. There's a claim there, a referent to knowledge...on that much I wholeheartedly agree. I just wonder how that scenario fits the first storyteller? As to a "feeling of faith". Judging by the number of faithful interpretations it must be damned vague feeling. Nothing quite so specific as any of my other feelings. I 'd have difficulty accepting a "divinity and trinity" feeling. I suppose I'd decide that anyone who deigned to -tell me- about "god" would be Bennys faithful..whereas anyone who said "it's like all things are connected or something" would be Whatevs faithful.

I think faith starts with two people: the one with the idea, and the one who's part of the plan. The one with the plan demands faith, and the one who's part of the plan expresses his love for the plan-developer by willingly giving it.

Now, I also happen to believe that most religions are started sincerely-- that is, that someone has had an earth-shaking experience, and has formulate an idea or a mythology which captures its "essence." And maybe he spreads the message at first by talking about the feeling mainly, and the idea or mythology as a secondary: "Dude, I had this amazing experience. It was LIKE this thing was looking through me and guiding my actions. . ." And he says, "If you want to have this experience, walk out into the desert with no water, put all your focus on your belly button, etc."

But eventually and inevitably, that experience (which people will identify with despite not really knowing what it was) will almost completely give way to the mythology meant to transmit it. "Listen, my children. There is a great Sky Daddy who revealed himself to our ancestor Rhythm, who did verily walketh into the desert and did also verifly gazeth at his navel for forty days and nights. . ." It's no longer a how-to manual about an experience.