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romansh

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Status Replies posted by romansh

  1. Having gone through the usual stages of separation from my traditional Christian upbringing, I find myself in a calm place. Whew!

    I struggle with the 'GOD IS___________________________' concept because it assumes an authority none of us have. Better to lean toward a greater honesty with "I choose to believe that God is _____________________". It is rather immediately felt that the latter lacks punch and authority.

    Having taught the Historical/Critical Christian Bible for a number of years now, I have developed this:

    Every 5 years, the International Dragon Experts Convention meets in major world cities. The convention lasts a full 5 days during which presentations on new references in Dragon Lore (ancient texts, artwork and current contributions...) are eagerly attended by all. Discussions are always lively and, sometimes being quite heated. The metallic scales group hotly debates with the more boney/leathery scales contingent. The mechanism for fire breathing, in all of it's various possibilities. Mortal vulnerabilities or lack thereof as well as the discussion of speech abilities a la Sean Connery are all areas of often extreme stance. In each and every point of discussion and disagreement there remains the one thing that binds each delegate with the other.

    None of them have EVER SEEN A DRAGON.

    Whether books containing libraries of ancient and not so ancient texts can be claimed as supernatural or magical is merely a choice. We can argue endlessly over our 'dragons' like dogs chasing their tails. Our choices of belief are nothing more than that. We are each left with our own 'NOW' and what we believe that contains.

    Lastly, it is ALWAYS in focusing upon our differences that we pick up our knives to do damage. It is ONLY in focusing on our commonality that we put those weapons (and the destruction that goes with them) down again.  

    1. romansh

      romansh

      Welcome DrDon

      I am not sure of the context this message Don. So I will reply a little tentatively. A little bit of disclosure: I was never deeply into religion and even this shallow end was a little more than a puddle on a very flat pavement on a sunny day. I am by nature a devout agnostic; in that I don't think I can be 100% sure of anything. Having said I am forced into action, whether it be sit and do nothing, advocate for something, quietly listen and try and understand or perhaps question (my favourite).

      Yes I understand your dragon analogy. I have no Dragon. Some forms of dragon make sense, ie lizards that have been mistaken for dragons, Perhaps some fossilized dinosaur that was mistaken for a dragon? But a loving, divine or omnipresent dragon I am not so sure of. I will await some evidence.

      Regarding the now ...  true, but I can't help thinking the now is shaped (to some degree) by our perception of the past and the future. We are not mini-first-cause generators wandering around on this planet.

      Regarding differences ... focussing on anything exclusively may be a problem. But from my point of view differences are our communal strength and weakness; depending on whether we at are "accepting" or not. Similarly commonality can be perceived as a strength and a weakness. So long as commonality does not lead to fossilization it should be good.

      Thank you for your thoughts and if you are interested in agnosticism I can recommend www.agnosticsinternational.org ... I am on the admin team there.

      Juris

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