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Maybe You Should Read It Again

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Posted by Mario Dovalina on June 12, 2001 18:02:00 UTC

Urge to kill... rising....

You have this habit of attacking my thesis statements but not my defense for them. I'll try again. :)

"Religion is entirely materialized by the worshiper or the faith practicer."

I know. That's what I'm trying to say. I view that as a negative thing, you as a positive thing. And that's what I've been arguing with you about.

"What the hell is that? We're not even IN the same
ball park are we? Splitting hairs is accepted here, but this does not make any sense."

Sure it does. I'll rephrase it. True belief, true faith, would involve the opinion that one's views are fact. Otherwise, it would be a conscious delusion. If, however, you acknowledge faith to be a personal construct, but hold on to it anyway, that is not true belief. It is simply the belief that ones beliefs are beneficial. It's doublethink.

"What is suggested by logic, faith,
and the pop. norm, and is also viewed from experience is that life ISSSS in fact the pursuit
of happiness"

Okay. But happiness can arrive in so many ways. If I were to get a lobotomy today, and keep myself on Ritalin for the rest of my life, I could probably be happier. If I were to live my life helping others, donating to charities, helping the homeless, I could be happier. If I met the woman of my dreams today, and got married, I could be happier. If I abandoned my rational mind and became a religious fundamentalist, I could be happier. If I convinced myself that the only way I could be happy was to annihilate life on earth, and I had a few thousand atom bombs in my basement, I could be happier.

You see? The pursuit of happiness is laudable, but if that pursuit totally disregards the means and focuses on the end (happiness) then it is destructive and foolish. Happiness, like anything else, must be approached from the right angle to be a good thing. Otherwise everyone would be taking bliss pills to achieve satisfaction. According to you, this would be fine. The only thing that matters is that you feel good.

"The beliefs you
hold allow you to see yourself as an intricate
piece in the BIG puzzle that is your enviroment.
Those beliefs could be Scientific, Philosophical, or whatever."

But certain beliefs are closer to reality than others. As I said before, if person X was a believer in the theory of relativity, he would be "more" correct than person Y who believed in newtonian physics. Shouldn't accuracy of beliefs be a higher priority than the warm-and-fuzzy factor of them?

"You are seeking happiness and pretty much found it with regards to others."

Everyone's mind involves a certain degree of subjectivity. It's called a defense mechanism. But it can be reduced. Saying that some subjectivity in everyone justifies believing whatever the hell you want, then you, sir, are an idiot. :)

"Definitions
are superficial and reality is in the eye of the beholder, no matter how rediculous it may seem
to the minority."

Reality is NOT in the eye of the beholder. Our perception of reality is. They are not the same. But we can get close.

"P.Ps Keep em commin!"

That's something you can be sure of.

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