Statement of belief (Jesus Christ, Earth, crucified, Kingdom, virgin)

[Wandered Off]

I believe that we do not directly control our beliefs. The extent of our control seems to be as a gatekeeper of information. We influence beliefs by selecting the content to which we are exposed.

As a child, I believed in the same revealed religion my parents did. Over time, as my life experiences continued to provide more input, I found that those beliefs no longer made sense to me. They didn't correspond with observations from my life experiences. I didn't choose to stop. I could not believe that way anymore, even when I tried.

I currently waiver between abstract deism and atheism. Either is of little practical difference. I have found that the concept of "theological non-realism" resonates with me. Here are selected bits from the Sea of Faith site that capture my current thinking:

...ideas - including religious ideas such as "God" and "heaven" - cannot be understood apart from the language systems that created them. ...no truths in the world arrive untouched by human hand. Truths are made within human culture and language. Ideas, beliefs, faiths: we made them all up - not, of course, as isolated individuals or lone craftsmen, but as communities, groups, collectives, cultures.
...religious practices and "truths", like everyone else's, are socially constructed, made by human communities and not laid down by gods or ghosts or denizens of a supernatural realm. So, since faith systems were man-made, created to fill certain needs at particular times in specific places, we know we can remake them for our needs, our times, our place. We can ordain gays - or abolish the priesthood: create "green" rituals - or abandon ritual: make God female - or re-fashion him/her as the symbol or imaged incarnation of wholly human values such as mercy, pity, peace and love.

[Ringer]

If you copy and paste Lunamoth's you will have mine as well.

[Random]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

I believe that those are all excellent answers to the question.

I had hoped for a statement from you, seeing as many seem to regard you as somewhat of an authoritative guru on RF. Is one forthcoming?

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by Random

I had hoped for a statement from you, seeing as many seem to regard you as somewhat of an authoritative guru on RF. Is one forthcoming?

I'm not sure the question means anything to me. I enjoy trying to understand the many creative ways different people have of trying to understand it and answer it though.

[Random]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

I'm not sure the question means anything to me. I enjoy trying to understand the many creative ways different people have of trying to understand it and answer it though.

OK, .

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by Random

Thank you.

Just re; the above. Doesn't the teaching of Buddha include Karma?

Depends on who you ask. I don't consider supernatural karma (i.e. the kind where the universe tallies up all your good and bad deeds and gives you points based on them which affect your next life) as part of Buddha's teachings.
Teachings that may suggest the above version of Karma I believe can just as correctly be interpreted as "all actions have consequences" eg. if you hurt a persons feelings then you're more likely to get hurt back.

[Random]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Depends on who you ask. I don't consider supernatural karma (i.e. the kind where the universe tallies up all your good and bad deeds and gives you points based on them which affect your next life) as part of Buddha's teachings. Teachings that may suggest the above version of Karma I believe can just as correctly be interpreted as "all actions have consequences" eg. if you hurt a persons feelings then you're more likely to get hurt back.

Karma really was part of Buddha's teaching though, you'd have to admit. As in the Cause-and-Effect dynamic, actions have consequences, what goes around comes around, everything that has a beginning has an end, you reap what you sow, etc. Do you not agree?

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by Random

Karma really was part of Buddha's teaching though, you'd have to admit. As in the Cause-and-Effect dynamic, actions have consequences, what goes around comes around, everything that has a beginning has an end, you reap what you sow, etc. Do you not agree?

Yeah, hence the last sentence of my post .

Originally Posted by Me

Teachings that may suggest the above version of Karma I believe can just as correctly be interpreted as "all actions have consequences" eg. if you hurt a persons feelings then you're more likely to get hurt back.

Which is pretty much common sense, like all of Buddha's teachings once you get down to it.