Religion as Human Expression (ritual, Creator, myth, experience, dogma)

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

I would suggest that the idea that religion makes one feel "warm and fuzzy" is often not only an illusion, but a dangerous one!

The reason is that religion's purpose is to impart positive action, and this may be neither easy nor "warm and fuzzy" while it's actually being accomplished.

I agree, though, that this may well be the final result once said achievements are actually attained. . . .

Peace,

Bruce

[jeffrey]

People can use it for bad, but also to focus on good. If it helps you to achieve goals, aide your fellow man, help protect your surroundings, more power to you.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Can there be intellectual consent to a theology?

Only the speculative, theoretical aspect of theology can be intellectually evaluated. That is, we can review what theologians have said, but we cannot review the subject of theology: God. In that sense, we cannot intellectually assent to that which we cannot demonstrate to the intellect.

(1) The existence of God is assumption of theology as opposed to (2) empirical facts used in naturalistic philosophy. (2a) We intellectually assent to interpretations that may be speculative that are nevertheless based upon things that we actually know. (1a) The myth-making that is the result of theologizing, having assumed and not proven the very subject of their discourse, are not the product of intellectual inquiry but hope in the divine.