In Your Path/Walk in Life Do you.......

[Ehav4Ever]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

 

[SalixIncendium]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?

Yes.

Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?

Yes.

Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

Yes.

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

By reading everything I can get my hands on, listening to lectures by sages and scientists, meditating, contemplating, and use of the scientific method.

 

[Polymath257]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

Absolutely.

1. I read a variety of views so I can pick up on ideas I had not previously considered and to test my own reasoning.

2. I try to read a lot. I try to understand the positions and biases of the authors of anything I read. if I detect bias, I try to read something in addition with the opposite (or another) bias.

3. I enjoy reading about history. Sometimes I read original texts in translation. Sometimes I read modern scholarly views, and sometimes I read research articles. I compare what I know about in math and physics to what I read, as well as my past readings, to try to understand both what an author believed, but also what might have happened to lead to those beliefs.

 

[Polymath257]

One question I frequently ask myself: does the person making this claim have access to information that would validate this claim? If not, I take their claim as their opinion and not as verified truth.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

1: the teaching of falun gong is not so much about this physical world in any scientific way, it is a spiritual teaching. But yes the teaching will show up in daily life, in the form of seeing where the "behaviour" of people in the physical world is lacking enlightenment.
I do not reject anything from the teaching, but I do not yet fully understand all of it.
The cultivation of Falun Gong is a 24/7 path, so I have to always watch my own behaviour. And yes I fail on it more then I should especially in discussions within RF.

2: no, the teaching is spiritual toward enlightenment, it does not matter what the physical world "prove" because it is not the real truth. But if people want to only believe in science, that is up to them.

3: history of mankind has been told wrong all the time, the science hide the real truth, when they can not prove it or understand it. So no I have no use for so-called scientific proves.

I only speak for how I see it, so when othetts disagree with me that is ok

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

One of my preferred methods is "noticing" a view I have, and then researching it. Recently this had me discovering that running isn't actually bad for your knees. Granted, this method is good for replacijg false views. However, it usually takes something to make me notice the view, such as me trying to figure out how to aerobics withiut an elliptical (Ihave bad knees), and I stumbled upon the realization that dispite the widespread belief I don't know anyone who's knees have been made bad from running.
And at times Ill just be pondering thoughts in my head, looking for holes and gaps in reasons. Or at times I just happen to read something that corrects me.

One question I frequently ask myself: does the person making this claim have access to information that would validate this claim? If not, I take their claim as their opinion and not as verified truth.

Even that can go wrong. Sometimes dedicated amateurs are just as good as the pros, sometimes the pros are way off, and the "Law of Attraction" thrives by being able to pass that standard.

 

[SalixIncendium]

One question I frequently ask myself: does the person making this claim have access to information that would validate this claim? If not, I take their claim as their opinion and not as verified truth.

What if they have access to information to which you do not? For example: Subjective Experience

 

[Altfish]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

Yes, that's why I'm an atheist.

 

[ChristineM]

Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?

Yes

Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?

Yes

Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

Yes

how do you do it?

Reading, on line research, library research, discussion with experts.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yes, that's why I'm an atheist.

That's not really a 'how' though, is it?

 

[Windwalker]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?

Fact checking faith? You mean replace faith with science and reason?

Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?

If it could be measured, and systematically analyzed, why would it be considered faith?

Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

What does historical accuracy have to do with mythology? Are religious myths and symbols only valid if they are scientifically and historically accurate?

This sounds like a confusion between science and faith, that all faith must be subjected to scientific scrutiny. Why not just convert to Scientism then?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

Those that attempt to make mythologies testable by science, don't understand either of them.

 

[Mindmaster]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

1. No, I don't believe anything. Whatever is evidenced by my experience in life is what I know as the truth. Also, I find no value to rejecting things. If they are not for me there isn't much reason to trouble myself with it. It merely an exercise of chasing one's own tail.

2. No, but we are highly irrational creatures with the capability of being rational. Ultimately, no amount of rationalization will do, because the act in itself doesn't matter. The things we value in the most are never picked by rationalization. Our favorite song, what makes us experience joy, and even who we love are not rational decisions. That comes from our center, not from our brain machinations. Besides, what amount of thinking would change the truth of anything? It would be true regardless! I guess in answering your question this is the methodology. A great deal of effort is expended in this way for many people, but the secret really is not doing anything but being open to the information. People want to line ideas up with one another and make them compete in contests where they've already known the winner. How much time does one intend to waste? The winners will always change, and they must if one is developing throughout their life. None of them are more important than any other...

3. I find this only has value only in the context of answering a line of inquiry in regard to the people whom you're studying and understanding their beliefs. Even presented with the same text, you, being a modern human, will understand it slightly differently than them. Thus, the historical element is largely unimportant in this. Its value lay not in believing exactly as they do, but absorbing the wisdom that is applicable to your nature and profiting from the gains of that effort. One's own truth will rarely be homogenous if honestly compared to other persons. This, again, is an extreme waste of time. People often think this is a product of ego to think you maybe knew better than someone in the past, and so on. But, it's not. One's truth constitutes one's being and one must have no limitations in that regard. We must be able to mold and shape it on demand. It's far more arrogant to presume such and such as the sole and supreme authority. One begins worshipping a statue they've created, and instead of taking what's valuable to them and leaving the rest for someone else. The search for the truth must be more important than stopping at the door and hanging out with the natives, or it becomes a futile exercise.

 

[`mud]

My Path...it's full of curves around the religionist's pitches !

 

[Polymath257]

What if they have access to information to which you do not? For example: Subjective Experience

Then I take their word (usually) that they have those experiences, but not necessarily their analysis of what those experiences mean or why they occur.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Yes.


Yes.


Yes.



By reading everything I can get my hands on, listening to lectures by sages and scientists, meditating, contemplating, and use of the scientific method.

This^^^^^

 

[Nakosis]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?

No. I don't invest much time into beliefs. If something works, it works. If it doesn't work, I don't use it. This is fairly obvious. Everything else, all of the stuff that will probably never affect my life, isn't really important.

Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?

Same as above, if it works, keep it. If it don't get rid of it. That's my systematic approach.

Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

I don't know if this is feasible really. History is written by other folks, you have no idea about their personal motivations. Don't see history, whatever the facts were, as being that important. What few facts may exist is buried in narratives. While the "facts" may seem factual, the narrative itself is probably biased.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

• Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?

No. A lot of what I experience, I decide whether it's beneficial to me, a personally held core value, something I can Practice more than intellectualize and philosophize, and whether I put trust in my own decisions of my experiences regardless of what one says otherwise.

I reject things that hinders my experiences. So, for example, when I practiced christianity learning about god and what god is, is, well, a work in progress. You don't go into a relationship knowing the person you want to be with. But it hindered my growth when my experiences and values didn't line up with what I read in scripture and what I heard. It made me more upset and critical than if I were just regular ol' me. I studied a lot of christianity but it all balls down to whether they align with your values and experiences not whether you agree god is a man, woman, literal, or abstract. In other words, you tend to want to know more when they align with who you are but reject those that do not-the details and motivation are a result of the two.

• Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?

No.

I do feel trusting your own experiences and Practice helps a lot, though. For example, if you're looking for running shoes you can talk to every store, person, and calculate every star and review but at the end, it's your feet not theirs. I think in that sense that's why people call it faith rather than fact. Trust in your own experiences.

1. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

No. I don't know of any religion that needs to be historically accurate to use it as a backbone of one's lifestyle. I mean, on television they try to "prove jesus' tomb" but at the end, does it really matter.... why should it.


Add note. I took this 16Personality test awhile back. If would be interesting to look at how people come to their religious beliefs (or morals or whatever) based on the general summary of their personality.

 

[osgart]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

Number 1 is something I do a lot of. I find the philosophy just as valuable as the science in dealing with my beliefs. I have a strong desire to know all sides of the story on matters of belief. I believe explanations of reality are mainly philosophical arguments. Science can only deal with observation and prediction using mathematics. Interpretations and explanations of what reality is is mainly philosophical.

For 2 I like to consider pros, cons, anti, and neutral positions from well informed people. I then look at what lay people consider. Subjective experience is valuable when looked at objectively. Facts are mainly about the physical world and can be interpreted and inferred from in many different ways.

On 3 I only consider history as valuable in the study of human nature. Scientific history is more interesting then general history, or the history of religion.

Knowledge is progressive, so I do not expect ancient people to be as knowledgeable as the people of today. However some gems of wisdom get totally trampled on and lost by newer generations.

Wisdom is far more important than knowledge or beliefs. All three are crucial too life.

 

[Onoma]

Question for anyone who wants to answer.

In your path, religion, lack of religion, walk, etc. do you:

1. Spend time fact checking the reasons why you believe in some things and why you reject other things?
2. Use a systematic approach to determine if what you beleif or hold by is realistic?
3. Perform research to determine if what you believe or don't beleive is historically accurate?

If you answer yes to any of the above how do you do it?

I maintain a healthy skepticism

I have always been my own biggest critic, so I always tend to scrutinize my beliefs until I feel they have been vetted satisfactorily

I always ask myself " Am I practicing confirmation bias ? "

Internal Socratic dialogue has helped greatly, I always look to poke holes in my own balloon before being caught up in what others claim is true

As far as " research ", yes, that's one of the most important things one can do, imo.

Where the Bible ( And other holy texts ) are concerned, there are roughly 4,000 years of literature, history and tradition that predate the Bible, and by my studies, one cannot start to understand it's foundations without first turning to actual history

Thankfully, Yale, Oxford, Max-Planck Institutes, and many others have immense online databases to study from