Reality differs from person to person, making a statement such as that does not qualify. If i am mistaken, please post a definition that is accepted world wide that demonstrates your point.
I agree that parts of reality are subjective, or at least how we interpret events can be subjective.
There are things in the gospels that require believers to suspend their better judgement about reality. For example, god stopping the movement of the sun, then reversing the movement of the sun, the parting of the red sea, the arc, and dozens if not hundreds of other events that are seemingly impossible. We know the world doesn't work the way it's described in the bible, so believing it requires people to "hang up their thinking caps", and accept things that are clearly impossible.
That kind of faith is harmful.
WHy is it that i have been able to "figure out life" for myself with what i have learned from the teachings of God? I am a very accepted individual in society and i am a very good contributor to society, yet i believe in God, why is that so? My faith in God is what has gotten me through some really tough times in life. It got me through the death of my son(you all can say what you want, but please remember, my son is dead, so dont be dicks)!!!!!
Sorry to hear about your son, that's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It's great that your faith in god, and Christ got you through those hard times, religion has always been based in the hearts of the downtrodden but just because something is comforting doesn't make it true. If you were born in the Middle east, it would be Allah and Muhammad that got you through the death of your son, or maybe it would have been Shiva is you lived in India.... the mechanism of religion can be useful, certain messages and practices are the problems.
It reminds me of a quote from Proff. Stephen Weinberg;
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”
I think religion helped you, but you could have gotten that help elsewhere; and it wouldn't come at the cost of believing impossible things.
i cannot speak for anyone else, but i do not seek religion for answers. My faith has nothing to do with religion as i believe that religion, structured that is, such as those massive church buildings you see and the assholes that ask you for half of your paycheck per month have nothing to do with what God set out to do. They have abused the system and will continue to do so till the end of time. I look to God for answers when i am in a hard spot, i ask questions... no i do not expect Him to answer them in a voice, but i understand that He has given me the ability to figure things out once i calm down and start to ask questions about the situation. Say what you want, but it has worked for me because i do Believe.
That calming down and asking yourself questions about your situation is called 'critical thinking'. If you ask god, but he doesn't answer and you still figure it out; you shouldn't be thanking god, he didn't do anything - you did. So give yourself a pat on the back.
...the things which are set in stone are completely fluid, that's the living word of belief. They will always be, and I think that is what is meant by 'in stone' - or, at the foundation of. Let's take happiness as an example. 100,000,000 years from now, happiness will be the same. It will still be as an aspect of an immutable god.
I disagree, there is no need to invoke any 'god' to describe happiness. Happiness 10,000 years ago was probably not dying after killing an animal to eat. A biological reward system designed to keep us trying to survive. Eat, sleep, fuck, take one good shit per day, that was happiness.
Happiness now is much less about survival, and more about appeasing our wants and desires....
