I do hope that the administrators and you too, gentle reader, will allow me a little laxity on the topic whilst being motivated (as I often am Disqusing Religion) by the desire to understand the religious mind (with particular focus on YHWHism); today I’d like to ask you all to share with the group what you strive towards in your own mission to understand truth, however you understand that concept.
Please feel free to answer the question in the most general sense, I offer these pre-written statements as hypotheticals so that you can reference [none or more of them] in your comments if you wish (and I can reference them in reply to you):
1. I haven’t really thought about nor do I intend to
2. I haven’t really thought about it but it’s something I intend to work on
3. It’s obvious! I can’t explain it but I know it when I know it.
4. I like to trust the ways and beliefs of the group.
5. I trust key figures, such as [some] spiritual leaders
6. I trust key figures, such as [some] academics
7. I trust [some] social commentators
8. I trust [some] politicians
9. I trust the authorities
10. I trust that the currently accepted findings of science are roughly right but don’t delve into the details
11. I trust that the currently accepted findings of science are roughly right and take every opportunity to further my knowledge in all scientific fields.
12. I believe that I am gifted with spiritual knowledge that is beyond human understanding
So… that’s the main dish for the day from me… but I’ll leave you with a bonus question, if you feel like answering it:
If you were to discover that there was no substantial evidence for some currently held belief of yours, would that be sufficient for you to abandon that belief or would the possibility that it could be true (despite no substantial supporting evidence) mean that you would hold onto the belief?
P.P.S. Oh, go on… a bonus bonus question or two… how much does fear motivate belief in the population at large? Does fear motivate any of your beliefs (such as that some group of foreigners are ruining your country)?
Andy Hood