billmc
|
Danny Ray,
I find much “cognitive congruence” with what you write, my friend, much. I spent about 30 years in Christian conservative, fundamentalism where the Grim Reaper card was often used to scare me into trying to keep my beliefs all in line or to keep my sins ‘fessed up. I like your metaphor. My own is that the Twin Towers of my faith came tumbling to the ground when multiple missile shots of cognitive dissonance rendered the whole structure compromised.
I was an angry atheist for about 2 years.
Then I had an experience that some would call mystical, but that, to me, confirmed inwardly the existence of the Creator that creation had heralded outwardly. And out of that experience, I’ve been rebuilding my worldview. I found that I couldn’t walk away from the 9-11 event in my life. Instead, I searched through the rubble, looking for “survivors”, things that were still meaningful to me, things that I thought were still worth keeping in my life although the former structure they were in had collapsed. And I’m finding that those things often fit quite nicely into my own take on Christian Deism.
I still have a lot of questions. But, to me, there is a big difference between ignorance and cognitive dissonance. I don’t mind not knowing. But I don’t enjoy trying to have faith in square circles or round squares. 
Have a good day.
Chat with you a bit later.
|
Danny Ray
|
Bill:
No I don’t know John Lindell, but his thoughts are motivating. Would be neat guy to meet.
As for religion and scrambled brains, I find the term “cognitive dissonance” interesting. Cognitive dissonance literally means our knowledge is in bad harmony. In each worldview we humans have adopted to find happiness, joy, and meaning in life, there are varying degrees of cognitive dissonance necessary. Through the process of rationalization (aka apologetics in Christian circles), we attempt to balance and connect the dots of what we actually know with what we believe. I find Deists try to keep the cognitive dissonance to a minimum.
Several years ago I adopted the goal:
“To open my warehouse of knowledge,
Pour on the gasoline of doubt,
Light the match of skepticism,
And see what is left.”
Out of the charred remains of my fundamental Christian background, a Deistic worldview has been the resulting Phoenix.
Huston Smiths book is excellent. I also enjoy courses from The Teaching Company.
Hope my ramblings don’t scramble your brains even more, but as for me, I’m trying to get my cerebral cortex to be sunny side up.!
|
billmc
|
Hi Danny Ray,
Yes, I agree, death helps us prioritize. And it helps us not take things for granted.
As for Islam, no I haven’t studied it. I probably should. I have Huston Smith’s book on world religions and it would be helpful for me to know more about other faiths. But I’m fairly new to CD at this point and am simply enjoying a religion/philosophy that doesn’t continually scramble my brain into believing six impossible things before breakfast.
BTW, Do you know John Lindell?
|
Danny Ray
|
Bill:
Family and time? Maybe you need to prioritize? My wife seems to have trouble understanding my parental role ended at conception!!! (Can’t use this joke for 3rd child since he’s adopted.) (Also seems like my obligation included 4 years of private liberal arts college tuition and cars for the other 2 children.)
Joking aside-life is good and I think part of the reason for life being good is death. Seems to me if we lived forever it would not really matter what we did with time. Since time is finite, it is much more precious and takes on greater importance as we try to consciously live life like we mean it. The goal being to wring every drop God gives us out of every moment while being careful not to piss it away. Sort of Carpe Diem type approach alluded to in Ecclesiastes 7:2.
Maybe mentioned before, but heard story of guru when asked by a disciple “What happens when you die?” responded: “Why worry about what happens when you die, first learn how to live.”
Thanks for the mutually encouraging dialogue.
PS-Currently doing an interesting study on Islam to help me to better relate to our Muslim brothers and sisters. Any experiences?
|
billmc
|
That sounds like a good book to read, Danny Ray. I need more time, TIME, TIME! Maybe if I quit my job and put my family on Craigslist…. ;D
For me, death is not an enemy, but I don’t necessarily encourage it to come running to me either. I trust God with my life, now and into whatever awaits. And I am at peace with that. So I see death as a mystery, as an unknown, which provokes in me both curiousity and, perhaps, mild trepidation. I’m not afraid of hell, of course, not in any literal sense. But I always like to have my trips well-planned out and this is one for which, for me, there just is not enough information for me to make definite plans. I guess I just want to go quietly into that good night if I can. It is, to me, a natural part of the journey. And I don’t think it is the end. But I have no idea where it goes.
|
Danny Ray
|
Good to hear from you Bill.
I tend to see death as a natural part of the living process. As a family doc, my emotional response varies depending on the situation in which death occurs, but I always try to rationalize it in some way. No matter how philosophical I can be, I’ve seen some deaths that are pretty tough to pigeonhole in any acceptable way. Kindergartner ran over by bus on way home from school, girl in prom dress with intracranial bleed due to aneurysm……
In terms of anthropomorphizing, I tend not to do it much for anything anymore, which includes my current concept of God.
Just read one of best books in my 54 years of life-Ernest Becker’s “Denial of Death” written in 1973. It is not a book just to be read, but one which requires prolonged study and contemplation to remotely coming close to assimilating its complex ideas. Finished the book on 11/22/11 and am still studying it! If interested, I’ve found a good way to learn about a book is to read the reviews on Amazon’s web site. Here’s what others say about Becker’s book which posits the denial of death as the biggest motivator of humanity.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
http://www.amazon.com/Denial-Death-Ernest-Becker/product-reviews/0684832402/ref=sr_cr_hist_all?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
|
billmc
|
The guy can sing pretty well, especially for his age. This is “my kind of music” (that I would listen to hour after hour, but it was interesting.
How do you see death? Does it help you to anthropomorphisize it? Do you see it as an enemy? A friend? A part of life?
|
Danny Ray
|
Check out this song on YouTube and let’s share some of our thoughts on death.
Of course as one raised in the Church of Christ(non-instrumental), this gives me goosebumps!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xmRWj7gJEU
PS-Definition of acapella-Italian: literally, according to the style of the chapel
|
