[lsbskins1]

I would like to get input from all sides on this proposition:

Man has a complementany, yet contradictory need for satisfying two levels of questioning.

First in listing only is the basic "How do things work" question. Where does rain come from? Why do I stay on the ground? Does everyone see the same "blue" I do when they see someone wearing a UNC t-shirt? This is knowlege we shall call understanding based on "Logos". What are the rules? Hows does it work?

Second in listing only is the basic "What does it all mean, why are we here" question. What is right? Do I have a purpose? What is justice? This is knowlege we shall call understanding based on "Mythos". What should be? How do I obtain happiness?

Science tends to try to satisfy our questions on the "Logos" level, while religion holds sway in the "Mythos" sphere.

Is our basic problem, when it comes to science vs. religion, that those who lean to one side try to apply the rules of that side to the other side? By this, I mean, do those who reject religion altogether forget that it is impossible to satisfy that part of humans that craves a sense of purpose with labratory experiments? Do those who try to satisfy man's soul forget that man can not escape wondering and asking, "But how?"

How do we achieve the proper ballance between these two separate, yet equally important, spheres of understanding? Being an agnostic, it may seem strange that I would raise this question. I think it is perfectly logical. I do not reject "Mythos" out of hand. I see it as an essential part of our nature. I reject the idea of a "big, bad God who sits in judgement", but I do not reject the idea of the need for "religion". I do not reject the existence of a guiding ethical mean. Call it whatever you wish. The term "Mythos" works because religion is about "essence" and not fact. If you are trying to get across an idea thats purpose is illustrative of a larger "truth", broad strokes and imagery work better than microscopes and proofs. We may never "know" what was before anything was, but we can imangine a goopy mess that is without form, and we can then move from that to "forced order". Our minds need something to wrap around and religion gives us these stories to help us achieve a level of comfort through relative understanding. It is not about "fact", but "essence".