Preferring fantasy over reality

[Praxius]

There's a guy on Twitter with the following biography:

"Bio: Christian, husband, father, PHP programmer, gamer. In that order."

I find that sad. He puts his belief in an imaginary being, one he's never met in the flesh and only knows by faith, ahead of his devotion to his wife and children.

That's one way in which religion distorts and diminishes a person's view of reality.

The first thing I noticed was that it begins and ends with Fantasy.

And you know something? I checked out MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and the sort when they all came out.... but I have yet to ever venture onto Twitter.

I dunno, to me it sounds more stupid and pointless then Facebook.

[Praxius]

There are more than two gods worshiped in the world today. Putting any of them ahead of your family in your personal priorities I see as an insult to those real people who love you.

There are those of us who have had to come to terms with who and what we are who have managed to do that without involving god worship.

Agreed.... it'd be no different if someone put cyber sex ahead of their family, or Big Bird.

This is why I don't list things in my life in such a way.... as they're all equally important in their own ways of being a part of my life.

Devoting everything that you are to a God first and giving your family the scraps afterwards is a bit sad.

Sounds like the beginings of an axe murderer.

"They kept bugging me about spending time with them and taking up all my time, so God told me to kill them."

[Praxius]

Once again Jack, you used the word imaginary. To these people, this being, this God, exists. There is now way to prove or disprove this God......

Sure there is.

A few times in my life I yelled at the sky, telling God to strike me dead with a lightening bolt shoved up my arse and send me to hell for my doubts..... yet nothing.

Sure some who'd come accross this dead guy with a burnt arse pucker in the middle of a field might think of it as a freak accident, but I'd know.

I'm still alive, so I'd say he doesn't exist.

Either that or this is hell or God's scared of me.

[The Black Ghost]

The title here is somewhat misleading. I prefer fantasy over reality,what of it?

[Maryjane]

I see that declaration made on internet dating sites a lot. What the hell does slapping a label on yourself as "being a christian" mean anyway? Is the fantasy they are somehow better than someone who isn't?

I thought being a christian meant you had a personal relationship with god. Why advertise it?

[The Black Ghost]

I see that declaration made on internet dating sites a lot. What the hell does slapping a label on yourself as "being a christian" mean anyway? Is the fantasy they are somehow better than someone who isn't?

I thought being a christian meant you had a personal relationship with god. Why advertise it?

Why do people like to associate with a certain cause or group which they relate to?

Your avatar might explain why...

[Maryjane]

I understand your point. Thing is, I can define what it means to be a feminist. The belief that women are deserving of equality. (not superiority) My avatar is a political statement, not a spiritual one.

I ask why some advertise their christianity because on two occasions I've hired men to do work around my house. They both made a point to advertise they were christians. They were dishonest, had poor work ethics, and their work was shoddy. Was the implication they were superior to those that were not?

JACK: First of all, judging is not condemning. We all judge people by their actions and words every day. I stand by my judgement that it's a sad state of affairs when a human values things over other people, and the belief in gods is a thing. Of course everyone enjoys the freedom to establish their own set of values. Everyone also enjoys the freedom to evaluate another person's value system based on what that person values. I don't condemn those with what I perceive skewed values, I simply think less of them as sensible adults.

I added Jack's quote to hopefully help make my point~ Where is their set of values when they value things over people? Are they really christians if they don't follow the teachings of Christ?



So I'll ask again...what does it mean to be a christian?

[Mr. Mxyzptlk]

And any that embrace the new information, what of them?

They are anointed as the only ones who are {enlightened?}

Such a religion could be designed. It could even be based on the Christian religion to ease the populace into it. I know. Heresy.

Interesting. And how would you go about designing a religion? What ingredients would be necessary for the accomplishment of such a project? People? Turtles?

Secondly, why base it on the Christian religion or belief system? Why not base it on atheist religion or belief system?

Is religion by definition lame and necessarily based on fantasy?

It would appear that this would depend on whose doing the defining?

I guess I'm not up to speed on "lame." You say it like it's a bad thing.

And you say it like it would be a {good} thing when it is that a 500 lb {ravenous} lion is fast approaching?

Is it heresy or just lame to encourage the masses to participate by mimesis of the outer characteristics of the small group that is in touch with the creative center?

Or is it heresy and {lame} to encourage the masses to participate by mimesis of the {inner} characteristics of the {large} group that is in touch with the creative center?

Take the secular phenom Michael Jordan. "Be like Mike" fans wear his endorsed shoes and other paraphernalia. But to be like Mike one must wear, in subsequent games, the blue North Carolina shorts that he wore making the winning basket at the 1982 NCAA playoffs. The shorts are the real source of his power, worn under his outer shorts. Lame? OK, lame.

[PlatoNot]

Where's the beef? Perhaps you should ask the mate and children how they feel about it. In my family both my husband and myself put God before spouse. We wouldn't have it any other way. My husband knows if he were to demand I do something or believe something that is anti-God and out marriage survival was based on my compliance, he's a gonner. He feels the same way towards God and me. I like it and he likes it. In fact our wedding vows 43 years ago included our pledge to put God before all. Where's the beef?

[minorwork]

They are anointed as the only ones who are {enlightened?}

Some operated on that principle.

"When you are right, you have a moral duty to impose your will upon anyone who disagrees with you." ~ Tomas de Torquemada, Inquisitor General of Spain

Interesting. And how would you go about designing a religion? What ingredients would be necessary for the accomplishment of such a project? People? Turtles?

The primary ingredient, ideally, is the experience of existence independent of the body. Less perfect is the offer of the formula for it. But that formula is proprietary, in its fine details, to the individual and so cannot be mass produced. Paradoxically once existence independent of the body is confirmed the need for religion becomes moot.

Secondly, why base it on the Christian religion or belief system? Why not base it on atheist religion or belief system?

Certainly possible if productive the fine details of the formula are for you. How do you lean?

It would appear that this would depend on who's doing the defining?

Not a bold statement.

And you say it like it would be a {good} thing when it is that a 500 lb {ravenous} lion is fast approaching?

An excellent thing. I hate chasing after new rugs. The skinning is easiest to perform on a starving animal.

Or is it heresy and {lame} to encourage the masses to participate by mimesis of the {inner} characteristics of the {large} group that is in touch with the creative center?

Encourage yes. Who knows which seed cast into the wind will fall on fertile soil?

[Hasanowanda]

"Secondly, why base it on the Christian religion or belief system? Why not base it on atheist religion or belief system?"

Tsk, tsk, Minorwork. What's factually wrong with the above quote that you did not address?

EJB

[Jack]

Atheism isn't a religion, it's the lack of a religious belief system. Not sure how anyone could base a religion on that.