AmberLF

Member
  • Posts

    97
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by AmberLF

  1. On 10/17/2017 at 12:19 PM, VonNoble said:

     

    On the literary/historical level this may hold true...point taken - if the subject is one that is to be analyzed or studied.   That shifts when the text move to the sphere of philosophy/ religion though, maybe?   At this time, on this planet many of these books are not currently being studied so much as they have become flash points for violence.  These books are no longer in the realm of academics.   

     

    The religious institutions have become so fractionalized and splintered and polluted by greed and politics,  there is little chance of understanding or cooperation ...if the text is used as an authority source.    Those in charge seem incapable (or unwilling to)  put the gene back into the bottle of reasonableness. 

     

     It has been my observation over many years: true students  -  those who DO actually read it for themselves; those struggling to figure out the meaning without the benefit of clergy...tend not to need to discuss it.     Living it.... is proof of their understanding.    Coincidentally - it leaves no time to criticize others.  

    von

     

     

    I think this is all a matter of opinion. If it becomes a flash point for violence then the reasons why are just as important to study. It becomes less about the religion and more about "I'm right, you are wrong".

     

    Once you get just so far away from when and where a particular religion is born is becomes vital to study it. Knowing what life was like when it was developed and why is part of understanding it. Without that,  what they are living might be a faulty understanding of that religion. What they believe and how they act may be based on a complete misunderstanding of what it is they think they know about it. Unfortunately lower level clergy of most religions often have a shaky grasp of the meaning of many things, particularly if they are clueless about what went on in the area where it was first devised. That leads us right back around to it being necessary to study and analyze, not just from the holy book in question itself but history, culture, sociology of the time period and beyond as it changed throughout history, the hows and whys of it.

     

    After all, if you are not living what was intended then what are you really living?

  2. On 10/13/2017 at 7:54 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

     

    Christian and Jewish Scriptures are full of pious fraud.  Written text is not the same as true history.  

    True, and without it being written people wouldn't have really been able to go over it with a fine tooth comb, compare it to other sources and determine that very easily. Come to think of it... there is a fair chance that Christianity at least could have been forgotten entirely by now. Most unwritten traditions do end up forgotten. The ones that survive end up on such heavy debate of origin and authenticity that it pretty much falls to belief and benefit of the doubt without much to go on for support. 

  3. 19 hours ago, mererdog said:

     Or the author is God, and you are confused by your incorrect interpretation that Scripture is a mess.

    Or some Scripture is authored by God, and some is not, and you are confused by the assumption that it all has the same author.

    Or Scripture is a mess, and it is authored by God, but you are confused about the nature of God and so can't understand how that is true.

    Confusion can be a rather confusing subject.

     

    Oh no, it's pretty clear the author was not God. It's pretty well worked out it was written by many people throughout a fair span of time and edited by more people, probably a fair number more than that what wrote it. 

    • Like 1
  4. On 10/15/2017 at 2:12 PM, Key said:

    Actually this could be viewed as a circular power construction. What is written could have been done so to steer those who could read to herd those who couldn't in a certain direction, thus making solid their position. Therefore, what is written may be suspect of hidden agendas, and would not really be credible as something to fall back on.

    It all comes back to what folks are willing to believe, without verifiable evidence as proof. 

    Absolutely, but going with oral traditions alone the honest students, the ones who wish to get into the studies properly, have nothing but someone's word, who may or may not leave clues enough to determine where's or the why's of things. At least with something written it can be compared through other sources to verify and validate.

    • Like 1
  5. On 10/13/2017 at 2:41 PM, VonNoble said:

    Considering for more than two centuries the followers of every holy text ....cannot agree 1) on the origins even with it in writing   2) the meaning of the context  3) the rituals and reverence required 4) which parts are literal and which are not .... it seems like the written version is under attack from within ... and continuously births  new versions of itself... morphs and progresses .....till any connection is fairly unrecognizable from the original, maybe...

     

    As opposed in some cases to tribal traditions which have remained unchanged for eons....

     

    Thx for the exchange of ideas

    von

    Actually the followers from earlier times often didn't read the text, usually through being eliterate, in lieu of following what the priests said. Those in power that did know what is written often tried to utilize it for controlling the masses and edited a lot, instructing the priests on which way they needed to start leaning in their sermons if they wished to keep their post. You would be amazed how often this happened in history.  

     

    The other thing you might find interesting is there are a fair number of people who start traditions for the same power rather than honest connection to spirit or deity.  Now I'm not saying there is no good reason not to have oral traditions along side of honest book research. There is a fair amount of community connection that is built around it as well as stronger mentor/teacher bond in the teaching of them. I just feel without well researched and written things to fall back on in times of confusion is just wise. I'm just saying perhaps equal parts might be a better, more honest and equal path to learning them.  

  6. On 10/8/2017 at 12:10 AM, VonNoble said:

     

    On 10/7/2017 at 3:34 PM, ULCneo said:

     

    The problem is that if all you have is oral tradition, etc. Then what you have evolves over time in such a way that nobody consciously knows that it has evolved. 

     

     

    Or perhaps it is good that it is allowed to evolve.....

    von

     

    Perhaps, but it also leaves a lot of room for misunderstandings, lies and assumptions to be added... infiltration from those purposefully trying to make a tradition seem less or worse than it was. And then you have those who can't seem to grasp things in the truer, deeper meaning for one reason or another and completely misconstrues things, or leaves important things out.  Without something written to refer back to, well... you can easily lose the origins that way.  At least early records can make it possible for someone to compare modern to past and figure out if those original ideas still really do fit today's contest.

    • Like 1
  7. On 10/12/2017 at 9:41 AM, VonNoble said:

    Thank you.  When speaking with the couple of Buddhist friends I have (neither from the United States) they note that for whatever reasons, Americans have guilt issues much if the time.  

    I don't know about this part.... As an American I see guilt complexes pretty strong in some people but the vast majority these days don't seem to have that anymore. Some silly sense of entitlement seems to have washed it out for a fair number of us over here. People tend to just do or take or be without worry or care of consequences to those around them these days. 

     

    I do know for the longest time there was a fairly wide spread idea that as citizens, guilt or shame for not fitting in seemed to be a big deal. You had to do, say, think, be just so in order to be included in anything and if you fall short just a little... how dare you be even a little different. Shame... shame.

     

    That part at least seems to have changed for the most part until very recently. Political unrest on the rise and unusually high levels of anger and depression seem to be mixing the pot again.

  8. 11 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    I take this as a perspective on motherhood.  For the children, a loving guardian.  The mother who purrs and snuggles and licks.    To the enemy, a source of terror, fang and claw.   

    Yes, it can be taken so. She was said to be very wise. Wise enough to have great power but know having it doesn't mean throwing it about. Most stories have her supporting rather than ruling with it though she easily could have.

    • Like 1
  9. 10 hours ago, the Hearthwitch said:

    Hi, guys! 

    With the things I've been reading lately, I could see Hekate as being a possibility. I've wondered if maybe She's some other aspect of Inari, or Someone else. 

    I still haven't figured this one out, but it's OK. The coolest part of getting older is, discovering that there's still so much to learn! :)

     

    The one thing about all this is there is no quick fix or fast start. Take your time, enjoy the things you are learning. There are studies and research books on her that lay out the line of where she came from and comparing her to others along the way... how she was worshipped in different eras, etc. Go to Amazon and put her name in the search. Click on a book, scroll all the way down to the reviews and read both good and bad reviews. The longer the better so you can get a good idea of what it's about. I do this often with books and then call the local stores to see if they can order them for me. Most stores are happy to. I get my book and the store is supported so it can stay in business.

    • Like 1
  10. 13 hours ago, LeopardBoy said:

     

    There's no ancient source for Hekate as a crone goddess.  In fact, the entire maiden, mother, and crone three-in-one goddess concept seems to have its origins in the 20th century.

    Actually a little earlier than that but yes, true. The thing with Hekate is that perceptions of her have changed depending on what era you are looking at.  The vengeance part was also added later. However the funny thing about many gods is that no matter which one people choose and tends the altars of, occasionally vengeance comes up. It doesn't necessarily make it a main trait, just that with many people part of the reason to worship would be for protection whichever deity they follow could provide them for their loyalty and worship... weather that's in the nature of the deity of choice or not... 

    • Like 1
  11. 18 hours ago, mererdog said:

    Skepticism is about doubt, as you say, which is about uncertainty. Many people will say that they are skeptical, when they have no doubt or uncertainty. They do not doubt the claim, they are certain the claim is not true. I use the term "pseudo-skeptic" to describe them. I have no animosity towards them, however I do find that how they operate tends to be inherently dishonest. It is important to be upfront about relevant personal bias when conducting an investigation. When you are trying to prove or disprove a claim, there is no constructive reason to obscure that fact by insisting you are just trying to determine the truth. I allow for the fact that "I don't believe you" is a more socially acceptable statement than "I believe you are lying" but a white lie is still a lie.

    That is why I keep saying it isn't a problem word. The problem comes with people claiming it when they are not skeptics at all but flat out non-believers. Don't blame the word when it is people who misunderstand or misuse it. I do think it may get used that way because most people like to think they are reasonable in their beliefs and thinking. To call themselves a skeptic can give them a little bit of satisfaction in that way, even if a hard wall is well placed against even acknowledging possibilities.

    • Like 1
  12. 18 hours ago, cuchulain said:

    Case in point:  we disagree about this, because of differing definition.

    That's only part of what he's saying. If you each explain your definition so you each know where the other is coming from, you might actually realize you both agree with the idea in question but are getting too caught up in the words used to realize it. Been there, done that, usually just takes a little more discussion and a willingness to understand in order to clear it up.

  13. On 6/8/2017 at 6:18 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

    Skeptic is a problem word.  One of the worst.  If your goal is to avoid offending people, I would find something different.  

    Skeptic denotes doubt. That isn't the problem.  The problem is in realizing if the person in question is a hard skeptic or a soft one. A hard skeptic won't try to understand and generally doesn't care what anyone else thinks or how they come to a conclusion. They just consider the other person wrong and won't budge. A soft skeptic will at least try to understand. Some actually do become believers with the right information and a bit of research.

  14. On 7/17/2017 at 4:33 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    Like so many other religious questions.  Opinions are many and diverse; and facts are few indeed.  

     

    We are not going to come to any conclusions, until we can define the basic terms.  Even then, I see much diversity and little agreement.  

     

     

    Absolutely we won't come to any overall conclusions. I'm pretty sure it isn't going to be possible as long as fundamentalist ideas of any religious belief system exists. It doesn't hurt (well, not usually anyway) for more reasonable people to discuss those beliefs and differences, even if we don't follow them or believe them ourselves.

  15. 2 hours ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    A practical application is walking into a grocery store and making a simple purchase.

     

    A 25 cent bag of chips is half an ounce.    (4/8)

     

    A 50 cent bag of chips is 7/8 of an ounce.  (7/8)

     

    People can't do a simple doubling and see that they are being cheated out of 1/8 ounce.  Our schools have failed us.  I don't mean higher math.  I mean basic survival math.

    Certainly agree there. Part of it is in understanding the different ways people learn. Part of it is being more concerned with figures and test rather than the students themselves and what they are learning, or on what is actually needed. I've been saying for years the whole system needs an overhaul. It's too widely spread in ideas of what should be taught district by district, state by state. I don't see it getting much better with that DeVey, DeVoy, whatever her name is in charge at the federal level now. 

  16. On 7/15/2017 at 3:35 PM, Amulet said:

    Agnosticism, Atheism, Freethought, Humanism, Ietsism, Irreligion, Naturalism, Nontheism, Objectivism, Rationalism, Skepticism, Secularism

     

    Question for this group:
    In your experience with explaining your beliefs to someone, what do you run across as being the biggest misconception about your way of life?

    That belief and truth are the same as fact. The very idea that any one belief could possibly be absolute is mind boggling to me and could quite possibly be the root misconception across the board.  

    • Like 2
  17. Interesting. I guess it's a different idea of what a soul is perhaps?

     

    I have always thought of the soul as the energy consciousness of us without the ego anyway. Spirit seems to me attached here due to the ego, earthly attachments, fear, etc.even when disembodied. I read somewhere there is research going on having to do with ego being related to or somehow connected to environment and our personal biochemical makeup, or perhaps strongly affected by it. I don't recall where I read it, if it's being privately done or scientifically and publicly funded though I'd think if it was publically funded it would be posted and updated some were regularly. I'll have to dig a bit for that some time I guess.

    It seems back in the 70s there were a lot of scientific and spiritual blends of research, some leaning more one way or the other. Because it's an unseen element in the physical sense, it's as difficult as air to nail down or wild energy to control.  Being a mom, a wife and having headaches that limit my reading time (always had them off and on) I can't seem to dig as often or as deep as I'd like to.

    • Like 1
  18. I don't wear a lot of jewelry. On occasion I do wear a pendant related to Hekate and wear a small, thin pinky ring with a tiny little pentacle on it. It isn't usually noticed even in this very christian farming down in the bible belt. I usually save them for related activities or gatherings.

     

    At home I keep a household altar that is fairly modest and benign. The only thing that might even get attention is a small statuette that is a modern depiction of Hekate. The rest of the house is pretty secular and comfortable. Unless someone wanders into my kitchen/dining area directly they might not even notice it.

    • Like 1
  19. Homesick? I am not sure that's quite the right word. To me it denotes a physical place you felt the safest, where life seemed a lot more simple, nurturing and supportive. Some people never had that. Others never got away from it. 

     

    I think one of the things that is forgotten in the whole spiritual exploration is that, regardless of what we do spiritually or what we believe, we are still attached to the physical. Ignoring that part of us throws the balance off. Tending to the needs of the physical body, understanding we all have biochemical levels that can get thrown off if we don't move and feed the body properly is a strong grounding point.

     

    Also making sure it isn't a chemical imbalance throwing off how we may think or feel is important to know about to make sure what you are experiencing isn't a medical condition. That isn't to say I think everyone who does these things are crazy (some may disagree with that, to each their own. What I am saying is that medical conditions can make a person feel, see and hear a variety of things mistaken as spiritual. 

     

    If exploring those spiritual realms is something you do regularly, stay grounded by making time for the physical needs with a clear and focused understanding it is a necessary and important part of existing in this world.

    • Like 1
  20. 1 minute ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    I still don't know why I had to suffer through any of it.  Even then, nobody gave me a reason regarding real application to anything.

    Basics, yes, you can't cook without juggling numbers... or balance a checkbook properly... but for the majority of the more complicated maths... You'd have to be in a scientific field to need it. There are a few others, architect comes to mind, computer programing seems to need it (my son is on the programing path) to start. I have a friend who majored in maths and she gave me the rundown once years ago. My head nearly exploded. She, luckily had mercy and spared me the full distance she could go with it. Trust me, I think she became the nearest thing to a demi-god to me for that act alone.

  21. 2 minutes ago, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    1.  I take it as a given that all scripture -- ALL scripture -- was produced by people.  How odd that God -- All powerful, All knowing, etc. etc. -- should need human scribes.  Would be confounded by translation problems.

     

    Yes.  Translation problems.  Consider how different translations of the opening lines of Genesis change everything.

    "In the beginning, God created Heaven and the Earth."

    "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth."

    "In the beginning, God began creating the Heavens and the Earth."

     

    Just the opening lines.  A serious comparison would be a huge undertaking.  Each minor difference makes a huge difference.  

     

    2.  Humanism is Atheism with philosophy.  Atheism is not religion.  I would be pleased to argue that point.  I don't think this is the thread for it.  

    No argument on on the first point but on the second point Humanism is a philosophy in and of itself, as much as Atheism is and can be applied to it, but also can be applied to religion or lived as a spirituality. You are right though, it can be argued elsewhere.

     

    Back to the human soul. I am not sure there is any more solid, undeniable proof of it than there is any deity or opposing discussions wouldn't get so heated on either topic. 

  22. On 7/11/2017 at 3:26 PM, Jonathan H. B. Lobl said:

     

    Searching my memory, I recall cosign, sign and valence.  I think those were the words.  I don't remember what they mean.  Yet, I passed the tests.  I was right about one thing.  I insisted that I was never going to need any of it.  I was right.  

    LOL Yes, that's about the size of it. I still remember how to work a problem up to basic algebra but do not ask me terms. That is the fastest way to confuse me to a level of mind-mush.

  23. On 6/17/2017 at 11:18 AM, cuchulain said:

    Buddhism teaches the middle way.  I think that might apply here.  Be nice to people, but not fawning and the sort.  Be assertive of yourself, but not hateful or trampling of others in the process.  At least, that's how I think I will attempt to do it :)  

    Yes, I think for me it does.  I'm generally not a fighter. My points might be important to me but I do value other people's opinions enough to at least listen and try to understand or the conversation is just not meaningful enough to bother with. Part of the human condition as I understand it is to at least try. You just can't have any real semblance of  a viable, working community without it. That doesn't mean always agreeing. I can be just as argumentative as anyone else. But listening and at least trying to understand is key.

  24. On 7/13/2017 at 0:02 PM, cuchulain said:

    I don't know if I believe in Therapeutic touch myself.  I haven't examined the evidence for or against, but either way I wouldn't see that as a reason to start clobbering.  At most I would simply state my skepticism about it, then examine the evidence to come to my own conclusion.  

    But I do know what you mean about the hardliners.  I think we probably have all had encounters with the extremist skeptics.

    There is enough evidence in studies that support it helps. There is a pretty strong mind-body connection that indicates stress can complicate or slow healing if not dealt with in healthy ways. There is also plenty of evidence that massage and other touch therapies can help relieve the stresses, stimulate muscle and nerve responses, help with blood circulation, and allow the body to heal. Is it an end all, be all method of healing to be used alone? I would say no. But if it helps and the person in need welcomes such a therapy, it does seem to help quite a bit.