What I Believe

I was asked a direct question, so here's the answer.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Liberal
• Theology
• Unitarian
• Universalism
• Atheism
• Agnosticism
• Religion

[MassLiberal1]

Sounds like what I believe. Love the usage of Tillich, the greatest liberal theologian.

[MikeSarno]

"Tillich, the greatest liberal theologian." Quoted for truth!

[conman2317]

ya proving the existance of the non existent is preddy hard, I mean if they need to try to do it with over 4000 religions new and old, and have had no success.

[spinhook888]

I pretty much agree with this whole thing. You even mentioned Paul Tillich! Five stars.

[MikeSarno]

"Do you *know* that this 'ground of all being' is anything more than just the cosmos itself?"

The Ground of Being would have to exist outside of time, so if the notion of cosmos includes atemporality, then the Ground of Being would not necessarily be transcendent.

"Is there any value beyond that?"

No, metaphor is a communication tool, it won't, for example, cure cancer.

[wonderist]

"Frankly, you seem to be looking to pick a fight."

This happens to be an important subject for me, and no, not fight, but definitely a discussion. I personally believe it is when people claim they know something about what they don't really know that causes so much harm in this world. Yours is an interesting boundary case. Hence I want to explore this boundary. Consider it more of a test of your claims than a fight.

[wonderist]

To know something is more than just to believe it. It means you have justification for that belief. What is it that you know about god? Do you *know* that this 'ground of all being' is anything more than just the cosmos itself? Or is that just your belief?

I believe metaphor is a method of communication. e.g. All words are metaphors for the concepts they denote. Is there any value beyond that? What is it?

[MikeSarno]

"Whenever someone says they know what god is, they are abusing the word."

Which is a statement with which I disagree.

"My whole point is that using the word god doesn't have any power beyond metaphor"

I'd agree this statement, but probably not with your intent; you seem to undervalue the usefulness of metaphor.

"your usage was very ambiguous and easily misunderstood."

Frankly, you seem to be looking to pick a fight.

[wonderist]

Whenever someone says they know what god is, they are abusing the word. Since all theistic religions (aside from negative theologians and possibly deism) say they know what god is, I'm afraid such abuse *is* a necessary component.

My whole point is that using the word god doesn't have any power beyond metaphor, and when people say that it does, I am going to stand up and call them out. Thankfully I misunderstood your usage, but I believe it was very ambiguous and easily misunderstood.

[MikeSarno]

"'to explain the inexplicable'"

What I actually said in this vid is "otherwise inexplicable."

"Essentially 'god' as a metaphor has been used to make shit up and make it sound true."

I'm not saying that concepts of God and religion have not been abused to control and subjugate. I'm saying that such abuse is not a necessary component of religion.