Originally Posted By: DiRTY DOGOriginally Posted By: Infadel 762My statement was to show you incorrectly assumed personal aspects of me and then dismissed them as my beliefs. If I am going to individually call someone out on something, I make certain I know exactly what I am calling them out on. You've been vague on defining your position regarding god and nondenominational spiritualism, and to be fair, nobody has asked for clarification. Maybe because nobody here is interested. So I'll ask for clarification.
Originally Posted By: Infadel 762I have been to the edges of insanity and as dark of places as most will ever see in this world. My faith is founded in bearing whiteness to my own personal restoration by a power much greater than any human power.
1) Personal restoration: what does that mean?
2) How did you come to the conclusion that a power much greater than any human power, that resolved your struggle, was un-human? How did you conclude that power was a god?
3) How did you conclude that power was good and not evil?
4) Your struggle as described sounds emotional or mental, rather than physical. How do you know your experience was not simply a delusion?
Do you know the difference between empathy and sympathy? Someone who has gone through the same hardships as another can understand that person in a way others cannot, they empathize. If one has not gone through it they can only sympathize but not truly understand. When I say you would not understand, it is not because I am talking down to you, it is because you have not been there.
I am not going to confess all my weaknesses on an open board. However my restoration is from chronic alcoholism. My greatest will power was not enough to keep me sober, every time I relapsed it got progressively worse. Intrusive thoughts of trauma, past actions and regrets wiped out anything positive in life, I know I think to much, it’s why I preferred the oblivion of alcohol. The definition of sanity is soundness of mind, of which I had none but I was not delusional. And it was more than just mental, it was a hopeless state of mind and body.
I saw my burning bush, in what God did in my heart and mind. It is not something I read about in a book, was indoctrinated into or try to push off onto others. I definitely don’t want my kids to follow my path.
So as small and insignificant as I am, in all that exists outside the comprehensible capabilities of human understanding... my 3 pound brain has perceived God do for me, what I could not do for myself.
Originally Posted By: DiRTY DOGOriginally Posted By: Infadel 762
Answer this simple question you keep deflecting first.
Is your entire belief system based off stuff you have read and a lack of personal experience?
The answer is not relevent to my position, but I will entertain you anyways. The answer is no. I was raised in a fundamentalist christian religion. I earned a secular degree from a state university in addition to completing a seperate 4 year religious studies program. I experienced multiple religions in multiple cities, multiple states, and multiple countries. I left organized religion some time ago but temporarily took up studying several newer religions (mormonism and scientology etc are fascinating) as a hobby and did some reading in psychology, philosiphy, and epistemology. These days I have lost most of my interest in the god question and I do other things. That good enough for you?
What I suspected, your personal experience is founded in resentments from a childhood religious upbringing. All the knowledge you are posting was learned from reading or taught in a school. I used to be spiteful at Christians as well, for telling me everything I enjoyed doing was condemning me to [beeep]. I was just not as long winded about it as you. You obviously feel a need to come on here and post all this info for a reason.... if it is not seeded in resentment, what is the reason?