Divine Revelation, spiritual imagination, and its validity
You know, I am now among an online group of people that I'm not sure I want to share my opinions with so much. They really like you to back up any spiritual argument with history and specific text. The thing is, if you keep going back further and further from, say, a modern book to its source material, to the source material of that, and so on and so forth until you his what is left of ancient records, you will eventually go back further than can be proven. What you will find is not logic, but beliefs and concepts that were said to be spiritual revelation.
Their argument is that if you can't quote your source material for a spiritual belief that you have, you're ignorant. Can these so- called stubborn and ignorant people not have had some kind of spiritual imagination, and/or revelation that is valid now, for them in this modern setting?
Is this a way of saying there cannot and will not be new philosophical or spiritual revelations?
If I say to them, "I believe this way because I won't be told how to think." They might accuse me of being a so called fluffy bunny with a persecution complex. I know how it feels to be hated, to be literally spit on by people. I don't believe the world is out to get me, well, at least, I'm trying not to, but I do believe the world is dangerous. To be honest, though I know being hurt by something is invitable, i don't think the world as a whole gives much of a rat's ass about me, to be honest. The attitude toward pain is simple realism. I don't think everyone who looks at me as a depressed, unusual and disabled person hates me, but such people as myself are definitely hard for others to deal with. It's no text that tells me that, just my life experience.
I think study is important, but is only useful inasmuch as it leads you to your own thoughts. I took a shower this morning, and I thought . . . you cannot be a slave of every text or of anyone who tells you they have greater knowledge than you. I think you have to have faith, but I don't necessarily have to be the ass-monkeys of the Gods. If there's one thing I've learned about the Gods is that once percieved by people, that spiritual source does not necessarily need people.
Just a few thoughts.