I have no intent of wandering into religious studies. Reading semi-historical texts of debatable accuracy has nothing to do with whether or not a god exists.
"We may know these things intellectually but we are not strictly speaking able to understand them."
I disagree. Regardless, my point is that people don't even understand their own belief on an intellectual level (as low as you imply that that is).
"BTW, did you know that G-d has a proper name?"
What you mean is that a god of a particular faith as a proper name. The other side of the argument is that any argument for a deity is an argument for multiple deities. Claiming that all other deities are simply an expression of the 'one true deity' (I'm not saying that you're making this claim, but that it is made) is nothing more than an act of conceptual imperialism by the monotheists.
"The only way to understand G-d is through mystical experiences -- that is, it must be experienced."
And the difference between this and random neurons firing is.....?
:) Moving into somewhere that is more 'yours' does have a huge affect/effect* on your mental state, I've found. Hope the japenese goes ok, and that you manage to catch up.
I love reading your arguments, purely because you are so solid and rational with them. I've not been taking offense to anything in the real world at all this week. That's nice.
* crap. you woulda thought I'd grasped the difference of those two words, but it is pretty much the only thing I never managed in english. Help? ;)
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"We may know these things intellectually but we are not strictly speaking able to understand them."
I disagree. Regardless, my point is that people don't even understand their own belief on an intellectual level (as low as you imply that that is).
"BTW, did you know that G-d has a proper name?"
What you mean is that a god of a particular faith as a proper name. The other side of the argument is that any argument for a deity is an argument for multiple deities. Claiming that all other deities are simply an expression of the 'one true deity' (I'm not saying that you're making this claim, but that it is made) is nothing more than an act of conceptual imperialism by the monotheists.
"The only way to understand G-d is through mystical experiences -- that is, it must be experienced."
And the difference between this and random neurons firing is.....?
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Hope the japenese goes ok, and that you manage to catch up.
I love reading your arguments, purely because you are so solid and rational with them.
I've not been taking offense to anything in the real world at all this week. That's nice.
* crap. you woulda thought I'd grasped the difference of those two words, but it is pretty much the only thing I never managed in english. Help? ;)
Reply
'Effect' indicates a change: if A causes something, then A has an effect.
Generally speaking, 'effect' is non-specific, whereas 'affect' is specific: A affected B quite effectively = A changed B and the change was big.
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