Comments | inibo: Trying something again, only differently

inibo

Trying something again, only differently

Dec 30, 2009 00:09

This evening, after several days of thinking I should, I performed a meditation I first learned back in 2006. I had made an attempt at performing it regularly for a while, but I am notoriously undisciplined in such things, as this series of posts indicates ( Read more... )

alan watts, qabalah, atheism

Comments 10

liveonearth December 30 2009, 20:45:32 UTC

Maybe you just have more mind left to keep busy. =-]

inibo December 30 2009, 22:53:33 UTC

Thanks, I think.

:)

geezer_also December 31 2009, 21:24:09 UTC

I have a difficult time getting my mind around the idea of a mystical atheism. However, a spiritual realm does not necessarily postulate the necessity of a God. On the other hand, a spiritual/mystic realm might indicate gods. Which brings the question does atheism rule out the existence of god or only GOD?.......
I'm not so sure what I just wrote, but it sounded cool enough to post on my LJ. Possibly the main reason I am happy to have you as a friend is that I am "forced" to think outside my rut, which I haven't done for years.

elnigma December 31 2009, 22:04:45 UTC

I'd say Carl Sagan was a mystical atheist. His reaction to science, nature, particularly the stars was of a glowing mystical vibration. His rant about "starstuff" years ago during 'Cosmos'. Go look at it. Yeah. I think he was almost animist: He saw the "life" in the life and non-life, which he felt was not encompassed by the name of deity, having value in itself, which is something that some non-atheists forget to care about. (What are we? What are they? And not to diminish either. ) Science has given and pointed to wonderful connections of "us" with "other". You'll notice that one of the hugest objections to science some Christians have is it connecting "humans" with "animals" - that's why they hate Darwinism.

geezer_also December 31 2009, 22:36:09 UTC

Uh, I would submit that the objections are based on the existence of a soul. Whether neither or both have one. From my experience, the "hate" derives from the "fact" that secular Darwinists remove God from the equation. My observation and opinion of course.

inibo January 1 2010, 03:38:05 UTC

I agree, watching Cosmos you could see the wonder and awe that Sagan experienced. I remember him saying something about we are the mechanism that the Cosmos evolved to know itself. That is a very Hindu kind of idea without the superstitious baggage.

Thread 5

elnigma December 31 2009, 22:40:02 UTC

I disagree. Theologians who believe humans have souls might argue about whether animals have souls but I think few non-theologians actually think that their beloved pet dog or cat doesn't go to heaven.

deadpansev January 1 2010, 00:28:32 UTC

Have you ever thought about pantheism? The belief that all things are part of god. I think for those that lean atheist, but also find themselves to be very spiritual, it is a good way to see the world. It says there is no supreme being "out there", but rather the god is within and it is within us all. I am just an agnostic (poor mans atheist?) so I don't claim any particular belief system, but I know pantheism seems like a good philosophy for those that don't believe in a supreme being, but also don't want to deny the existence of a spiritual essence in life. It is just something to look into.

inibo January 1 2010, 02:37:37 UTC

I don't rule it out, but... http://inibo.livejournal.com/241623.html?thread=405719#t405719