"but i believe it is important to always challenge your view. "
Tetra, I get this a lot, but I often hear this from people who don't like my views. I think too much room has been given to the religious, then when I say I am pretty open minded, they usually retort that I should broaden my views and taste their brand of Kool aid. Being "open minded" has become a religion of peers itself and people use it to force you into accepting a view that is plain wrong.
Its like being open minded about gays, yeah they are just people, but I don't afford them religious freedom or the right to marry. If you want to be of a religion say being Christian, the rules are pretty much that "god doesn't like fags" i just dont see the point of fighting religious dogma, when the whole thing is wrong. its buying into a fallacy then changing it to suit yourself. It would be much more productive to fully denounce religion.
Usually there is 2 views, "you are with us or against us". But if you dont even want to be involved in the debate, they want you to conseed to their views, i.e. "you should be more open minded" or "challenge your views". The thing is I have lived in 6 countries and seen a lot of extremes in my life. Been in various religions been in charitable organizations, but nothing ever changes, people will always object to something about you. It usually manifests as religion or "morals". I see the whole system as being closed minded since I have escaped it.
Spirituality, I never got it at all, I have no feeling. Though when I started leaving the JWs I visited the Coln Dome, and realy felt close to the piece of architecture, but that is what it was, awe at the shape of some stone. Nothing even related to a "higher power". I have been called spiritual, because I like going out and photographing or going surfing in typhoons. But the energy I feel, is a mix of endorphins and the low pressure of the storm affecting my inner ear. I just dont feel "spiritual".
