For your reading pleasure:
From Fundementalist to Humanist
by peacefulpete 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
tetrapod.sapien
thanks pete,
i read this as well on my way out, along with a lot of stuff from the site.
loved these:
We figure there is at least as much spirituality in questions as in answers.
nice.
The born-again gospel promises joy and peace of mind, but it does so by prolonging childhood
lol.
TS
-
Utopian Reformist
Hi Tetra:
I read the essay and thank you for the link. It was good material and some of it reminded me of "Common Sense" by Paine. It also reminded me of some works written by African Humanist Tai Solarin who died a few years ago. I like this genre of philosophy and it's fun to read. -
tetrapod.sapien
hey utopian! it was actually pete that posted the link.thanks for the name of the african humanist. i will have to look up his stuff now!
cheers,
TS
-
rebel8
"Books on Xianity"
Watch out. Here comes Hibiscusfire!
-
Shining One
As a counter to your 'lost' humanist, try the works of this fellow!
http://www.rzim.org/http://www.rzim.org/ -
Shining One
More counter-point to the pointless humanist outlook...
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/justlook.html -
Narkissos
Interestingly, a few years later Robert M. Price became weary of the "Secular Humanist" movement and resumed attending an Episcopalian Church. He explained himself about that in at least one article and also alludes to it in the biographical page of his website.Being an a-theologian is tough everywhere -- but especially in America I guess.
Edit: Here's the article: http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/art_apost.htm
-
peacefulpete
Yah, Narkisssos, I guess so. It's sad that his childhood memories of piety and santimony still haunt him. Anyway he is a secularist, not believing in the supernatural world even if he feels he needs the placebo of stained glass.
He's a quote: I dropped in one afternoon at my favorite acre of Sacred Space, the sanctuary of Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church, where I had once served as lay reader and chalice bearer. I was hooked and began to daydream about moving back to the area, attending church there again.
-
Narkissos
Hi PP,
This won't surprise you but I don't find it sad at all. Enjoying religion as fiction (and *God knows* fiction is a very important thing to the human mind) is close to my heart as you may have gathered.
What I do find sad (but then it's only my subjective view) is whenever somebody pretends to hate Christmas because s/he just found out that there is no Santa Claus.
And yes I feel this is very much related to childhood. As C.G. Jung once put it, most Christians have misread the Gospel saying about becoming as children into remaining children. Those who want to remain children, because they are actually afraid of growing up, may become childish Santa Claus apologists. But there is nothing wrong, I feel, for self-aware grown-ups to become as children from time to time -- whether attending a church service or watching a movie or reading a novel. This is basically the same kind of "audience contract" by which you provisionally buy into a fiction, just enough to enjoy it and benefit from it.