I guess what I think is that reality is squishy. I think you, Greg, X, Steve, TP are all real. I think any compelling intelligence is real ala Alan Turing. I don't get that theoretical and am usually pragmatic and empirical about these things. I see people acting in ways that are inconsistent with my reality. Jugglers, acrobats, musicians, savants, dancers, sculptors, and whatnot. Anyone who can do what I can't. But you know what, the subjective reality and the physical reality get all mixed up, IMO.
Lofty philosophical discourses must produce SOMETHING that is of substance or it is a waste of time to explore them. Ultimately that was how I came to my conclusions. Some people are joiners. It is easier for them to find "truth" in large, formal groups full of dogma. It is easier for me to find "truth" by myself or in small informal groups.
I've added a tenet to my list of "Thou shalt nots". That is "Thou shalt not mock others' Gods". But it is okay to question them. The reason is that as long as their practice is producing results I can identify with then it is a manifestation of the same Godhead that motivates me. As I've said, the mechanism is much less important to me than the result. When the man in the Santa suit is playing the part, HE IS SANTA. When the play says this chair is the balcony and Juliet calls out, kneeling upon it, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo" she IS at a balcony.
That is what I was alluding to in my flying example. I use this mental imagery to help define my problem space. Sure it is abstract and symbolic, but that doesn't make it less "real", IMO. Can I expect the internal world to manifest completely in the outside world? No, my Hermetic leaning prevents me from believing that is possible. It would be far too upsetting to the average belief to manifest completely.
My protests of others beliefs stems from the results of their beliefs. I tend to identify with Buddhists not so much because I'm part of their group but because they seem to produce the results and have the values that I want to see. If Christians were producing the results that I wanted I'd embrace that too. One of my friends has done this. He is a good and decent person. He claims he is a Christian. My other friend is not. But he too is a good and decent person. If there is any justice AND an afterlife, they and I should be in the same place. I'd like that. |
