Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sidney Reilly who wrote (40306)	6/13/1999 11:49:00 AM
From: Grainne	Respond to of 108807

Faith IS a very powerful force, Sidney, but it does not have to imply faith in God. Faith in the self also taps unseen power to accomplish things. For example, the entire notion of AA-type self-help groups is that you surrender your power to a "higher" one. That has always been difficult for atheists and agnostics, and is perhaps one of the reasons that there are absolutely no statistics put out by AA about how successful their program is on a percentage basis. (I don't really believe it is very successful at all, when you consider how many people come and are not attracted, or come and relapse and ultimately fail.) At the same time, there are self-help groups for alcoholism and cocaine addiction based on RATIONAL thought processes. The guide book for one of them is called the SMALL book, which is obviously a parody of AA, but really makes sense, because it argues that to stop using drugs or alcohol, you need to believe in YOURSELF, and simply stop the behavior and rebuild your life, and that YOU have the internal power to do this if you believe that you do. I think surrendering your power is a bad thing, obviously. I especially think that it should logically be unconstitutional that people are forced by court order into "higher power" based recovery programs, when others are available, because this compromises freedom of religion. On the other hand, there are people for whom AA and its associated programs have worked, and that is very good. I just think there should always be choices, and that rationality and the power of humans on their own should be kept in mind, as well.

To: Sidney Reilly who wrote (40306)	6/13/1999 6:35:00 PM
From: nihil	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 108807

I think faith in god is bunk. I can't believe that god (if there were a God (in which case I would capitalize)) would waste her time intervening in the affairs of men, especially if, he left their son to die in misery on the cross. How could a reasonable person have faith in a god like that. I think the critical faith is the faith one has in herself -- we call it will. I see people of all different religions (and none) doing almost impossible things. I believe most of them are not spectacularly physically endowed. I see them equipped with wills of steel that they have forged for themselves. But even they, still full of faith, burn out over time. I remember tales of Cranmer holding his recanting hand in the flames of his pyre. I've tried to do that. I don't have the will. But I've seen boys walk across beds of burning coals because they believe they will be unharmed. I've seen Michael Jordan do near impossible things. I saw a skinny 15 year old boy crawl down a twisted sheet and rescue his mother and brother (two trips) by crawling up to the roof of a burning hotel where more than 100 died. I think one can develop an unconquerable will by believing in oneself. I don't believe fantasy can help. Some pretend they're being helped to achieve the impossible, but the real strength is in themselves.