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

To: E who wrote (25287)	10/6/1998 5:57:00 PM
From: Rick Julian	Respond to of 108807

I say theism, as expressed in religion, has moral codes which can be referenced and are the standard by which believers' "good" conduct is judged. There is great intersection in the moral codes of all religions. The highest exposition of such codes, (I believe) was expressed in the 10 Commandments. I don't think you would find many theists who would object to the content of the seven I referenced. There is considerable potential for conflict in the first Commandment, "I am the Lord thy God, you shall put no other Gods before me" but this arises only when Judeo-Christians hubristically lay exclusive claim to the God franchise. I seriously disagree with this claim of exclusivity,and believe it is a human contaminant of an otherwise acceptable notion. God has no name other than those given Him by man, and it is only in naming that division is created. You say good resides in man. I agree (and bad too in some measure). You say I believe good resides in some other entity. I modify this to the statement that "God is goodness, and when we act in accordance with Natural Law we reflect Him." Its as though God is the shore and humanity a lake.The lake reflects God's image, yet is suspect to waves which distort His image. When we are peaceful and loving, the reflective surface is smooth. Religion establishes moral and ethical guidelines which encourage this placidity. Religions also occasionally collide and produce their own turbulence, but in general they are effective pacifiers for humanity.Usually it is the people who fail the religion, rather than vice versa. E, I have tried to keep this discussion in the abstract--resisting ad hominem. In general I think we've both succeeded in this objective. I have no doubt that you are a quality person with whom I could enjoy a face to face discussion. I have just been trying to understand atheism, and the kind of thinking it springs from. That I am competitive and try to "win" debates is an unattractive ego function, but please know I am not judging you as a person. I am merely (though often inelegantly) trying to peer into the mind of another philosophy. Peace, Rick