My way of approaching to God

[Anonymouse]

Re: My way of approaching to God

If there is no God, morals are just subjective choices at best (much like asking "what will I have for dinner tonight?) and pre-determined actions at worst. Hence, nihilism is the only real alternative.

Not really. I, for one, do not believe in relativism. Nor did I say I don't believe in God.

I said I despise religion.

[yerazhishda]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Not really. There are many many many other alternatives to Christianity which may or may not require the belief in a God or Gods.

You're not going to get rid of Christianity any time soon. Anyway, it's so ingrained in the Armenian consciousness that being Armenian would be something different than it is today. Imagine what Armenia would have been like if it had accepted Islam or continued it's sun-worship like the Yezidis. Armenia would be fundamentally different.

[yerazhishda]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Not really. I, for one, do not believe in relativism. Nor did I say I don't believe in God.

I said I despise religion.

Well if there is no God it's you're subjective choice to believe that morals aren't relative. It is not more or less rational than saying "morals ARE relative". In a godless world even the choice to live is subjective.

Whatchu got against da catholicos? haha

[Sip]

Re: My way of approaching to God

You're not going to get rid of Christianity any time soon. Anyway, it's so ingrained in the Armenian consciousness that being Armenian would be something different than it is today. Imagine what Armenia would have been like if it had accepted Islam or continued it's sun-worship like the Yezidis. Armenia would be fundamentally different.

I'm not so sure about the time frame you are trying to paint. It took Communism less than 100 years to make a huge dent in the grasps of Christianity over the Armenians. With the way societies are progressing these days, I doubt it'll take another 100 years until the roots of Christianity are essentially disloged with only some pockets of "traditionalists" left over.

Now of course Christianity in the world may out last "Armenians" the way things are going but I really hope that is not the case.

By the way, I have no doubt Armenia would have been very different had it not been for Christianity. I just am not sure whether we would have been better off or worse off. We would have been very different no doubt.

[Anonymouse]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Well if there is no God it's you're subjective choice to believe that morals aren't relative. It is not more or less rational than saying "morals ARE relative". In a godless world even the choice to live is subjective.

Whatchu got against da catholicos? haha

Just what are you talking about?

All life is subjective as all life is lived by the individual and perceived as such through our own subjective lens. As Butler Shaffer, an esteemed columnist and lawyer whom I admire stated, "While I believe that we live in an objective universe, none of us can ever know the nature of that reality other than through the subjective processes by which our mind organizes its experiences. We do not learn about the world in the mechanistic fashion of a video camera recording sensory impressions. Rather, we interact with our world, organizing our experiences into categories and concepts by which we make comparisons and contrasts. It is the mind, alone, that creates these categories; they do not exist beyond the boundaries of our mind. What we think of as the world is simply that: thoughts about the world. In the words of Arthur Eddington: 'mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience; all else is remote inference'."

[yerazhishda]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Just what are you talking about?

All life is subjective as all life is lived by the individual and perceived as such through our own subjective lens. As Butler Shaffer, an esteemed columnist and lawyer whom I admire stated, "While I believe that we live in an objective universe, none of us can ever know the nature of that reality other than through the subjective processes by which our mind organizes its experiences. We do not learn about the world in the mechanistic fashion of a video camera recording sensory impressions. Rather, we interact with our world, organizing our experiences into categories and concepts by which we make comparisons and contrasts. It is the mind, alone, that creates these categories; they do not exist beyond the boundaries of our mind. What we think of as the world is simply that: thoughts about the world. In the words of Arthur Eddington: 'mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience; all else is remote inference'."

So what's the purpose of life then? If 1) there is no god OR 2) we cannot percieve the world objectively THEN life is a random series of pleasures and pains - mere sense data that we recieve as input. We are thus neither greater nor lesser than an ant or even a spec of dust. We are back to nihilism.

[Anonymouse]

Re: My way of approaching to God

So what's the purpose of life then?

Whatever you think it is. It's up to you to create your purpose.

If 1) there is no god OR 2) we cannot percieve the world objectively THEN life is a random series of pleasures and pains - mere sense data that we recieve as input.

Says who? You? If that's what you think, fine. I never said that. Bear in mind, I never stated I don't believe in God. I said I think religion is bullshit. You seem to confuse the two and think that one cannot exist without the other. Furthermore, assuming there is no God, who says life is a complete meaningless void? Do you need some external entity to validate your existence? Are you that dependent upon some idea to feel purpose? I wouldn't think you are, so why are you implying that?

We are thus neither greater nor lesser than an ant or even a spec of dust. We are back to nihilism.

Nihilism is only for those who wish to be nihilists. The old Nietzschester had an interesting solution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_is_dead

[Siamanto]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Bible talks about the holly trinity and as if every one of them was a part of God. How is it? In my understanding God is one. You see, if we say Jesus was a God then there is one more he talked to. That makes two already. and then there is a third (holly trinity). I just can't accommodate everything together.

I know that it is not your intent, but the above may seem a "caricature" of the concept of Trinity. If of interest, some, like Dumézil, a specialist of Indo-European mythology, religions, languages - including Armenian - believe that the concept of Trinity is inherited from Indo-European Mythologies and social structures. If you read French, the French Wikipedia page is more informative.

[Siamanto]

Re: My way of approaching to God

If there is no God, morals are just subjective choices at best (much like asking "what will I have for dinner tonight?) and pre-determined actions at worst. Hence, nihilism is the only real alternative.

Do you think that Categorical Imperatives - as understood by Kant - can be the foundation of a morality that is not based on God? Or are they, from a moral point of view. just a "modern" interpretation of what is called "God?"

[Siamanto]

Re: My way of approaching to God

Nihilism is only for those who wish to be nihilists.

How often is nihilism a wish - or a choice??? Often people become nihilist i.e. once in a certain state of mind, nihilism allows them to explain and legitimate their state of mind, and give then an "identity."

The old Nietzschester had an interesting solution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_is_dead

Active Nihilism and/or "Will to Power" may be considered a solution for individuals - maybe, small groups; I wonder how suitable they are for large communities and the masses???
yerazishda seems to have in mind religions that are fit for large communities???