MysticMonist

Wow, thanks a fantastic analogy and question. So clearly, it means that choosing the "right" faith isn't so simple or else anyone would be able to do ...

Yeah so most pantheists would say this, that my being unaware of my unity with everything doesn't negate it. But let's say I have such meditative expe...

Yes neoplatonism. Nous is our rational mind which taps into the ideal realm and Absolutes thru contemplation. Also Transcendentalism does this too The...

Haha. I'll have to respond in another thread. Thanks for the food for thought!

Fair enough, I'm glad that balance works for you. I also try to balance work and family and prayer and philosophy. Becoming a monk or getting a PHD ar...

Contemplate virtue and beauty of course! But you are right we also need to actually practice virtue not just contemplate it. That's why even monastics...

Yes, I've been to talk by the mindfulness coach for Google. You know what Buddhists think of corporate mindfulness? Its a massive threat to real medit...

Agustino, If you reject moral or "spirtual" beauty as a grounds for value than all religious items and services are worthless and not only are not wor...

Value is a reflection of beauty. An item is more valuable if it is of higher craftsmanship than one of lower quality. A skilled service increases it's...

That's what the pineal gland is for. Everybody knows that. :)

You're daughter thinks heart of darkness is endearing? Hmm... Every once in a while I find someone willing to dialogue and it makes it worth it. As ag...

Fit into what? The unity of religions? Well, on surface you have obvious external differences between faiths from simple ritual differences to key the...

Yeah I got banned from a Christian forum for quoting the Quran to make a theological point. I forgot that for others they aren't interchangeable. It's...

Sort of. Baha'i theology focuses primarily on the ways God gives revelation. So revelation thru Divine Manifestations (aka prophets) are the only way ...

I thought you'd like this topic, because it's what you are always saying.

One enters "The Valley of Unity and drinketh from the cup of the Absolute, and gazeth on the Manifestations of Oneness. In this station he pierceth th...

If God is perfectly good and all powerful then wouldn't that be good for everyone? It shouldn't matter who God is as long as they are all good and all...

Meta, Why would the greatest possible reality be that you are God? It seems be your assumption that the greatest reality is one when where you get the...

Thanks :) Everyone has been very helpful.

The best objection to religious membership meaning anything at all, is the vast number of people who say they are a certain religion and even be on th...

God can command things as what we should do in order to be righteous and be closer to Him, but He doesn’t have to require these things to avoid hell. ...

You said earlier that if I reject all religions then I end up not believing anything. You are right. Yet now you say that I’m using these said religio...

Two thoughts... 1) Islam, particularly the Quran, is a very articulate view of the world and of religions. There are many strong philosophical traditi...

Philosophy is very frustrating. I’m always discovering I don’t know what I thought I did and I really don’t know much at all.

Okay... I’ll spell my thinking out. Thorongil said if I’m a universalist I should practice mass murder. I assume he’s implying that everyone I might m...

Yeah, I bet I do seem strange. I blame Kabbalah.

Maybe you’re right and God did give a special revelation of His message and my realitivist touchy feely stuff won’t cut it. Maybe Intellectual belief ...

I do it to make my wife happy. Does that count?

Because they would go to heaven rather than suffering here? That’s a good argument. Maybe that’s God’s job. It would explain childhood cancer, starvat...

Philosophy

Didn’t know that. Thanks. One of my favorite Buddhist teachers in my mind has always been Obi Won. I love the discussion of did Vader kill Luke’s Fath...

You both have given me a lot to think about. I messed up in my thinking by first off being arrogant enough to create my own 7 point system. Second, I ...

I think this is well put. I would agree my position is essentially Perennialist according to your definition. It has more advanced metaphysics drawing...

The Jedis are purposefully designed after Zen Buddhism. So simmilarity to the Jedi path, I don’t consider a criticism. The areas I would differ from a...

Wouldn’t Spinoza be helpful here? Our human love is finite and is an expression or mode over God’s infinite love. I think uses of love in the example ...

You said that Pascal suggests giving up your autonomy which you said is the only thing we had. I was trying to find what you meant by that exactly. Pa...

Can you elaborate on this? I agree with the “crockpot priest says might be true” I got banned from a Christian forum for saying a simmilar thing Do yo...

Haha. Okay, we’ll thats my two cents.

Not nearly the same as in marriage isn’t like the rest of life? Or marriage isn’t like video games?

Has there been a recent discussion on the justice of anti-drug laws? I think Locke would be very clear on this and he is the foundation of American vi...

So an example would be marriage. Some days I’m a crummy husband. But everyday I get another chance. If I screw up enough I could lead to divorce sure ...

Have you seen the move live, die, repeat (edge of tommorow) with Tom Cruise? He does get a replay every time he dies. Together with a female warrior (...

This conversation has thrown me into quite of a bit of confusion. I’m actually often confused. My drive into work gave me some rare clarity though It’...

Thanks for sharing. So do you think it’s possibke to have a theory that explains why experiences like these are meaningful to us?

I’m still chewing on the idea that the Quran is unmystical. It’s my favorite scripture though rather repetitive. It takes the sovereignty and primacy ...

You all have helped me think thru how a mystic (in a technical sense) doesn’t equal contemplative. Does it real mean anything to say I’m a contemplati...

I’m not at all ashamed to say I’m confused. My head is a jumble of scriptures and sages. How can wise and holy and brilliant people be in contradictor...

Hmm... I think you are right in how this quranic passage would be interpreted by Muslims. They would definitely say their hadiths and traditions were ...

Was that trying to egg me on? Read Plato’s Gorgias on this very subject.

What’s the difference between philosophy and rhetoric? Philosophy’s goal is truth and justice Rhetoric’s goal is flattery. I’m not here to win argumen...