Comments on: Psychology: Religion for the New World http://onehigherpower.com/psychology-religion-for-the-new-world-2009-11-11.html Seeking God outside of Religion Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:04:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Timothy http://onehigherpower.com/psychology-religion-for-the-new-world-2009-11-11.html/comment-page-1#comment-22503 Timothy Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:38:20 +0000 http://onehigherpower.com/?p=466#comment-22503 @Vincent: It has the potential to be "good." I've suggested before, that our separation from the higher power is largely based in our belief that we have the ability to make the determination of what "should" or "should not" be -- we Ate from the Tree of Knowledge between Good and Evil. I believe this is true and creates in us the quandary of trying to determine "good" and "bad." Our pride and social norms dictate that we must know the difference between right or wrong, which is why we have a propensity to look to external sources (i.e. science, religion, and society [and especially "marketing"]) when our own resources for making judgments are inadequate. But, this reminds me of what a good friend once said, when I was working IT support: "Everyone's an expert." This is especially true in modern cultures, when "knowledge" is available to just about anyone with a few clicks. However, dismantling religious mystery just for the sake of inserting a "new" scientific mystery to take its place... seems like a gamble, like hedge funds in the stock market. No one has the answers to the universal questions like, "Why are we here, and what are we doing?" So, if the goal is just to supplant one power monger for another, then I think it will not end up "good," or at least any better than what we've been doing all along with religion. @Vincent: It has the potential to be “good.” I’ve suggested before, that our separation from the higher power is largely based in our belief that we have the ability to make the determination of what “should” or “should not” be — we Ate from the Tree of Knowledge between Good and Evil. I believe this is true and creates in us the quandary of trying to determine “good” and “bad.” Our pride and social norms dictate that we must know the difference between right or wrong, which is why we have a propensity to look to external sources (i.e. science, religion, and society [and especially "marketing"]) when our own resources for making judgments are inadequate.

But, this reminds me of what a good friend once said, when I was working IT support: “Everyone’s an expert.” This is especially true in modern cultures, when “knowledge” is available to just about anyone with a few clicks.

However, dismantling religious mystery just for the sake of inserting a “new” scientific mystery to take its place… seems like a gamble, like hedge funds in the stock market. No one has the answers to the universal questions like, “Why are we here, and what are we doing?” So, if the goal is just to supplant one power monger for another, then I think it will not end up “good,” or at least any better than what we’ve been doing all along with religion.

]]> By: Vincent http://onehigherpower.com/psychology-religion-for-the-new-world-2009-11-11.html/comment-page-1#comment-22501 Vincent Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:34:44 +0000 http://onehigherpower.com/?p=466#comment-22501 I find much of what you say unarguable. A little frustrated, wishing to argue, I ask "What do you think about this? Is it a good trend or not?" I find much of what you say unarguable. A little frustrated, wishing to argue, I ask “What do you think about this? Is it a good trend or not?”

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