God (The atheist delusion)

by Dave Lloyd, Saturday, June 21, 2008, 14:32 (5759 days ago)

read Neale Donald Walsch's book "Conversations with God" a most interesting book

God

by dhw, Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 17:50 (5756 days ago) @ Dave Lloyd

Thank you for this reference. I looked Neale Donald Walsch up on Google, and found lots of websites, one of which contained some of his writing: Conversations with God ... a blog by Neale Donald Walsch. I have to say I was not impressed by what I read, and I actually came to a juddering halt when I reached the following paragraph: - "I know that if we change our mind about God, about Who God is and about What God Wants, we will then change our mind about Life, and about What Life Is and what it is All About. Then we will change our mind about Each Other, about Who We Are and Why We Are Here. AND THEN...the whole world will change." (The capital letters are all his.) - I found the tone of the whole website too glib and simplistic for my taste. But his books appear to be best sellers, and there may well be a life-enhancing message in them. Perhaps one shouldn't judge by such tasters, so it might be helpful if you could let us know just why you think his work is special.

God

by BBella @, Thursday, June 26, 2008, 04:57 (5754 days ago) @ dhw

Hi All,
 
I am new to the group and have been catching up with the discussions for a week or so and wondering when the right time to jump in...I guess this is as good as any. I have listened to NDW's lectures a few times on tv, and what he may be saying below reminds me of a conclusion I came to at one point in my life. Being a Truth (the big cap T) seeker for most of my life, I decided at some point "Truth," was unreachable, and anyway, if it had been found by someone it was still up to me to find IT (their truth), prove it, live it and so forth. So, one day I finally said the heck with it and decided to develop my own big T (still in the works). Why not? Seems it's allowed. Possibly this is what NDW is talking about below, because it seems once I began to create my own big T, it was like the pressure was off and my view, and the way I saw the whole world has changed. Of course I could be delusional...but I like it...which I guess is all that matters really. An aside: I am not harming myself or anyone in the process of my delusion.
 
Thanks for listening,
B 
 
 
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> Thank you for this reference. I looked Neale Donald Walsch up on Google, and found lots of websites, one of which contained some of his writing: Conversations with God ... a blog by Neale Donald Walsch. I have to say I was not impressed by what I read, and I actually came to a juddering halt when I reached the following paragraph:
> 
> "I know that if we change our mind about God, about Who God is and about What God Wants, we will then change our mind about Life, and about What Life Is and what it is All About. Then we will change our mind about Each Other, about Who We Are and Why We Are Here. AND THEN...the whole world will change." (The capital letters are all his.)
> 
> I found the tone of the whole website too glib and simplistic for my taste. But his books appear to be best sellers, and there may well be a life-enhancing message in them. Perhaps one shouldn't judge by such tasters, so it might be helpful if you could let us know just why you think his work is special.

God

by dhw, Thursday, June 26, 2008, 17:32 (5754 days ago) @ BBella

BBella writes: "Once I began to create my own big T [Truth], it was like the pressure was off and my view, and the way I saw the whole world, changed. Of course I could be delusional...but I like it...which I guess is all that matters really. An aside: I am not harming myself or anyone in the process of my delusion." - Welcome to the group, and thanks for this breath of fresh air. Everybody's version of the truth could be delusional, and you seem to have found as good a solution as any: do what suits you, provided you don't do any harm while you're about it. Personally, I'd like to add: do some good too. What would interest me is to know what sort of big T you're developing (you say it's still in the works): theist, atheist, agnostic ... or, since the pressure is off, happy to leave such questions out of the equation and just to get on with living? (No obligation to answer, of course.) - I've probably been unfair to NDW, but there was another section on his website saying how everybody should tell the truth and that would somehow save the world. A) It wouldn't, b) it'll never happen, and c) just try it out on the people you work for. This sort of thinking turns me off. All credit to him, though, if he's brought hope and enlightenment to people. That's a darn sight more than most of us can claim. - Thanks for the reference to Holographic Universe. I'll add it to the list.

God

by BBella @, Saturday, June 28, 2008, 05:37 (5752 days ago) @ dhw

Welcome to the group, and thanks for this breath of fresh air. Everybody's version of the truth could be delusional, and you seem to have found as good a solution as any: do what suits you, provided you don't do any harm while you're about it. Personally, I'd like to add: do some good too. What would interest me is to know what sort of big T you're developing (you say it's still in the works): theist, atheist, agnostic ... or, since the pressure is off, happy to leave such questions out of the equation and just to get on with living? (No obligation to answer, of course.)> - dhw, - Thank you for the welcome...not sure how much fresh air I bring though. Not having formulated much till now I don't have a lot to offer. There is one thing I have noticed, anything I even begin to set up as an absolute almost immediately either dissolves or is forgotten in the daily routine of life and so never becomes part of my illusive big T manifesto. I definitely do not have what I use to for the pursuit of the big T, and thank goodness as it literally exhausted me physically to seek the it/her/him/God...whatever (mainly because I believed it was always just around the next corner). I first began in religion and branched out from there...into notmuchness. I think since I made it my priority years back to make up my own big T...nothing has really jumped out at me and said "I am worthy oh Lord!" LOL. Because of my wide variety of seeking...there are a few things that definitely qualify as good possibilities; My senses alone tells me there is the seen and the unseen. That's not much...but oh well...good start anyway. I sometimes feel like a floater...just floating from one moment to the next...not sticking to anything particular concerning THE big...although I have many little ones. Also, as as aside, I am very thankful that not only do I do no harm to others or myself (it is my ultimate goal), I have been fortunate to be born with a benevolent nature...good DNA I suppose. So what about you, do you have a manifesto...or a list of absolutes..or a big T? - B

God

by dhw, Monday, June 30, 2008, 10:40 (5750 days ago) @ BBella

BBella asks if I have "a manifesto...or a list of absolutes...or a big T". - Like yourself, I'm lucky enough to have been born with a benevolent nature, and also to have enjoyed a happy marriage, family life and career. I have no manifesto, list of absolutes, or big T (though still searching, as you will gather from this website). However, one of the few pleasures I derived from Dawkins' The God Delusion was the 'New Ten Commandments' he reproduces on pp. 263/264, some of which I have quoted in the "brief guide" and also in my posting of 5 June at 21.02 under How do agnostics live? - These precepts accurately and admirably reflect my own priorities.

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