tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718893870538926485.post8490163202533316729..comments2022-04-02T13:59:37.556-07:00Comments on Matters of the Spirit: Spirituality and Religion Part 2 (Literalists vs Mystics)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718893870538926485.post-79011595739267854892008-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:002008-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:00I knew it, I KNEW I was right! Now I just have to...I knew it, I KNEW I was right! Now I just have to accept that everybody else is right too. That's okay, as long as I'm right.Geniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02035732790904857758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718893870538926485.post-19902690392889523872008-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:002008-01-25T13:39:00.000-08:00You are absolutely correct. There are letters of ...You are absolutely correct. There are letters of early church fathers who would speak with Gnostics regarding their (church fathers) literalist beliefs and the Gnostics would agree with them that they were right. These literalists would be angered that the Gnostic would smile and agree with them yet still go on with their life style and belief system.<BR/>Well, the general concept that is being applied has been said many, many times through out history.<BR/>"If you believe you can or if you believe you can't, you are right."<BR/>Well, "If you believe you are right, and you believe I am wrong, you are right. If I believe I am right and you are wrong, I am right."<BR/>What does that really say? An old Gnostic teaching. What you believe is correct, IS.Spirithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01303766890566694607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718893870538926485.post-7628716324693831582008-01-25T09:29:00.000-08:002008-01-25T09:29:00.000-08:00And then we have to consider the truth, even, of t...And then we have to consider the truth, even, of those hidden mysteries. The Masons, of which my husband is one, have been passing down "mysteries" for hundreds, thousands?, or years. I'm sure they believe their hidden secrets to be true, but from whence comes this blind faith in MAN?<BR/><BR/>There isn't a secret that wasn't invented by man. There isn't a mystery that wasn't made so by man. There are many hidden truths, but how many hidden falsehoods shape our faiths? <BR/><BR/>The Hawai'ian's probably have the safest to trust truths and mysteries because their beliefs went so long without ever being written down and so their beliefs and stories could change with the times and could be adapted to new understandings of the world. Sure, one could say that makes their truths more easily corrupted. But doesn't it make their truths more practical and useful? With no ancient texts to point us back to some original, core idea (of some man or men) aren't Hawai'ian's a little better off?<BR/><BR/>Just rambling. Sorry. My thoughts on this are obviously not fleshed out.Geniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02035732790904857758noreply@blogger.com