$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fredrik', '
')No, but it often consists of reducing the religion to wacky caricatures, devoid of depth and relevance to the human spiritual condition, unwilling to distinguish the essential from the metaphorical.
PeakOil is You
Movie: "Religulous" Bill Maher
Re: 'Religulous' - Bill Maher Raises Horus From The Dead
by Ludi » Fri 03 Oct 2008, 14:20:04
No, I don't believe it's actually possible for making fun of religion to reduce religion to wacky caricatures devoid of relevance. If the religion is relevant, its relevance remains in spite of criticism. If religion can't survive criticism, it isn't relevant to begin with.
If there's truth in religion, it will survive scrutiny. If the religious want the non-religious to see the relevance in religion, they will need to demonstrate that relevance, not simply claim it exists to people who don't see it.
And at this point we could veer off into a discussion about the relevance of religion and what are the essential aspects of religion versus the metaphorical aspects, etc etc....
- Ludi
Re: 'Religulous' - Bill Maher Raises Horus From The Dead
by Fredrik » Sun 05 Oct 2008, 06:39:00
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', 'C')an you define what the "human spiritual condition" is?
A disastrous flaw in human nature that seems to be inherent in everyone, except maybe a few exceptional individuals. Expressed in selfishness, greed, delight at others' misfortune, etc. These can be found in any type of society and culture. And at the same time, an apparently universal moral understanding that this is not how it should be.
Christianity presents one possible answer to the problem, one which shares quite a lot with other religions, but goes even further with this fundamental problem. Of course you may reject the proposed answer, choose other answers, or deny that the problem exists at all.
Christianity is like a letter from a stranger who tells me I'm in grave danger and gives me instructions how to avoid it. Other religions involving the idea of an eternal destiny could be depicted as somewhat similar warning letters, with great differences in content and style. (They may all be right in those things they agree on.) Having received such letters, I may choose the one that seems most consistent with my own experience and follow its advice, or reject them all as fictitious and live my life as before, assuming that no such danger exists. The choice depends on one's own judgment or intuition regarding the reliability of each letter.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', 'L')ook, a non-physical universe does not exist as far as people can possibly know. Human Beings can only know about the physical universe - energy, matter, space and time! But you can't prove that there is NOT a non-physical universe because you can't get outside the physical universe to look for it!
That's right, we can't observe a non-physical universe or being from our physical realm, but an unlimited metaphysical (beyond or above physical) entity, unbound by constraints known to us, if it exists, could at least in theory be able to affect the physical universe and manifest itself in the way it chooses. This is of course hypothetical but not impossible.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'I')f the religious want the non-religious to see the relevance in religion, they will need to demonstrate that relevance, not simply claim it exists to people who don't see it.
In cases like Maher, it depends on what the critic chooses to focus on in his presentation. Instead of humorous, short scenes with enthusiastic (and often fringe) believers who have little background knowledge of their faith, the viewer would profit more of in-depth interviews or debates with prominent Christian philosophers like Alvin Plantinga or William Lane Craig, or Biblical scholars like N.T. Wright or Craig Blomberg.
"Only scarcity and effort make life worth living."
"A fundamental, devastating error is to set up a political system based on [individual] desires." -Pentti Linkola
"A fundamental, devastating error is to set up a political system based on [individual] desires." -Pentti Linkola
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Fredrik - Lignite
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