[lit-ideas] Re: Shadows, Fog, and Money

From: Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:44:18 EDT
 
In a message dated 6/12/2005 3:51:02 PM Central Daylight Time,  
aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
A.A. I  knew people are stupid.  Now I now they're assholes.  Why does  no
one explore the wonderment of why people bother to continue to live if  they
are religious?  Why don't religious people just kill themselves  and go and
meet their maker, take the expressway to paradise?  I just  hope to god that
it's better in Europe than in these backwaters called the  United States,
California and New York excepted.  Thanks at least to  Eric for getting it
that the wonderment is simply in being alive, not in  believing in some
tooth fairy who tells us when to fart and when not  to.


Hi, Andy,
My response was about why one might bother to live if one did NOT believe  in 
a Higher or Supreme Being (whether or not that being is the tooth fairy or  
not...<g>)
 
(I'm not sure what you meant to accomplish by the first two  sentences...Were 
they simply stated as part of your frustration because *your*  question had 
not been answered?)
 
Before I do try to take a look at your question, perhaps you can define  what 
you mean by "religious people" more clearly for me.  I do hope you are  aware 
that there are are multiple ways of looking at the world even when one  looks 
at it through a "religious" manner.
 
My thought is that not all "religious" folk are those like the  
fundamentalist sort.  (though I will try to answer from their point of view  if 
I can...)  
Please be aware of that.  There are varying degrees of  religiousity....though 
one book that I used to like a lot in explaining some of  it was The 
Heretical Imperative by Peter Berger (I think that is who it is  by...it is not 
near 
me, alas)
 
Would you be able to understand the varying aspects and reasons why a  
"religious person" might think that life is worth living *now* if we look at 
the  
different levels or types of "relgious persons" or beliefs that are Out  There? 
 
(knowing while we do so that we won't be analyzing each one--for I  do know 
so many...)   
 
I have gathered that you might want more information on the more  
fundamentalist mindset and that is okay...I can try to 'go there'.  But, it  
would make 
it MUCH easier if you (at least every now and then <wry look>)  made sure to 
mention that you DO understand that not all religious mindsets are  the 
same...and that alot of them do have a problem with the fundamentalist  
sorts...(though I admit that their 'time' does seem to be  'now'...<g>)
 
But, in case I am misunderstanding what your definition of a 'religious  
person' is, perhaps you could define it better for me.  (I apologize if you  
have 
done so in the past...)
 
Mostly my post (to which you replied) was in regards to a thought on the  
other direction...and that is because that topic is one that is in my 'regular  
life' to a certain extent and affects a number of people in regards to a  
particular subculture.  
 
(though I can see how your question and Paul's certainly do seem to  be 
related....)
 
Best to all,
Marlena in Missouri
 


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[lit-ideas] Re: Shadows, Fog, and Money

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