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

  • From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 01:19:41 -0400

> [Original Message]
> From: <Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 6/13/2005 12:44:18 AM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Shadows, Fog, and Money
>
>  
> 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>)


A.A. I know.  What kind of retarded question is that?  



>  
> (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?)tup
>  


A.A. Frustration that such a question as stated above would even enter
someone's mind.  Instead, it was a serious question.  This is following on
the heels of learning that people equate atheism with nihilism.  Truly, it
was self delusion on my part to think people are as intelligent as I gave
them credit for.  



> 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.


A.A. Religious people are anybody who asks why someone would want to live
without a tooth fairy, or some variation thereon, by their side.


>  
> 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)


A.A. Hey, if you're a moderate in this camp, and you asked the original
question, what more is there to say?



>  
> 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...)


A.A. See above.  My definition of religious person is someone who can't
imagine life without a tooth fairy to guide them along, tell them right
from wrong, give them a reason to live.  Please, I'm making myself sick
thinking about this.  I'm going to bed.


Andy Amago



>  
> 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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