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To: Alamo-Girl; King Prout; betty boop
But my greatest source of knowledge is spiritual. I’m more certain of that knowledge than any other kind of knowledge, including reasoning and sensory perception. And trusting mentors is waaay down on my list - #8 as I recall.

I don't consider that knowledge of anything other than the way my mind works. Reasoning (ie math) I consider as reliable as its axioms, ie 100%. Sensory perception is right up there too. Why? among aother things, I can compare notes with other people, and get a sense that we're sharing the same reasoning and reality.

But "spiritual knowledge" strikes me as completely undisciplined, a product of the imagination. There are as many flavors of it as there are mystically-inclined people. No real conssensus.

You ask for evidence of God. He lives in me and I live in Him – I’ve known him for nigh onto a half century. He brings the Scriptures alive in me as my eyes scan the words. And that’s not counting all the personal miracles. Evidence?! Jeepers, anyone in my shoes for only a second, would never again ask for evidence. LOL!

That's one fundamental way we differ, AG. If something like that happened to me, I'd hope I had enough rationality left to voluntarily make an appointment with a neurologist. I'd be worried that I'd had a stroke, or come down with temporal lobe epilepsy or somesuch thing, or that someone had slipped a psychedelic agent into my coffee. Although the sensation of a visit from the Spirit World might be overwhelming, I'm sure that part of me would "know" that it's not real.

It's that good ol' observer problem again: I've seen people on hallucinogens "experiencing oneness with the universe", and after they came down, they said it was a really interesting and emotionally-charged experience, isn't it amazing the tricks the mind can play on itself.

BTW, I don't think you're "crazy" or anything like that; all I'm saying is that we have really different ways of looking at things.

1,397 posted on 09/25/2006 1:35:46 AM PDT by Virginia-American (What do you call an honest creationist? An evolutionist.)
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To: Virginia-American
We've had this conversations before, V-A. It won't hurt to say it again: illusions, trips, psychedelics, and other things called unreal are impotent to build a civilization or a happy family.

V-A: I don't know of any reliable way of distinguishing madness or epilepsy from "divine revelation"

cornelis: Madness and epilepsy don't create a civilization.

1,405 posted on 09/25/2006 7:02:57 AM PDT by cornelis
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To: Virginia-American
Thank you for your reply and for sharing your views!

It's that good ol' observer problem again ...

all I'm saying is that we have really different ways of looking at things.

So very true. And I pray that someday you'll be able to hear what I hear and see what I see. I'm fairly certain you will not seek medical help if that happens. LOL!

In the meantime, you might find this Freeper Research project illuminating:

What kinds of "Knowledge" exist, and how "certain" are the various types?


1,417 posted on 09/25/2006 10:03:19 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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