falemon Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Okay so you've escaped the maze of the christian delusion and now you want to find a new way of life but find yourself facing the problem that every ex-christian faces: You don't intend to follow another religion, you just got out of one after all! So what is a man (or woman) to do? There are three key stages: Working out what topics of values are core values Deciding on your stance on a core value or method of execution Planning a path of continual personal development So rather than being told what values to believe we instead just sort through a nice comprehensive list of core values, perhaps with information on what philosophers and even religious figures have said about them. The most important thing though, is that we get to decide our own stance on a core value and how we with to action this in our lives (if it really hits home as a value for ourselves). Someone once said that we human beings need to believe in something bigger than ourselves if we are to be totally content with our livesThe "outer self", that something bigger than ourselves is known in NLP as having the greatest influence on our behaviour. After some pondering I came to the conclusion that this "something" really can be anything. It could be the belief in the "favour bank", or a belief in the stupidity of all living creatures and the necessary precautions required to be wise by planning Well whatever it is it doesn't need to be God or even a complex method of thought, and I believe we need only examine our core values to discover something bigger than ourselves - our core values. Personal development is a no brainer. We were born as developing beings, no need to stop because "free" education is no longer available. We are made to learn, and studies show that the brain goes goo goo when it stops learning. Well feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and experiences. Would love to hear them.
florduh Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Someone once said that we human beings need to believe in something bigger than ourselves if we are to be totally content with our lives. Someone once said that SOME human beings need to believe in something bigger than themselves if they are to be totally content with their lives. Fixed to reflect reality.
falemon Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 Yeah but then it doesn't sound as grande
florduh Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 Yeah but then it doesn't sound as grande Exactly.
falemon Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 Yeah but then it doesn't sound as grande Exactly. I modified it, let me know your thoughts.
florduh Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I'm just pointing out that people have differing needs and a myriad of ways to deal with reality. I'm one of those who agrees with Adams: Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too? - Douglas Adams
falemon Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 Well the "bigger than ourselves" needn't be a deity or anything magical. One thing that Scott M. Peck points out is that it is not unusual to find an atheist who actually believes in god and christians who don't really believe in god. You don't need god or anything mystical to live a life of materialism, the perspective that we are valued by our material wealth (or perhaps a much better definition can be used). There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and gives purpose to ones actions. A simple abstraction of reality is very helpful as a platform to support our long term plans while we focus most conscious energy in actions that satisfy the greater world view. I believe those abstractions work best in the "outer self" level of the human belief system, it's just the most logical place for them to operate. So yes, we can just see a beautiful garden, but I believe that life needs abstractions. The "bigger than ourselves" department (as I understand it) simplifies our model of reality, something that has to happen to most people in order for the brain to form an mental image anyway, in such a way that we work within that world view. In a sense the idea that life is a stage and we are players comes into play in whereby our unique abstraction gives rise to us each playing their own game for life with our own individual goals that have meaning only to us. Christianity and other world religions give us a game to play to suit its own needs and I think that that is something that could be left more to the user to decide.
alpha centauri Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 The universe and the world around us are certainly much bigger than ourselves, and it is much more real than any of the make-believe of religion. I find myself much more fascinated with science, both in this world and outside of it. Do yourself a favor if you haven't had a chance -- check out this thread if you are interested in any way by the wonders of outer space: http://www.ex-christian.net/topic/49120-kepler-probe-begins-to-find-exoplanets-in-habitable-zone-and-other-cool-cosmology-stuff/?hl=kepler There is more than enough in this wonderful world and far, far beyond it to be impressed by. Sadly, when I was deluded by Christinity, much of that sense of wonder and appreciation of nature and science was diluted. It's hard to focus on the real world when you're instead obsessed with a magical sky daddy and all the mumbo jumbo that goes with it.
falemon Posted January 8, 2013 Author Posted January 8, 2013 Yeah, when I was a christian I found the imagery of the Universe much more divine than those stained glass windows and drawings of jesus
Galien Posted January 8, 2013 Posted January 8, 2013 I don't need something bigger. I have more than enough stuff going on inside me to sort through. Most of what I see in the world doesn't impress me too much anyway. With the exception of the fact I now have sex, I haven't changed that much since when I was a christian. What I found divine was what I thought was the purity and light of christianity, the fact that its core it was unsullied by anything stupid people could do to it. Of course, I was wrong about that. I realised eventually that this was something I created in my own mind as a child, because I needed something good in the chaos that was my abusive life. Now I see nothing pure anymore, and that is a loss I cannot replace.
Recommended Posts