Neverlandrut Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I'm going to put this out there. I think what people fail to see about the practice of Christianity, and religion in general, is that it is intrapersonal. By believing god has forgiven you, it's really you forgiving yourself. By believing god loves you, it's really you loving your self. God serves as a mechanism by which people can come to peace with themselves and the world around them. Even though I don't believe a god literally exists, the mental construct of god is no less powerful in the human mind. I can appreciate this. The only problem I see is that, for most, the effect that the god concept has on them is contingent upon them believing it is literally true. I see a way to look at "spirituality" as an anthropomorphic way to fulfill very real human needs. It really doesn't matter whether or not the anthropomorphism is literally real or not, but that it functions to help people live a full life at peace with themselves. There is a fine line between personal spirituality and dogmatic religion. The former easily bleeds into the later. I'm not sure what place these observations should have in my life or anyone else's, but I'm interested in trying to find out. I hope this is some of what Sam Harris addresses in his new book. I'll read it soon and see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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