Enlighten Me Free

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Re: psychology of religious genius

The Culture of Narcisism was a pretty good book (by, I think, Irving Lashman)...
Axis whatever...I still would like you to look at the study I mentioned, Joe, which does call into question DSM itself, and modern treatment methods, and, in fact, the whole "Medical Model" of Psychotherapy (which I did study). Not proving so very helpful to those we wish to help. And one study is as valid or invalid as another. That was my point.
As to "New Age" thought...I don't think I can be classified as a "New Ager"...more of an Ancient Ager.
I am a big fan of what Frog Prince mentioned...tolerance.
But you can't rewrite History, and call something other than it was, or, you can if you want, but I won't buy it (and yes, I know what Christians celebrate at Christmas and to Christians the actual placement of the day is not so important now); and what the decision by Church FATHERS (they had dispensed with the concept of women's calling to the ministry) way back when with respect to the placement of many Holy days was, was a SALES JOB. NOthing personal, Joe.
I love Christmas/Yule...including all its Pagan trappings...mistletoe, holy, Carols, Christmas trees and so on. What I am driving at is that it could be seen as an example of tolerance and accomodation by the early Christians. In contrast to the slaughter of the Druids, the Cathars, the "witches" who were simply naturopathic healers, and at times, the Jews and the Moslems of old, or the Catholics by the Protestants, or the Protestants by the Catholics.
I would never argue with anybody about the Divinity of Christ. It is only the Church I have a quarrel with - not a particularly bitter quarrel, at that. And, well meaning as many Church institutions are, I don't think they have now, or ever had, got it right. Sorry. That is my own opinion...not trying to foist it on yah!
Also in my opinion, JZ/RAMTHA is not DIVINE. And none of the students so far have stuck me as a Christ. But I like to hope that any of us, including them, could learn to behave as one.

Re: psychology of religious genius

frog prince.
When I wrote
"When criticizing any faith be careful not to create a straw man argument in your mind by "fundamentalizing" the religion, then trying to tear it down. I made this mistake over thirty years ago by overly simplifying "Hinduism." Hindu scholarship knocked me on my a##." I mean it as a general, to all statement---not meaning to pcik on you---sorry for the confusion.

Basically, I agree with you. I've indicated this before, but as an "artist" I view all religious myth and ritual [including my Catholic ones] as essentially an aesthetic impulse acting through a deep human need to make sense of an incredible and seemingly improbable mystery that envelopes us. It helps however to not merely speculate about what another religion of cult teaches but understand it in context.

I believe it was Robert Frost who penned this prayer:

"Lord, if you will forgive all the little jokes I have played on Thee, I will forgive the great big one You have played on me."

Re: psychology of religious genius

Lost in space,

"Sales job"? Interesting choice of words. Think back if we can to that time when say the Magyars [my people] as a group converted to Christinaity under their pagan King [later Saint] Steven in the 10th century. many [not all] folk rituals and beliefs came on board then that the church absorbed and reconciled. It could also be an accomodation--the "sales job" is always about that Jewish rabbi that was crucified and allegedly resurrected and ascended. The "church" after all is nothing more than the people as the "body of christ" aligned with the Gospel. The rest is habitat and decoration.

But thanks for bringing this back to point.
"Also in my opinion, JZ/RAMTHA is not DIVINE. And none of the students so far have stuck me as a Christ. But I like to hope that any of us, including them, could learn to behave as one."

Divinity is devalued by cults that redefine that term to fit their needs. RSE and JZ do fail utterly in the claim to divinize human beings, but they have clumsily succeeded in reducing the divine to a crass human state.

So, as far as religious genius goes, it helps to have some standard for evaluation, not merely "my opinion."

My career and hobby since leaving Prophet's cult has been an attempt to establish that standard. If there were no reliable value system for human behavior in groups or for evaluating "prophets", then EMF is just another answer blowing in the winds equal in value to ramtha's bad breath.

Re: psychology of religious genius

I was taught that Saint Steven was a great and wise man...was not thinking about Saint Steven at all...he didn't participate in the selective pruning of what we currently call the Bible...nor have I heard he was oppressive to those who did not share his beliefs.
And my comments on early Christianity should not be taken as a blanket ****ation of modern Christians of any stripe.
Actually, interesting that I had heard of Saint Steven, the Protestant Church in which I was raised had no Saints.
Because I wanted to understand about Saints, I went on "Beliefnet" and for a while, was e-mailed "Saint of the Day" and "Angel of the Day"...I recommend this as a means of understanding Catholicism (if not adopting it) for people who know little about it.
My purpose is to understand all faiths (including RSE, a business, yes, but also I think it could be defined as a faith)because with understanding comes Peace, whereas, ignorance can lead to fear, hatred, or crime.

Re: psychology of religious genius

As an amusing 'nonsequiteur', when I went to see the movie "The DaVinci Code", just at the point where the highly controversial theory about Mary Magdalene was expounded, the projector broke down...there was tense silence for a couple of minutes...then, a guy sitting a few seats over from me said "It's the Christians!!". Everybody in that whole theatre laughed, Moslems, Jews, Atheists, Wiccans, Buddhists, Daoists, Hindus,and yes, Christians.