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#1
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Religious certainty and breadth of religious experience
In my experience, there is strong anecdotal evidence for an inverse correlation between the strength of a person's religious conviction and the variety of their religious experience. Most of the people I have known with deeply held religious convictions of truth and certainty have a very small range of religious experience. Be they Christian or Muslim, they typically have not explored or practiced any religious ritual outside of the one to which they have a strong commitment. It's analogous to someone who thinks a Chevy is the best car in the world but has never driven any other brand. It's not just an individual issue, as very few of the top seminaries in the countries require their students to study religions other than the one to which they are committed.
The Christians or Muslims I know who have personally experienced other religions, hold the doctrines and rituals of their own religion quite loosely. These facts appear to confirm the hypothesis that religion is largely a group bonding phenomenon.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08 1985 300TD 185k+ 1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03 1985 409d 65k--sold 06 1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car 1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11 1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper 1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4 1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13 |
#2
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I think you're on to something. I knew a lot of very committed (to a very narrow interpretation) Southern Baptists when I was growing up in Georgia who had never encountered a non-Christian until they met me. Catholics I knew, who were also surrounded by the overwhelming SB majority seemed to take a more broad view. Then in college we all encountered many others of many faiths, from many countries, and there did seem to be considerable reduction in the degree to which dogma was taken very seriously. During this period I personally went from devout atheist to apathetic agnostic.
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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar. 83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles 08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles 88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress. |
#3
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Limiting ones Exposure to any stimuli
has a deleterious effect on the Little Grey Cells.
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'84 300SD sold 124.128 |
#4
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We go from anecdotal correlation to causation in two short paragraphs. That is wonderful.
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#5
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I was thinking the same thing.
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#6
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Counterexamples from the critics would be useful.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08 1985 300TD 185k+ 1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03 1985 409d 65k--sold 06 1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car 1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11 1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper 1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4 1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13 |
#7
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You're doing fine all by yourself.
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#8
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Pesky words again. I guess we have to define "religious conviction". I can't speak other than personally. Since escaping the confines of dogmatic religion and listening to my intuition instead of some priest or book, I consider myself more religious than ever. By "religious", I mean personally convinced that there is a life force in the universe, that it's not all by accident (although not necessarily all by design, either) and that that force can be in some way gotten in touch with on a personal level.
If we mean to define religious conviction as devotion to a particular set of dogma, then yeah, I'd say the broader one's exposure is to different spiritual and non-spiritual philosophies the less likely one is to hold onto one particular set. One of my spiritual mentors is a retired archbishop. He is an anthropologist by education and has lived and studied the religious and spiritual practices of cultures all over the world. A deeply devout man, he is probably one of the least Catholic catholics I know. More of a Gnostic than anything else.
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You're a daisy if you do. __________________________________ 84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold 04 Honda Element AWD 1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler 1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4 1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting |
#9
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Does taking two World Religions courses at Emory/Candler count?
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#10
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actually, you are living proof of the theory. thanks for being yourself.
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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." |
#11
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Could you explain that comment, please? Use small words so I can understand.
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#12
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Quote:
I doubt either Emory or Candler would have a course like that.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08 1985 300TD 185k+ 1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03 1985 409d 65k--sold 06 1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car 1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11 1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper 1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4 1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13 |
#13
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Your experience has provided you with an decidedly interesting perspective.
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#14
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Quote:
got it?
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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." |
#15
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Quote:
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CHILCUTT~ The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave. |
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