Paranormal Flexibility

[Limbo]

Good news everybody!

Paranormal Flexibility (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/opinion/12blow.html?_r=3&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y)

"The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a report on Wednesday that is bound to stir conversation about the increasingly complicated cacophony of spirituality in America — a mash-up of traditional faiths, fantasy and mythology.

Entitled “Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths,” the report points out that many Americans are now choosing to “blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs” and that “sizable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups” said that they have had supernatural experiences, like encountering ghosts.

For the first time in 47 years of polling, the number of Americans who said that they have had a religious or mystical experience, which the question defined as a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” was greater than those who said that they had not.

[...]

The report is further evidence that Americans continue to cobble together Mr. Potato Head-like spiritual identities from a hodgepodge of beliefs — bending dogmas to suit them instead of bending themselves to fit a dogma. And this appears to be leading to more spirituality, not less. Cue the harps, and the sitars, and the tablas, and the whale music."

Maybe there is hope for us yet.

Carry on.

[slingblade]

I didn't read anything hopeful in that. Just that people will always make up crap to soothe themselves.

[Limbo]

That's cause you're on the wrong side of the fence.

[slingblade]

I'm not surprised you think there's a fence, nor that you think you have the right side of it, considering.

[gambling_cruiser]

Good news everybody!

Paranormal Flexibility (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/opinion/12blow.html?_r=3&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y)

"The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a report on Wednesday that is bound to stir conversation about the increasingly complicated cacophony of spirituality in America — a mash-up of traditional faiths, fantasy and mythology.

Entitled “Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths,” the report points out that many Americans are now choosing to “blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs” and that “sizable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups” said that they have had supernatural experiences, like encountering ghosts.

For the first time in 47 years of polling, the number of Americans who said that they have had a religious or mystical experience, which the question defined as a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” was greater than those who said that they had not.

[...]

The report is further evidence that Americans continue to cobble together Mr. Potato Head-like spiritual identities from a hodgepodge of beliefs — bending dogmas to suit them instead of bending themselves to fit a dogma. And this appears to be leading to more spirituality, not less. Cue the harps, and the sitars, and the tablas, and the whale music."

Maybe there is hope for us yet.

Carry on.
If that counts as good news then i don't want to hear the bad ones.

[Sledge]

What does this give hope for? That all the faiths in the world will meld into one mega-religion?

[Beth]

What does this give hope for? That all the faiths in the world will meld into one mega-religion?


The way I would interpret it is that we can have hope that people who have faith are not mindlessly following their spiritual leaders believing in whatever they are told. Instead, people are actively exploring the spiritual side of their nature and the beliefs of various different religions. They are creating a unique set of beliefs for themselves that they find most appropriate rather than simply signing up with whatever religion they were raised with.

[Beth]

I didn't read anything hopeful in that. Just that people will always make up crap to soothe themselves.

It's no surprise that people do so rather than continuing to suffer emotional pain. I find it amazing that we have the ability to soothe ourselves in this manner.

[AkuManiMani]

It's no surprise that people do so rather than continuing to suffer emotional pain. I find it amazing that we have the ability to soothe ourselves in this manner.

I prefer to deal with pain and problems head on. Builds character, I say.

>_>

[Pure Argent]

Good news everybody!

Paranormal Flexibility (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/opinion/12blow.html?_r=3&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y)

"The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a report on Wednesday that is bound to stir conversation about the increasingly complicated cacophony of spirituality in America — a mash-up of traditional faiths, fantasy and mythology.

Entitled “Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths,” the report points out that many Americans are now choosing to “blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs” and that “sizable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups” said that they have had supernatural experiences, like encountering ghosts.

For the first time in 47 years of polling, the number of Americans who said that they have had a religious or mystical experience, which the question defined as a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” was greater than those who said that they had not.

[...]

The report is further evidence that Americans continue to cobble together Mr. Potato Head-like spiritual identities from a hodgepodge of beliefs — bending dogmas to suit them instead of bending themselves to fit a dogma. And this appears to be leading to more spirituality, not less. Cue the harps, and the sitars, and the tablas, and the whale music."

Maybe there is hope for us yet.

Carry on.

STOP THE PRESSES!

Atheism is a MINORITY!

O_o

[Hokulele]

"The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a report on Wednesday that is bound to stir conversation about the increasingly complicated cacophony of spirituality in America — a mash-up of traditional faiths, fantasy and mythology."


My bolding.

*Facepalm*

[Limbo]

I'm not surprised you think there's a fence, nor that you think you have the right side of it, considering.


Of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritual people who have had a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” from those non-spiritual people who haven't.

[Pure Argent]

of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritualdeluded people who have had a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakeninghallucination,” from those non-spiritual people who haven't.

ftfy

[Gate2501]

ftfy

Hey now, some of us enjoy a good hallucination now and again!

[slingblade]

It's no surprise that people do so rather than continuing to suffer emotional pain. I find it amazing that we have the ability to soothe ourselves in this manner.

Some of you do. Some of us don't.

[slingblade]

Of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritual people who have had a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” from those non-spiritual people who haven't.

I like how you assume the lack of a religious "experience."

How do you explain the fence in terms of those who were reared from birth in a religion, only to realize it was empty and without the substance it was professed to have? It's like those of you who believe this "fence" crap can't fathom that anyone who's had religion can reject it for the clap-trap it is.

Well, we can.

[godless dave]

The way I would interpret it is that we can have hope that people who have faith are not mindlessly following their spiritual leaders believing in whatever they are told. Instead, people are actively exploring the spiritual side of their nature and the beliefs of various different religions. They are creating a unique set of beliefs for themselves that they find most appropriate rather than simply signing up with whatever religion they were raised with.


I will agree that that would be a positive development, if true.

[Fnord]

of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritual rational people who have had a "moment of sudden religious insight or awakening," an education from those non-spiritual ignorant and superstitious people who haven't.
ftfy -- bis deux

Good fences make good neighbors happy to keep the nut-cases in their own yards.

[Lucian]

Of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritual people who have had a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” from those non-spiritual people who haven't.

Is the fence electrified?

[JoeTheJuggler]

Of course there is a fence, metaphorically speaking. It separates those spiritual people who have had a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening,” from those non-spiritual people who haven't.

So you think no one has ever changed from being a person who has claimed to have had a religious or spiritual awakening and then later rejected those beliefs? That is, do you think conversion only happens in one direction?

ETA: Also I'm curious-- how are all the theists on your side of the fence getting along? Playing nicely with each other? Or are there even more fences on that side of the fence?


At any rate, I prefer a turn of phrase from a Dylan song: "We weren't on the wrong side. We were the wrong side."