09-17-2014, 07:51 PM
Quote:Okay, let me put it a little more plainly. I get to choose to believe whatever I like. I can appropriate as much of Ra's philosophy as I want without committing to Larson. When I read Larson thoroughly, I'll decide how I feel about him. Until then, I am not going to make a judgment one way or another about whether he is a crank. Mainstream culture does not dictate my worldview. I do.
If you're going to read Larson read Samuel Alexander first. Yeah you do get to choose you're own beliefs but having LOO without even bothering to read or understand Larson seems incredibly inconsistent.
Quote:Also a good story. Fits with my experience, but I'm not going to commit to this one either. Maybe Ra's story is a cartoon picture of the way things really are. All mythologies are. And so are all scientific models.
To suggest all models have the same amount of truth though is ridiculous.
Quote:You're reducing the phenomenon.I was stating a fact, you are expanding the phenomenon to include things which aren't there
Quote:They are observable, just not by physical means. The problem is that scientists assume that the univese is physical; therefore, they only look for physical stuff and the only evidence that counts is physical. This is a real problem.
What's your alternative?
Quote:You know, my ego really flared up in response to this one. I usually stop listening whenever I hear someone deploying an argument for the existence of God (doesn't matter which), so I was pretty appalled to see my self doing that very thing. Thanks for the catalyst.
Haha no worries, understandable that.
The problem with this hammering on about personal experience is that the experience is interpreted (thus remaining subjective) and new age/LoO interpretations often get unhealthy and concerning. I have seen very "ordinary" experience get interpreted in a "I'm an alien/ my soul family is watching me/ that must be spirits/ I was meditating and now I know everything" kinda stuff.