Quote:I can't find religion (as ex. of number 6) as a useful framework for understanding godness and human belief.
maybe not one religion. if i was looking for god and found him, and wanted to learn more about him, i'd be inclined to ask everyone what they thought.
along the way, i might even find that while i thought i knew what people's opinions were (christians for instance) i might find they range a lot wider in belief than i used to think. i'd find that countless numbers of them were liberal, openminded, and embarassed by fundamentalists. mind you, the churches would still be full of people that go there to maintain the image of themselves, which they worship on sundays.
Quote:Understanding godness is something that comes from within myself.
but not just you, within lots of people. and that's why i try to understand everyone's religion. atheists too- there is a belief *system* that naturally comes from the belief that there is no god, and i think it's respectable. it's not organized, but many religions aren't. and those that force themselves to be something they're not (for instance, organized...) end up branching.
Quote:I own every action, every reaction, every emotion, every thought, every word, every deed............and that is godness... when I find the highest form of doing so.
but are you the only person i should consult on the matter? am i the only person i should consult on the matter?
religion (in general) is a very good framework for organizing the philosophy of other people, past and present, that have tried to connect with the divine. maybe some people will be happy with the information they find on their own, but i want to know what everyone thinks.
granted, i don't like everything i find. but i still find it useful to have a bigger picture of what humanity believes. to me, that's what religion is worth. it's like a giant history textbook of man's attempts to connect with god. i find it fascinating. then again, i'm kind of a nerd that way. not everyone is.
