So we laugh at them

[mapuc]

Before I continue I will just say that it's no my intention to mock those who believe.


It's my own opinion


A person believe in UFOs and alien and many people mock or laugh at this person. What I personally can't understand, is that many of these people, go to church and believe all about Hell. For me it is the same.




That's just my opinion.


Markus

[Armistead]

I don't care what a person believes as long as they don't try to impose their beliefs on me except through rational discussion.

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Armistead

I don't care what a person believes as long as they don't try to impose their beliefs on me except through rational discussion.

Same here

Markus

[Skybird]

Wanting to know by self-experiencing the answers to the Why, Where-from, Where-to, How-much-time, is spirituality.

Instead of that just believing something one has been fed, may it be a missionary, a claimed holy book, or one own's parents, is religion, and dogma.

Religious dogma that one believes while keeping in private, keeping to oneself, is an obsession.

The moment religious dogma takes to the public, it stops to be a private obsession only, not to mention being "spiritual", but becomes pure power-politics, no matter whether the majority of public believes the same way, or opposes its views. It's about controlling people and make them obeying.

Educating one's own children in a spiritual manner can only mean to teach them to ask questions and to want experiencing the answers themselves. And only then you can learn about how limited man's reach is to find such answers. For every answer, there opens new questions, it seems. And that holds a lesson in itself. No wisdom without realising how limited knowledge always necessarily is.

For me, science/scientific methodology, and spirituality, are no opposites at all, but share the same sceptical but open mindset. They are two ways towards the same goal, and sooner or later they merge and become just one way, even if you started by following just one of them . Put our heart into just one of them, and you win both.

But science and religion are not only opposites - they are antagonists. Any attempt to find a compromise between them can only mean to erode reason, and scientific mindset - like any compromise between food and poison can only mean to die when eating.

He who believes to know, in reality believes exclusively.

He who knows, must not just believe anymore.

In the end, self-realisation can only be had at the the cost of transcending oneself, forgetting oneself, overlooking oneself. And that is the essence of wisdom, and deep insight.

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by mapuc

Before I continue I will just say that it's no my intention to mock those who believe.


It's my own opinion


A person believe in UFOs and alien and many people mock or laugh at this person. What I personally can't understand, is that many of these people, go to church and believe all about Hell. For me it is the same.




That's just my opinion.

I think the primary difference is that most mainstream religions don't seek scientific or investigative legitimacy. Ufology often does. You don't get demands from churches as to whether that strange row of lights over the city last night was a flight of angels, or priests demanding a laboratory study into the feasibility of transubstantiation, or relic hunters demanding a probe to uncover whether the government is hiding pieces of Noah's Ark in a secret hanger in Nevada. It's usually a matter of personal faith.

There are exceptions, like the goofy Creationist Museum, but they tend to be in the minority.

[Wolferz]

Well, you can't spell the words "belief or "believe"" without the lie in the middle of them.

Religion is a man made thing. Not the same as spirituality, yet those who profess to be spiritual tend to want control over everything and everybody. Passing judgement when they have no right to.

I've never seen a UFO so, I won't confirm or deny their existence until one of them lands in my back yard to say howdy.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

I've never seen a UFO so, I won't confirm or deny their existence

Wait until you have seen me.

[Rhodes]

I've seen some UFOs, not Skybird tough, but a few flying objects that I could not identify. They may had been plane, satellites, weather ballons or even a ET ship. But who knows, not me for sure!

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Wait until you have seen me.

You're not one of those shape shifting lizard folk are you?

[GoldenRivet]

History is filled by folks who believed in a straight line, no tangents, no arcs.

From the earth being flat, to thunder being caused by an angry God-like being.

The arrogance of mankind and the collection of narrow minds; those are the ones worth laughing at. They are the ones chasing antelope with spears while the rest launch men into space and try to go beyond and press mankind onto greater things.

"There are more strange things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy" is one of my favorite quotes of all time.

We know so much as a species, yet we know so little. And nothing is more dangerous than a little knowledge.

How anyone could stare out into the vastness of the night sky and insist on mankind being alone in the universe be it spiritually or physically - transcends arrogance. It combines arrogance and ignorance into some higher form of closed mindedness for which there are no words.

Do i believe in God? Not in the traditional senses as many do... but i do believe that everything was created, possibly by an intelligence... but definitely created... somehow.

Do i believe in extra-terrestrial life?

Yes, life in our universe is as abundant as fish in the sea; its just a much larger ocean virtually incomprehensible in size and depth. That kinda makes the fishing that much harder, but on a long enough time line, we will find something. and when we do find it, it will change everything.

[Armistead]

Religion has never been a private matter, but a way to control culture and people. It's most dangerous form is when religion and politics combine. Man has always done better at genocide when it feels God is on its side. That's why I cringe at people saying we need God back in schools and govt., cause like it or not, that's govt. enforced religion. The goal of all religions are to convert, change and control the masses to a certain belief.

Anyway, here's proof of UFO's for any doubters.

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Religious dogma that one believes while keeping in private, keeping to oneself, is an obsession.

An opinion, valid, but just an opinion. Obsession may be the wrong word.

For me, science/scientific methodology, and spirituality, are no opposites at all, but share the same sceptical but open mindset. They are two ways towards the same goal, and sooner or later they merge and become just one way, even if you started by following just one of them . Put our heart into just one of them, and you win both.

Agree. Completely.

But science and religion are not only opposites - they are antagonists. Any attempt to find a compromise between them can only mean to erode reason, and scientific mindset - like any compromise between food and poison can only mean to die when eating.

Disagree, with certain reservations. Dogmatic religious beliefs are certainly antagonistic but the list of scientists who held/hold religious/spiritual beliefs is extensive. The two fields are not mutually exclusive but rather somewhat different disciplines. Any attempt to explain a scientific theory with purely religious dogma is a mistake. In my opinion. Spirituality on the other hand is a personal quest that basically sets all other opinions aside. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. It's too personal for that.

In the end, self-realisation can only be had at the the cost of transcending oneself, forgetting oneself, overlooking oneself. And that is the essence of wisdom, and deep insight.

Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
-Max Planck

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

How anyone could stare out into the vastness of the night sky and insist on mankind being alone in the universe be it spiritually or physically - transcends arrogance. It combines arrogance and ignorance into some higher form of closed mindedness for which there are no words.

Well said. Couldn't agree more.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Wanting to know by self-experiencing the answers to the Why, Where-from, Where-to, How-much-time, is spirituality.

This is incorrect. What you're describing is philosophy.

Spirituality by definition has to do with a belief in spirits or ghosts though in recent times it's been used to describe all kinds of shamanism and shenanigans.

[mapuc]

Thank you for your answer.

Every one has their own belief whatever it may be.

Many years ago, long before I got my first computer and Internet I read an article about religion and the psychology's influence it had on ancient people and the people today

I can't remember every word from that article I do remember the author saying that if we invented God, hell and everyting else today we would classify it as conspiracy.

Whatever a person believe I respect this. From there I say the same as Armistead.

Markus

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

How anyone could stare out into the vastness of the night sky and insist on mankind being alone in the universe be it spiritually or physically - transcends arrogance. It combines arrogance and ignorance into some higher form of closed mindedness for which there are no words.

I wouldn't call it arrogance. When science can't explain something, it has no need to assume the supernatural can explain it better. It waits for answers and proof. That's the way science should work.