tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564473.post1066349126826155460..comments2024-01-15T05:32:24.873-05:00Comments on The Jon Rowe Archives: Jonathan Rowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6564473.post-22190203431723751092010-12-01T07:40:08.548-05:002010-12-01T07:40:08.548-05:00"And though he knows that he can sound like a..."And though he knows that he can sound like a person who believes in God, he thinks that God is the wrong word to describe his beliefs...If the God of the 25 percent is incredibly valuable, which it is; and it’s actually worth realizing, which it is; and it’s something we can talk about rationally, which it is; then calling it ‘God’ prevents you from criticizing all the divisive nonsense that comes with religion.” SH<br /><br />"I'm looking for something serious beneath the woo. I want something that has credibility with hard nosed skeptics, not likely to be swept up in a con." JR<br /><br />An intriguing topic. Alcoholics Anonymous, designed to appeal to an agnostic spirituality, has helped its atheistic recovering alcoholics who replace the concept of "higher power" with "the group." I've heard the theory that part of our biology is our desire for relationships and Harris' "God" could just be part of man's toolkit which evolution in a sense equipped him with and thereby explains our survival since human relationships are important but not completely satisfying.<br /><br />But if something God-like has some value isn't it still through faith? Wanting something serious and credible sounds like wanting something solid upon which to base faith. New Age spirituality appears to teach that each one of us is God. Newsweek, interestingly singles out Islamic terrorism as an example of what Harris is not talking about. That implies a desire to not only reach a nirvana of the mind but to do or be good or at least not be bad.<br /><br />“I see nothing irrational about seeking the states of mind that lie at the core of many religions. Compassion, awe, devotion and feelings of oneness are surely among the most valuable experiences a person can have,” he writes.<br /><br />But his book is called "The Moral Landscape" which implies that he is after more than uplifing thoughts/feelings/sensations and physical healing. It'll be intersting to see where this path takes him.craig2https://www.blogger.com/profile/07217051199919605951noreply@blogger.com