RE: transcendental
Sean Draine (seandr@microsoft.com)
Wed, 21 Oct 1998 08:44:14 -0700
One trouble with these discussions of God/Religion is that, apparently,
these terms can mean just about anything. In this discussion, "God" has been
used in reference to a divine being, values, beauty, a glass of milk,
concern for humanity, your favorite author, that stony feeling you get when
you sit cross-legged in a meditation chamber for 6 hours, etc. And
"religion" seems to encompass any pursuit that lends meaning or purpose to
one's life. Given these loose definitions, it's really hard to get any
traction.
So, let me restate in hopefully less ambiguous terms. As an atheist, I don't
believe in divine beings. I have values, I think some things are quite
beautiful, I love milk, I'm concerned about people, I love JD Salinger's
writing, and am sure that sufficient meditation can result in some fairly
groovy experiences. It's just the divine being part I don't buy.
As for religion, it's those religions that insist on the existence of divine
beings that I'm not interested in. If you're talking about religion as any
sort of passion, be it for writing, software development, or kinky sex, then
sure, everyone's got to be passionate about something, or life's gets kind
of boring. I guess we're all religious in this sense.
-Sean
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erin McLaughlin [mailto:erinseyes@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 1998 4:42 PM
> To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
> Subject: Re: transcendental
>
>
>
>
> "But I could not join a religion unless I truly believed,
> and I can't believe in a religion. It just isn't in me."
> -Liz Friedman
>
> Serving up my humility for the day, I just figured I'd write
> to let you
> know that believing in a religion isn't "in me" either. I'm in it. I
> mean, it is me, it is outside of my, and it just is. It is
> all kinds of
> religion, from Christian to Writer. That's what Seymour says
> to Buddy,
> isn't it? That he was smiling because Buddy wrote down
> "Writer" as his
> "Occupation" when, as Seymour points out, it's more his RELIGION than
> anything.
>
> Going by that definition, I hope to God you find religion in you
> somewhere, or else what is there?
>
> Sorry, I was going to let the issue die peacefully, but it just never
> will, I suppose.
>
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