TNZ comments
Quote:
Which reminds me, we still haven't defined God or even what religion is.
When I was very young, and still believed in Santa Claus, perhaps was the only time I believed in a god called God who took care of everything. I soon found out that "He" did not.

BACKGROUND
Because, by the time I was five, there were three deaths in my immediate family, including my mother, I grew up, fast, in third-world conditions--the seventh of eighth children. My father, and oldest brothers, went to work while they were still just children. They fished on the "cruel sea" and digged in the iron ore mines (1895-1966) in a time when labourers were paid .10 cents an hour. The Bell Island mines--there were six--were then the largest in the British Empire.

As a curious teenager, I got very interested in studying high school science and thinking about mining engineering. I became very agnostic. However, at 15/16, inspired by a heroic kind of minister--an outdoorsman who went back to school late in life and became a minister--I became an uncomfortable and reluctant theist. Churches were the social centres of the community of 10,000 people.

At 17, I started theological studies, beginning with a B.A (psychology/philosophy). I took my B.A. with the understanding that I would only continue on and be ordained if I found a rational kind of theology that did not require a blind approach to faith. Another mentor--he became head of the theological department the year I entered http://www.mta.ca His words still ring in my inner-mind: "I do not want you to hang up you brains, with your hat, when you enter my classes". He taught Greek, Hebrew and other studies realted to the Bible and history.

MY CONCEPT OF GOD WAS FREE TO GROW
Because of this, I have never had a fixed-postioned philosophy of of thinking, theologically. I hope I am still growing. IMHO, there is no such thing as THE ONE TRUE RELIGION. Dogmatic religions, even the good ones, tend to be diabolic and divide us.
As I have said before, Devil=equals 'slanderer' the spirit of division.

Beginning in the 1960's I began the development of the kind of theology I now call unitheism, panentheism, I do not even object to non-theism, which is not the same thing as atheism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontheism Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. I did not reject theism--still don't for those who find it satisfying--I simply grew out of it.

SCIENCE AND GOD
Interestingly, Nicola Tesla--the genius who went up against Thomas Edison, and gave us AC electricity--was a fairly devout Orthodox Christian. His father was an Orthodox priest. He advocated a religion based on a combination of the Christian and the Buddhist religions. He was student of yoga.

http://www.frank.germano.com/the_complete_tesla.htm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1018_041018_science_religion.html

RELIGION?
For me, my religion is simply the art of doing my philosophy and theology, in my home, my church, my community and my world. Am I a Christian, that is, behave like a decent person? Ask my neighbour.

For me, creeds may have real value, but only if they are flexible enough to inspire me to be moral and ethical in my thoughts, words and deeds, the kind which really do make the world a better place. And there is more, much more. Names like Marcus Borg, Karen Armstrong, Elaine Pagels, Bishop John Spong, etc. come to mind.....


Last edited by Revlgking; 02/06/07 04:11 PM.

G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org