Re: ExI List Vs. Spiritutality (ws) E.S.P. in the Turing Test

From: QueeneMUSE@aol.com
Date: Wed Aug 30 2000 - 17:22:04 MDT


In a message dated 8/30/2000 2:49:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
memoria@memoria.com writes:

>
> There is no point in talking about my work towards my dreams. It would be
> dismissed as mystical rubbish by the masses here. The reason that I never
> joined ExI years ago still stands and that is the dogmatic embrace of
> atheism
> and the ridicule of any sense of spirituality in others by its members.

Masses? Yikes... whodat? ...me... ?

Not every member here is against spiritual people. While I don't believe in
angels or the tooth fairy, I look after my spiritual side -- quietly, calmly
and without need of approval by anyone here. I understand why a religious
person could feel ganged up on here, but you are making a generalization
about this consituency that is harmful and not entirely true.

Spirituality is meaningful to *me* - but we can have our own definitions of
what that means. That doesn't mean there's a magical force of some kind that
listens to my prayers or that I believe in life after death if I am just good
enough to qualify. It also doesn't mean I believe that a giant turtle is
carrying the earth on it's back! It means I take care to listen to the inner
voice that guides me, and to keep open loving thoughts and people around me,
do yoga, burn sage, sing rituals -- and find ways to balance and center me in
this crazy world. I am not afraid these rough natured atheist grumps will
ridicule or dismiss me!

boo hoo

True spirituality is unlike YOUR brand of it, whatever that is, it doesn't
require atheists to censor their own dislike of 'spiritual people'. In fact
I welcome scepticism, ITS NOT DOGMA - and it keeps me above board and honest!
If I'm foolin' myself, I wanna know!

Likewise, is not a threat to me if Mystic Bob KNOWs that turtle is there!

Who cares if my rituals for self improvement are total crap! Feels good, I
dig it, it's all in the *intent* - hey, I paint a hell of a lot better when
I do it...

PS: Besides the mostly atheist crowd, there are pagans here, Mormons,
"uncertain deists", Jews, Buddhists, Wicca, you name it. Probably some things
that are just made up for fun! Computerotimists!
Life should be fun.

Take a chill pill, cool yer jets and stop making generalizations. And one
more question: are you picking on Eliezer?

What began all this was one very intelligent poster who expressed his
commonly shared skeptics view of debunkery.

Here's a spiritual exercise : )

 Look in the mirror and repeat: It all begins with ME, it all begins with
me...



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