Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/24/2023 in all areas

  1. Indeed. Seems Adam-ness alone was incapable of generating much more than feral children. Re: the original topic of reasonable bases for rejecting written things as God-breathed… Most of us modern folk seem to have inherited a crippling underestimation of the value and impact of story AS story in the cultivation of wisdom, especially regarding ancient sacred texts. Both fantasy and literalism are easily debunked and mocked by mere objectivism, which then naively dismisses the very real vitality of myth. I find that ideas like James Fowler's Stages of Faith seem to offer helpful approaches to noticing and evaluating patterns in the different ways we interpret text and life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_W._Fowler Sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit, the presence and importance of stage-to-stage patterns of inner maturation (and lack thereof) seem ubiquitous throughout not only the modern Bible, but most of the world's sacred texts. Plant metaphors seem especially common as most direct and vivid examples of how inner life unfolds within (Unfortunately, it also seems, nothing stops almost anyone from mis-applying easily noticeable patterns of nature as a way to violate, manipulate, and exploit using plant terminology.). We can also see matching patterns in both interpretation and application in spite of the specific language set or mythology being used. The texts of all major world religions seem to have groups of adult folks interpreting and applying them from every phase of inner growth. Most worldview conflicts occur not only between similar stages of maturity (like fundamentalism versus fundamentalism), but also between different stages of immaturity (like fundamentalism versus empiricism versus de-construction). Tragically, perhaps, an almost wholesale rejection of the reality (and measurability) of such manifold patterns of inner maturity does seem like a quite natural consequence in societies where the very humiliations necessary for such growth are also seen as dangerous enemies. Our capacities to touch, hold and handle the fires of shame determine how resistant we are to life’s gauntlets of wisdom. Like a flaming sword that keeps us from returning to our original nature.
    2 points
  2. Stage 3 – "Synthetic-Conventional" faith (arising in adolescence; aged 12 to adulthood), is characterized by conformity to authority and the religious development of a personal identity. Any conflicts with one's beliefs are ignored at this stage due to the fear of threat from inconsistencies. Stage 4 – "Individuative-Reflective" faith (usually mid-twenties to late thirties), is a stage of angst and struggle. The individual takes personal responsibility for his or her beliefs and feelings. As one is able to reflect on one's own beliefs, there is an openness to a new complexity of faith, but this also increases the awareness of conflicts in one's belief. a big change from 3 to 4 with 5 helping out Stage 5 – "Conjunctive" faith (mid-life crisis), acknowledges paradox and transcendence relating reality behind the symbols of inherited systems. The individual resolves conflicts from previous stages by a complex understanding of a multidimensional, interdependent "truth" that cannot be explained by any particular statement.
    1 point
  3. the most basic type of early Christian training, probably others too, but mine is Christian, anyways basic stories from the scripture covering lots of things, and good things to learn thru the early levels of faith as James Fowler puts it seems the trouble comes when there are different stories and ideas after the first 3 levels of faith, things have been held on to for generations and centuries which stem from early faith beliefs, blocking more deeper wisdom and consideration here is an example of beliefs that span many generations --- in my upbringing we were taught that hate is only of the devil, only the devil can hate, I've heard this all my life and from twi, you know - don't say I hate this food, say I don't care for it or like it, .................and it's just not true
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...