I Yam What I Yam, And That's Not All That I Yam

Gordian Knot

Gordian Knot

Being Deviant IS My Art.
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Slightly misquoting a sage philosopher of some decades past seemed an appropriate way to introduce myself. I rarely do the Introduce Yourself thing as the need seems lacking.

I do so here because, this forum is sort of a first for me. Normally I join forums because I believe I have something to contribute to whatever the subject is. I admit up front that I have little to contribute here, as theology is mostly a mystery to me.

Agnostic is probably the closest peg I can choose to fit into the board of existence. My reasons are not the usual. I simply do not care whether a god exists or not. That may sound like a bitter comment. It is not meant to be. In fact it isn't.

My experience in life has led me to believe that either A. God is not almighty and all powerful, or B. God has little interest in active participation on this plane of existence. The proof for my outlook - take a look around this world through space and time. It is not now, nor has it ever been, a very pleasant place.

If God is All That, he obviously has little interest in what goes on here. If God has interest, he obviously is not all powerful or he would change things. Yes organized religions have gone to great lengths to work around this conundrum. Their explanations seem more like excuses.

There are, I know, a few people who would disagree with those sentiments.

But in either event, the outcome is the same. For me. The existence of a God is not pertinent in my life.

Why not atheist you ask? Well maybe you didn't, so I am doing it for you. It is not possible to deny the existence of something so overwhelming as a supreme being from this little shell in which I live my life. It can neither be proven, nor disproven. So the door is left open for the possibility.

So here I am, in all my ignorance. Seeking enlightenment. Because of the other reason that door is left open. I know that what I yam is not all that I yam.
 
Greetings! I also lean toward the agnostic side of things, though I refute your two possible conclusions!

I too feel that I might not have a lot to contribute, but I, like you, ask questions instead. It's good to have a second here, we need to keep those know-it-alls on their toes!

There some really good people here, and there are those who are a bit...out there. There's all sorts and I hope there always will be. Though I also always hope you new guys are the good ones.
 
Agnosticism is an honorable peg, as the other two options are fully at odds and both deem themselves truth whilst neither can prove it other than by unacceptable negative proofs, coersion, conversion and innuendo...

I welcome you to I.O and look forward to your noncontributions of agnostic thought and contemplation.

namaskar
 
Thank you all gents. Noncontributions I can do! And Tea, I do my best to be one of the good ones. I do suffer a very dry sense of humor though, and that doesn't always translate too well on a 'puter screen. So please spread the word, if I come across as anything but friendly, it is but my poor attempts at humor.
 
I'm back to mention that I'm not back. Rather that I wish everyone on here the best of the season, no matter which incarnation you follow. And if you happen to follow none-of-the-above, best wishes just because!
 
(at which point the goblin showed up feeling it might be better to welcome others here first before introducing himself even, saying "...welcome to here then, where I will befriend you if you befriend me back, and moreover I'm good at listening too...", whereupon the goblin just rubbed his chin to think it over again, then putting it more like "...me, well I guess I'm not agnostic, I mean not as in someone who doesn't know god, ah no not me, for I'm gnostic, more as in someone knows god but doesn't know what he actually knows, ah but digress somewhat don't I now...", to which the goblin then touched the red welcoming carpet with his big toe to momentarily turn it more his color of green here, saying "...yes that's just much better isn't it, green like an inviting traffic light again where this writing is like a journey and where we could keep each other company upon it...")
 
Gordian Knot said:
...
Why not atheist you ask? Well maybe you didn't, so I am doing it for you. It is not possible to deny the existence of something so overwhelming as a supreme being from this little shell in which I live my life. It can neither be proven, nor disproven. So the door is left open for the possibility.

So here I am, in all my ignorance. Seeking enlightenment. Because of the other reason that door is left open. I know that what I yam is not all that I yam.
Click to expand...
What constitutes proof?

What is enlightenment?
Aloha.. Allen
 
Time for an update. Having been here for a while, reading the many viewpoints, my thoughts have started to coalesce into a cosmology of sorts. So if I were to rewrite my introduction today, this is how it would look.

Proving yet again that wisdom can be found in the strangest places, here are some lyrics that I have always loved.

What am I? Some kind of barnacles on the dinghy of life?

I ain't no doctors but I knows when I'm losin' me patiensk.

What am I? Some kind of judge, or a lawyers?

Aw, maybe not; but I knows what laws suits me.

So what am I? I ain't no physciscisk, but I knows what matters.*


What am I?

There is the Physical Me.
There is the Emotional Me.
There is the Intellectual Me.
There is the Energetic Me. (My version of what most Theists would call a soul).

These parts can be identified separately, but they themselves are not separate; rather they are all combined into a unity that makes the whole me.

Religiously the following type of Deism is the closest parallel to my belief structure.

Post-Modern Deism - An impersonal God exists, that is basically just a force. God does not possess conscious intelligence or will. Do not believe in an afterlife.

My personal take on the above definition - there is no God, though there may (or may not) be a cosmic consciousness that permeates everything everywhere. If such a consciousness does exist I perceive it as a communal mind of which we are all a part.

This communal mind makes up the sum total of this plane of existence and includes all matter/energy in the universe, as well as all the dark matter and dark energy. If there is an afterlife, it is not on some mythical plane of existence beyond this one. Rather it is here amongst everything else. Dark energy, that thing which we can in no way interact with, is an interesting speculation for where the afterlife resides.

The afterlife, if it did exist, would be the individual self returning to the communal whole while retaining our earthly identity. If there is no afterlife, same answer, only what was our consciousness is re-absorbed into the communal whole. We do not retain our identity.

In either case death is a change, not a destruction. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

These are the basics of my understanding of what we call reality. Subject to revision at a moment’s notice. Little forewarning to be expected.

Any speculation about all of this would be appreciated!

___________________________________________________________
* Robin Williams as Popeye the Sailor.
 
I like your assessment GK,

we do differ on the personal God aspect, but other than that, I find your logic quite sound.
 
Popeye wasn’t the first to say: "I yam what I yam.”According to Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses at the burning bush, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Popeye, as portrayed by Robin Williams, might have had some interesting contributions to make to this forum. J
 
Interesting comparing Popeye with God, as in the movie Popeye tries to walk on water but can only get a step or two before he goes under. Deep theological stuff that movie!
 
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