Death is an illusion

[Aupmanyav]

When theology is based on logic and reason - how does it account for the differences amongst religions?

Where is the difference between Abrahamic religions other than the name of the person who propounded it? Otherwise, they have the rules which were always there in every society (Ten Commandments 5-10).
Of course, Hinduism is different. That is where you have differences, from worshiping many Gods and Goddesses to worshiping none.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Observation of what??
..not people, as far as you're concerned .. because you discard what they have to say (about the Divine).
..so your only concern is with this material world, despite the fact that more than half believe
that the material world is not the sum total of all that is.

why would you expect material evidence of the non-material?

Of people too. We have a full-fledged sciences for that, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology.
Give us the evidence that there is anything other than the material world.
I don't use these words, because what is material can also be immaterial too (E=mc^2).

 

[muhammad_isa]

Of people too. We have a full-fledged sciences for that, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology.

Very good..
I think cases of "denial" come under psychology.

"give us the evidence" suggests to me that atheists want to deflect the topic away from study
of Divinity, to "show me God and then I'll listen to you".

Of course, they know that is not going to happen, so they can continue to feel "clever", and ignore
the overwhelming evidence of the existence of God (reams of historical material).

 

[Aupmanyav]

Very good..
I think cases of "denial" come under psychology.

"give us the evidence" suggests to me that atheists want to deflect the topic away from study
of Divinity, to "show me God and then I'll listen to you".

Of course, they know that is not going to happen, so they can continue to feel "clever", and ignore
the overwhelming evidence of the existence of God (reams of historical material).

Yeah, a bit from that. Because of the training I got, I question before I believe.
Is that not a valid statement? Why should I listen to a rant about God and waste my time unless you can show some evidence?
No cleverness. It is a straight answer. If it is not going to happen, then I remain an atheist. I do not believe in life-after.
Overwhelming evidence for God of Gaps or messengers! You must be joking.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Why should I listen to a rant about God and waste my time..

I think it more a case of you choosing to "waste your time" doing what you wish.

 

[otherbrother]

Where is the difference between Abrahamic religions other than the name of the person who propounded it? Otherwise, they have the rules which were always there in every society (Ten Commandments 5-10).
Of course, Hinduism is different. That is where you have differences, from worshiping many Gods and Goddesses to worshiping none.

I think that (about Hinduism) is true because it thinks like energy (that is, in terms of energy flows and fields, both of which are far more overlapping and interconnected than logic based on matter than tends to inhabit stand alone objects that have what Whitehead called “simple location.” The one body in Christ concept moves into thinking like energy territory, but then gets interfered with by all kinds of thinking like matter or what quantum theorists call “classical objects.” Sutra spiritual approach seems to be based on thinking like matter. Tantric approaches rely on thinking like energy. And Dogzhen approach seems to bypass both. Perhaps all have their place, since we experience overall Reality in all three ways (as material objects, as overlapping energy, and as something more mind-like or at least as neither of those two).

 

[Aupmanyav]

I do not indulge in 'religion hunting'. I have studied all (fairly extensively). I stick with my view of Advaita (non-dual) Hinduism.

 

[otherbrother]

I think that (about Hinduism) is true because it thinks like energy (that is, in terms of energy flows and fields, both of which are far more overlapping and interconnected than logic based on matter than tends to inhabit stand alone objects that have what Whitehead called “simple location.” The one body in Christ concept moves into thinking like energy territory, but then gets interfered with by all kinds of thinking like matter or what quantum theorists call “classical objects.” Sutra spiritual approach seems to be based on thinking like matter. Tantric approaches rely on thinking like energy. And Dogzhen approach seems to bypass both. Perhaps all have their place, since we experience overall Reality in all three ways (as material objects, as overlapping energy, and as something more mind-like or at least as neither of those two).

The many Gods branch of Hinduism is probably also caused by thinking in terms of discrete physical objects (what I call “thinking like matter”). Different functions related to different modes of energy or different “frequencies” are identified as separate Gods instead of understanding that they represent functions like different chakras. Yoga philosophy certainly “thinks like energy.”

 

[Aupmanyav]

The many Gods branch of Hinduism is ..

Acceptance of multiplicity of Indian beliefs and rejection of none..