From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Wed Apr 11 2001 - 07:57:32 MDT
>From: "Brian Phillips" <deepbluehalo@earthlink.net>
>Might you specify the working definition of Agnostic you had
>in mind? (is it all in the "AND" for you?)
> How do you define "Zennist"?
In my definition an agnostic is someone who largely holds the idea
of God to be currently unknowable. As I stated previously, I
believe that we do not know enough about the universe to say with
certainty that a God does not exist. (an error of atheists IMMHO)
Or that if there is, this God is vastly different than what is
taught by the world's religions.
For example, I have a problem with the notion that any intelligent
being would insist on being worshiped. I find it hard to conceive
of an active intelligence would allow 40,000 children a day to
starve to death on this planet.
I realize religions have pat (unacceptable) answers to these
questions.
Of course a wise person would simply take Pascal's wager (Blaise,
look it up) and say they believe. Come to think of it, I repent!!
A Zennist is a practitioner of Zen without necessarily being a
buddhist, although there are so many varieties of buddhism I
probably fit into one of them. Essentially the difficulty for me is
the death penalty. I see it as an appropriate punishment.
In buddhist cosmology the universe is intelligent without there
being a central figure.
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org
Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
"Ralph, that is not the Sufi way!" from the movie "Jewel of the
Nile"
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