Sam Harris

I am new to this board.
I'm about half way throught Sam's book and I really appreciate what Sam has done. I am both surprized that more people aren't making the points that Sam has made and that he had the courage to say them. I have always thought that organized religion was rediculous and I have felt persecuted by friends and family for thinking that. It is nice to find this oasis of rational thought.

I think the biggest misconception that religous people have is that if we don't go to church we aren't spirtual. I believe the opposite is true. If we truely are inspired to understand our spirtual nature we need to ditch the hocus pocus and embrace the true magic of the universe. The magic that science examines with open eyes. I feel more in touch with "God" allone in the woods than I ever could in a church having some infantile fool preaching his version of an ancient myth.

I like what Joe Cambell said about most religous people. They are sitting on the whale fishing for minnows.

Welcome to the oasis ...

I think the biggest misconception that religous people have is that if we don’t go to church we aren’t spirtual. I believe the opposite is true. If we truely are inspired to understand our spirtual nature we need to ditch the hocus pocus and embrace the true magic of the universe.

I share your outlook that religion actually discourages rather than encourages spiritual growth.  Religion is such a handicap.  There is so much more freedom to explore and question when we’re not tied to one philosophy or another.

I look forward to your contributions.

Susan

Thanks for the welcome Rasmussen. It is nice to meet a kindred spirit. I have found Sam’s message very liberating. I’m old enough now that I don’t care what other people think so I have become more open about my “lack of faith”. I had a conversation yesterday with a woman who was complaining about how we don’t celibrate the true meaning of Xmas. When I told her that I thought the idea of a secular Xmas was great see went as white as a ghost. I wished her a Merry Xmas as she fled in disgust.

I was wondering why you chose your user name? I like you sig lines very thought provoking.

Hello again Shoe ...

As my username is simply my family name, I won’t be winning any awards for creativity or originality around here!

You just might though with a name like Shoe.  I was wondering if you chose your name in reference to the comic strip?  I now have you pictured as the Professor ... 

The Boorstin signature I found in a book of quotes and have learned here from another poster (Canzen) that it comes from a book entitled, “The Discoverers,” which I have put on my Christmas list.

Some of us here discussed the subject of how to be part of family celebrations when we no longer believe in the religious side of things.  I come from a rather large family where the majority still count themselves as Christians but where everyone is open to discuss our different opinions.  I have turned my focus on the family aspect of it all and getting together with my siblings and in-laws whom I rarely see otherwise as we are scattered all over eastern Canada and northeastern New York.

I grew up summers on a small lake near Lake Champlain in upstate New York and can relate to your attraction to the peace and solitude of lake regions.  Me thinks I’ll be yearning for some solitude after the crowd and commotion of the next couple of weeks has cleared ...

Susan

I was trying to make a connection with your user name and the Russia spirtualist and didn’t think someone who valued rational thought would choose a name like that. My last name is Schewe (shoe-e) so I use Shoe online. I read the Boorstien book a number of years ago and thought it was great.
I am not confrontational when I talk to people but when they bring up their beliefs I tell them how I feel. Xmas should be o.k.. We always have a nice xmas without family disputes but have to deal with my Xtian family members going on about why church is great. I won’t be starting any arguements but I won’t be saying grace either.
I have a brother in law who is an othodox catholic with some very crazy ideas. He didn’t go to my dad’s wedding last year because it wasn’t his first marriage (isn’t great how religion brings us together). He wants my sister to have a home delivery which I might think was an o.k. except she has had two children that both weighed over ten pounds (she only weigh 110). This is the kind of crap that I’m sick of dealing with.  It’s not just the big issues that Sam highlights in his book. It is the little things that I deal with every day.
I teach and I made a comment at school once that the catholic church had screwed up a number of people (that was the full extent of my comment) and from that day on there are a group of teachers that I work with that look at me like I am some kind of dangerous lunatic.
I’m not sure that we will ever change anyones mind but I have decided to stand up for my beliefs and to politely question the beliefs of others when they bring them up.