Miracles

[Didymos Thomas]

But I do not see health or sanity in dedicating negative virtue to purposed customs. Rather such influences should be the course of nature. Let experience happen rather than try to make such happen.

What's the trouble? If practice X cultivates compassion towards other human beings, practice X seems rather positive.

What I find particularly interesting is that it appears as our knowledge of the physical world increases, so does the frequency with which the claims of miracles decrease.

Do they decrease? Or do we just use different language?

For example, people claim to be abducted by aliens. This is not a traditional miracle, but it is the same sort of event. Some strange occurrence far beyond ordinary experience, and more than likely, horribly misunderstood by the person having the experience.

I would take acception to the spiritual life as knowledge of the supernatural.

Absolutely. If some event is supernatural we, human kind, could not experience the event.

To entertain the idea of miracles is just one effort to close the door on wonder.

Not for a child. We allow children to entertain miraculous ideas in order to secure their sense of wonder.

But I do agree with your sentiment. Often, people use miracles, God, ect to explain away events they do not understand, which eliminates the wonderful scientific curiosity that should follow from the unexplained event.

Miracles can be applied on two different levels.
If we apply them literally, we have made an obvious mistake. Jesus, a human being, cannot walk on water. To believe that a human being literally walked on water is silly.
We can also apply miracles figuratively. Jesus didn't walk on water any more than Dante walked through Hell, but both accounts convey meaning in a valid way.

[boagie]

"What's the trouble? If practice X cultivates compassion towards other human beings, practice X seems rather positive. "

In itself the way in which compassion is presented it is delusional, and attributes our compassion to the intervention of a superior being. It sets up a system of falsehoods, in which if you accept one absurdity it necessiates the acceptence of the following absurdities, which will be grandiose.



Do they decrease? Or do we just use different language?

For example, people claim to be abducted by aliens. This is not a traditional miracle, but it is the same sort of event. Some strange occurrence far beyond ordinary experience, and more than likely, horribly misunderstood by the person having the experience.

I have to agree with you hear Thomas, my experience tells me that many people dispite an education, still believe in ghosts and goblins.



Not for a child. We allow children to entertain miraculous ideas in order to secure their sense of wonder.

This is a curious thing, this delight adults take in creating fantasies for children, instead of adapting them to the reality of their context. I often thought the creation of Santa Claus was a primer to the Christian god. Carried to far, which is often done, it is a pathology.



Miracles can be applied on two different levels.
If we apply them literally, we have made an obvious mistake. Jesus, a human being, cannot walk on water. To believe that a human being literally walked on water is silly.
We can also apply miracles figuratively. Jesus didn't walk on water any more than Dante walked through Hell, but both accounts convey meaning in a valid way.[/quote]

What is the meaning of Jesus walking on water that is not entirely pretentious?

[Didymos Thomas]

In itself the way in which compassion is presented it is delusional, and attributes our compassion to the intervention of a superior being. It sets up a system of falsehoods, in which if you accept one absurdity it necessiates the acceptence of the following absurdities, which will be grandiose.

Ritual fasting does not depend on the intervention of a superior being.

There is no system to going without food for a time; the sensation of hunger is not false, nor absurd.

To imagine yourself truly understanding hunger without having experienced hunger would be delusional. Fasting provides that experience.

This is a curious thing, this delight adults take in creating fantasies for children, instead of adapting them to the reality of their context. I often thought the creation of Santa Claus was a primer to the Christian god. Carried to far, which is often done, it is a pathology.

Children do not invent their own fantasies? You are a father, so I imagine you have watched children play at some point. A stick becomes a sword, ect.

Santa Claus is Odin, by the way. The Norse God.

What is the meaning of Jesus walking on water that is not entirely pretentious?

Walking on water shows up in many mythological traditions. Horus walked on water.