Nature of Belief

[Akashic_Librarian]

What I really love about these forums is how diverse everyones beliefs are. I mean everyday there is some new argument and conversation that just keeps my mind fresh everyday. I have learnt a lot from all of this and hope you all have too.

This post is about something I have noticed regarding beliefs. Like I say there is a wide variety of beliefs in here and they range from normal, to scary, to totally insane. I personally imagine that most people think I fit into the insane catagory, but obviously its a subjective scale.

What I have noticed is people are tolerant of beliefs up to those that are as weird as theirs. Then they think everything beyond is totally crazy. Now I understand a lot of people already know this and this may seem like a waste of time but please keep reading

Recently I made a post and several people good naturedly slanted on me saying that "this Oath Character" said I was unque. I know its a little strange at first. But I realise I also made a mistake in the way I said it. I didn't mean to imply I had developed a God complex, nor that i was better than anyone. I just meant what i said. I was unqiue.

Now the reason I think you all went for me, was because I said something that was uncomfortable to you. You where maybe annoyed I thought I was better. Maybe you just saw someone who knew what they wanted and went for it. Maybe you are insecure about God Power. I don't know.

So we have the problem, but how do you fix it? Well I say don't be so quick to judge anyone who has weird beliefs. I hold my hands up about this, I have done it before, but listen to me on this, if you find yourself about to rip into someone, just stop and think, ask them about it, how did they come to that conclusion, where they learnt it, hell you might even learn something.

/ Rant Over

[JHL]

Personally, I enjoy your 'rants' Akashic. You speak with a refreshing openness and honesty that I really appreciate.

The only real concern I had about the post you refer to was regarding "that Oath character". HE sounded weird to me and I had visions of him inviting you over to his place to 'discuss things in more detail', if ya know what I mean.

So on that point I was wary, but as for the rest of it I think you have great confidence and self-esteem. Carry right on, I say!

Generally when people bicker about posts, its rarely got to do with the actual content and more to do with what it mirrors for them (pscyhological projection). Very few people are actually aware of this, however and argue away with abandon! I sometimes do this too. Then again, I'm only Martian, after all.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Glad a fellow Martian appreciates me around this place

[Takuin Minamoto]

So we have the problem, but how do you fix it? Well I say don't be so quick to judge anyone who has weird beliefs.

That is very true, isn't it? How can we judge any other belief to be weird? It doesn't make any sense to me. The nature of belief makes all beliefs the same. How can one be more strange than another?

What I have noticed is people are tolerant of beliefs up to those that are as weird as theirs. Then they think everything beyond is totally crazy.

People notice that discomfort only when they are challenged. When it is all smoothe sailing, why would they have that tension?

Like I say there is a wide variety of beliefs in here and they range from normal, to scary, to totally insane. I personally imagine that most people think I fit into the insane catagory, but obviously its a subjective scale.

That is insane, isn't it? They use their belief as the standard to judge another person's belief, when they are exactly the same.

I used to do similar kinds of things when I was younger. I would say that a certain religion was false or wrong or whatever. But I didn't realize that my resistance kept me attached to the thing I didn't believe in. If I really didn't believe it, why would I put any energy in that direction? If it is dropped, it is dropped. If I say I am an athiest, I am still attached to God. Isn’t that obvious? If religion has no meaning to me, it is gone. There is no reason to talk about it or join a group of people that talk about how wrong it is. That is madness.

[Simmiah]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

What I have noticed is people are tolerant of beliefs up to those that are as weird as theirs. Then they think everything beyond is totally crazy. Now I understand a lot of people already know this and this may seem like a waste of time but please keep reading

Recently I made a post and several people good naturedly slanted on me saying that "this Oath Character" said I was unque. I know its a little strange at first. But I realise I also made a mistake in the way I said it. I didn't mean to imply I had developed a God complex, nor that i was better than anyone. I just meant what i said. I was unqiue.

Now the reason I think you all went for me, was because I said something that was uncomfortable to you. You where maybe annoyed I thought I was better. Maybe you just saw someone who knew what they wanted and went for it. Maybe you are insecure about God Power. I don't know.

So we have the problem, but how do you fix it? Well I say don't be so quick to judge anyone who has weird beliefs. I hold my hands up about this, I have done it before, but listen to me on this, if you find yourself about to rip into someone, just stop and think, ask them about it, how did they come to that conclusion, where they learnt it, hell you might even learn something.

/ Rant Over

I ignored this posting because I saw it as an attack on a lot of people on this forums who are kind & just wanted to point out something.

When I was 16... I did some really stupid things. I went out with people who really took advantage of my lack of awareness about the world. I was a unique person like you & I believe you are... heh.

But.. you attack those by saying they attacked your beliefs. We did not. If you do not have a God complex then that's good & well, I can see where wording could've made a difference. However, to attack back..isn't of God.. it is of pride.

So.. I wonder.. what was the point of this? To point out & make us feel bad? Okay. You did it. You got your "win".

I hope you can understand where we were concerned. I'm only 26 & I can still see I have loads to learn of this world but I can say.. if my intuition is telling me someone is dangerous.. I listen now. I didn't listen before & well, I got burned by more things than you could shake a stick at! & well, being burned means you have to take time to heal & let the scar fade. We just wanted to save you some of this pain. But sometimes pain is okay. I just hope we were wrong about Oath. If I'm wrong, that's fine. I can be wrong. It was just our opinions. Respecting opinions means to well. let it be.. & by this posting.. I could see you didn't let it be. I'm sorry you took such offense but why post this? That is the question I ask. What is your real intention not just what you think it is.....?

<--note my opinion! Heh.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

This post is about something I have noticed regarding beliefs. Like I say there is a wide variety of beliefs in here and they range from normal, to scary, to totally insane. I personally imagine that most people think I fit into the insane catagory, but obviously its a subjective scale.

You're insane, man! I mean that in the cool way.

I often think any belief will limit one's experience. So I usually will react to anyone that has a strongly held belief that they can't relax about. Which is my projection of thinking any belief is a hinderance. I'm sure I belive something but mostly I think I want to belive something and don't quite, since I carry the idea that a belief gets in my way. Every once and a while I'll feel that something makes sense to belive but it's a personal gut feeling thing when that happens and I'm not about to defend it as truth. Some ideas can be beliefs that really are just more of labeling things and as such are "true" just because they have been defined. Like pure subjective reality, one can only be aware of what they have in their wareness - that becomes true because of it's definition, which is just more labeling or marking things, drawing boudaries.

I didn't mean to imply I had developed a God complex, nor that i was better than anyone. I just meant what i said. I was unqiue.

I remember that thread. I thought, right on! Everyone should get to feel so unique and proud and godlike (each one of us are the universe/god anyway, so it's said often).

So we have the problem, but how do you fix it? Well I say don't be so quick to judge anyone who has weird beliefs. I hold my hands up about this, I have done it before, but listen to me on this, if you find yourself about to rip into someone, just stop and think, ask them about it, how did they come to that conclusion, where they learnt it, hell you might even learn something.

/ Rant Over

Yeah, seek to understand first by listening and reflecting to someone and their "weird beliefs" might not stand up even for themselves. It's tricky to listen to someone trying to explain what they belive because the listening or questioning may provoke defensiveness.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Thanks Wolfgang