Li says:

#27, 28: Literalism is the plague of both the fundamentalist and the atheist. The fundie sees the words on the page, but doesn’t try to understand them in context, and so fails use the most important truths therein. The atheist chooses to cherry pick contradiction and so discards everything. But all of the holy texts are filtered through the dark glass of human memory and translation. People attribute events that arise from the natural progression of nature to God, because they do not understand, and miss the subtle hand at work. Thus, the place where I am sure we both agree; “the truth will set you free.” If we understand this world, we free ourselves of suffering and may, in time, come to understand our place in the universe. Science is a valid and successful path to understanding, but there are numerous examples of scientific dogma delaying the pursuit of truth (the phage group in genetic research comes to mind). However, I have confidence from my own meditations and experience that there exists a higher order to this universe, and that we are very small and stupid if compared to this. I speak generally of God, because if some powerful being does something on my behalf, how can I thank it? How might I even know? The subtle hand is the most powerful, and it is better to thank general goodness than try to limit God to ones own silly categorization. It is another example of hubris to put God in a box of your own design.

As for powerful beings, demigods as you put them (I prefer the Vedic Devas, but it’s all semantics) I can easily think of a large group of reports of powerful beings with great mobility popping up daily throughout this world, backed up with millions upon millions of witnesses, not to mention photos, videos and other evidence. However, it seems that semantics has once again blinded us to what is obvious, and our lack of faith in the experience of our fellow man has stymied the pursuit of truth. We all cannot find the truth that will set us free until we each free ourselves of our own individual blindness’ and dogmas, and that is in the end an individual struggle.

Li says:

So, you don’t think there is anything greater than yourself? Do you actually think it is dignity to see yourself on this tiny rock in the endless vastness of space and be unable to imagine anything more ascendant that you? I suppose you might think that of yourself, and you might think the universe revolves around you as once the Catholics thought, in their pride. But if we’re the best this universe has to offer, I’m not impressed.

John S says:

“But if we’re the best this universe has to offer, I’m not impressed.”. That is interesting in that you started by asking the question “So, you don’t think there is anything greater than yourself?”. In other words you must believe that nothing is greater than yourself as you are passing a judgement on not just human life, but life in general. As far as I am concerned life is pretty impressive to me. I also believe that neither your opinion or mine matters as much as you like to believe. The world existed before we were born and will continue to exist long after we are gone. The question about whether we think anything is greater than ourself is a bs question thrown out by religious people. They expect a yes or no answer. What they never ask is what “greater” means. Greater how? They infer a superior human to other life forms. It is they who believe humans to be superior to all life on earth and it is they who should answer the question asked.

John S