Does God exist ???

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Better tell them about Spinoza's God.

Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher .
Glancing through JASG's post,I dont practice eastern religion so as far as I'm concerned, all of those eastern names/words are all gobbledegook to me!

Originally Posted by hazada guess

lol.

...Heehee.....( Sorry... Can't help myself at times.... But I think even God have to chuckle with us....!!).... (After all... He's the reason for the thread !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....).......

Originally Posted by Heightend-Awareness

At the end of the day when all the dust settles, it comes down to one thing. Whatever the individual believes in and resonates with is their version of the truth. Only upon death of the physical body do we realise it and confirmation of it all. But at this stage, we would not care for we are now in a state of light and love.

....Very true grasshopper.... You are very much your mother's son .......

[Altair]

Originally Posted by hazada guess

Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher .
Glancing through JASG's post,I dont practice eastern religion so as far as I'm concerned, all of those eastern names/words are all gobbledegook to me!

I think Spinoza may have been a materialist, though I'm not sure..

I agree on your second point. It's also a choice to interpret spirituality and so called ''mystical experiences'' along Eastern lines. Go back a few centuries, perhaps even half a century, and everyone (at least here) would interpret their spirituality completely along Christian lines, so no mentioning of those concepts and words that JAGS uses, and by extent, one would come to rather different conclusions.

Originally Posted by Altair

I think Spinoza may have been a materialist, though I'm not sure..

I agree on your second point. It's also a choice to interpret spirituality and so called ''mystical experiences'' along Eastern lines. Go back a few centuries, perhaps even half a century, and everyone (at least here) would interpret their spirituality completely along Christian lines, so no mentioning of those concepts and words that JAGS uses, and by extent, one would come to rather different conclusions.

I'd equate what Spinoza labeled "Substance" to the Unified Field, and from my perspective I'd equate the Unified Field to Consciousness. Physics is big on unification and it's my opinion there's no inherent conflict between science and religion/spirituality except conflict we fabricate in our minds and from both sides of the coin.

Of course tradition is a product of its time and culture. That being said they are all ancient, developed long before we were so preoccupied with dissecting the external world when much more attention was turned inward, and at the depth of that direction is that which lies beyond body and mind, beyond the slings and arrows of the material world.

By definition secularism is inextricably tied to materiality and all its incumbent baggage. Transcendence, which is the ultimate purpose of all traditions, is liberation from all the baggage of materiality while still immersed.

I came to where I am via a long and winding road. Catholicism, agnosticism, philosophy, physics, neurology/psychology, consciousness studies, Buudhist meditation and finally Advaita philosophy and practices. The difference in "me" before and after the last stage of the journey is as stark as stark can be and I couldn't go back even if I wanted, just like a butterfly cannot revert to a caterpillar.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by hazada guess

Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher .
Glancing through JASG's post, I don't practice eastern religion so as far
as I'm concerned, all of those eastern names/words are all gobbledegook to me!

Dutch philosopher explained nothing - and JASG - that was gobblelty gook to me, also.
Sorry, my friend, ya gotta know your audience.

Here:
Spinoza was kicked out of major religious assemblies in the 1600s.
Main points:

He was an atheist. Rejected by Jews.
"God" was a substance to him; no 'Father in Heaven' attributes.
Nature in action - changing, growing,
Infinite and eternal
The entire Universe made of this one Substance
We are part of an infinite organism.

A quote describing him, "Spinoza expressly denies personality and consciousness to God; he has neither intelligence,
feeling, nor will;
he does not act according to purpose, but everything follows necessarily from his nature, according to law.."

And, yes, his ideas were similar to the Vedantic beliefs...but, so what, for many not interested in Eastern thought; just too foreign.
His stance on Jews/Hebrews being chosen? :
Jews were not superior in wisdom or morality, nor closer to 'God' - they were 'chosen' cuz
of their 'social organization and political good fortune'.

The divine law does not demand any particular rites or ceremonies such as sacrifices
or dietary restrictions or festival observances.
..................
Boy, was he a 'rebel'! In the 17thc!!!
It is said Einstein believed in Spinoza's 'God' --a substance within all.

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Dutch philosopher explained nothing - and JASG - that was gobblelty gook to me, also.
Sorry, my friend, ya gotta know your audience.

Here:
Spinoza was kicked out of major religious assemblies in the 1600s.
Main points:

He was an atheist. Rejected by Jews.
"God" was a substance to him; no 'Father in Heaven' attributes.
Nature in action - changing, growing,
Infinite and eternal
The entire Universe made of this one Substance
We are part of an infinite organism.

A quote describing him, "Spinoza expressly denies personality and consciousness to God; he has neither intelligence,
feeling, nor will;
he does not act according to purpose, but everything follows necessarily from his nature, according to law.."

And, yes, his ideas were similar to the Vedantic beliefs...but, so what, for many not interested in Eastern thought; just too foreign.
His stance on Jews/Hebrews being chosen? :
Jews were not superior in wisdom or morality, nor closer to 'God' - they were 'chosen' cuz
of their 'social organization and political good fortune'.

The divine law does not demand any particular rites or ceremonies such as sacrifices
or dietary restrictions or festival observances.
..................
Boy, was he a 'rebel'! In the 17thc!!!
It is said Einstein believed in Spinoza's 'God' --a substance within all.

This poor little mind-body is only human so be gentle. Maybe only a couple of lashes with a wet noodle and not 50? LOL!

Yes, that is the rumor I heard. Mods have an endless supply of wet noodles to flog us miscreants.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

This poor little mind-body is only human so be gentle. Maybe only a couple of lashes with a wet noodle and not 50? LOL!
Yes, that is the rumor I heard. Mods have an endless supply of wet noodles to flog us miscreants.

I WAS gentle -because I know you're a delicate flower. (I called you 'my friend'!)

Hey, I didn't know this:
Pantheism, the belief that reality is identical with divinity, or that all-things compose an all-encompassing 'God'.
Pantheism was popularized in Western culture as a theology
and philosophy based on the work of Spinoza in the 17th c!

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

It is said Einstein believed in Spinoza's 'God' --a substance within all.

Einstein was a realist. He saw no reason to believe in the afterlife, giving a bit more credence to Spinoza's view being materialism, as he referred to him (though I would have to read Spinoza's work for myself to be sure).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religi...ert_Einste in

[psychoslice]

I personally cannot believe in the existence of a god, and this is why I am probably so happy in my life right now, the chains have been removed.