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Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/26/83; site ihuxp.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!cca!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxp!jilek
From: jilek@ihuxp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: What do YOU think?
Message-ID: <437@ihuxp.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jun-83 09:07:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxp.437
Posted: Thu Jun  9 09:07:00 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jun-83 14:33:24 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 39

I have been reading net.religion with interest over the past few weeks.
To stimulate discussion, I would like to pose a very short series of
questions to whoever is interested in replying.  The topic of interest
is how an individual may come to hold a particular religious, or
cosmological, or epistemological, (or whatever) belief.  Or perhaps,
to state it another way, what is the nature of the milieu from which
we, as individuals, must deduce our conclusions.  I do not limit
this process to the mental/logical abilities of man; all human capa-
bilities can be considered as input: emotions, intuition, dreams, etc.
are just as real as the intellect.  The question, then ...
 
     1. Does an individual have the ability to reach some true
        understanding of the ultimate 'religious' issues (i.e.
        life after death, the nature of reality beyond the
        physical world, our role or duty in life, etc.) or is
        this inherently impossible?
  
  If you feel the answer to question (1) is yes, then:

     1a. Does such an understanding depend on historical events
         or is the possibility of achieving such an understanding
         independent of the time or location that an individual
         is living in?

  If you feel the answer to question (1) is no, then:

     1b.  What does this imply regarding the existence or nature
          of religions, of a system of ethics or law, or whatever?

These questions are not meant to be devious or as bait to later ridicule
any responder's beliefs.  They are meant to encourage discussion and
thus the questions are somewhat imprecise.  Please feel free
to define the terms as suits your argument.  Please do not post replies
to me; comments should be sent to net.religion so all of us may share
your thoughts.
-- 
                                      Ed Jilek
                                      ihuxp!jilek
                                      Naperville, Il