Saturday, January 23, 2010

Accepting the Absurd

cosmos

       Who knows the mind of God?
We often see religious individuals acting based on what they consider the word of God. This ‘word’ is interpreted very differently based on the group one is associated with.  Acting based on what one considers the word of God is a very powerful role to take on and it allows for tremendous good as well as harm. I believe that the virtues of love, compassion, and charity are found at the core of most religions but I do not see how these virtues are ordered from a transcendent entity and therefore divinely true. I take them as worldly truths but see no need to attribute them to godly truths unless used metaphorically. 
      
        I believe the topic of the divine is too subjective and transcendental to know which ideals are God given. Humanism does very well in advocating for moral action without God. Faith is an inner guidance that can lead to good in the world, as well as great harm. The difference between the two are the reference groups of religious socialization. I am an advocate for keeping the good religion and ditching the bad. Justification for what is the 'good' or 'bad' cannot be transcendent since it it non-falsifiable. My justification for what is 'good' is purely the down to earth nature of what promotes human suffering and what relieves it.  
       
        I view the existence of God as unknowable as well as the meaning of life. Human action should not be based on divine meaning since such meaning can not be acquired. I turn the the philosophy of Absurdism which states we can not know an ultimate meaning, therefore we should stop believing we can find one and start living our lives based on personal meanings.

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”  Albert Camus 

      Even if unknowable, personally find meaning in the spiritual search and therefore I have the motivation to contemplate and write about it. I believe there are great benefits in spiritual and contemplative practices, but one must always beware not to become the donkey chasing the carrot. Accept that the carrot is unreachable and focus on the here and now.

For more commentary on Absurdism visit: PhiloPsychoFreedom

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1 comment:

  1. some of the most controversial topics, but at the same time it is so interesting, I really like the words of Albert Camus , I think that it is one of the best way to live the life!

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