Cultural Identity

[Virgil]

But you do belong to LitNetLand, where we all speak Litnetish What can be a better country?

Hehe, Lit Net as part of our identity! I love it. It's true though. I have belonged to other internet forums, even other literature and writing forums, and there is a certain identity to each. But lit net is the best! Let's kick their a$$.

[Maryd.]

Hehe, Lit Net as part of our identity! I love it. It's true though. I have belonged to other internet forums, even other literature and writing forums, and there is a certain identity to each. But lit net is the best! Let's kick their a$$.

This is true. I feel so at home here.

It is a culture all of it's own...

GOOOOO LIIIIITTTTNNNEETTT

[Maximilianus]

Yes, I've noticed that ours is a particularly homely community. I believe that the communities where we enter, be them on-line or not, have a lot to do with the shaping of our identities

[Annamariah]

I wouldn't make a home out of a church; its peoples are so pure I've been told that the day I enter a church the saints would fall from their pedestals. The peculiarity of this statement is that I've entered a cathedral a couple times and the saints are still standing My theory is that if saints don't fall when believers enter, then they have no reason to drop dead when I enter Moral: believers are so pure and naive that they can't realize that the saints they are beholding are just statues that will only fall after a major earthquake

I guess that depends on the church, and there are also differences within each church, not all parishes/congregations/whatever the word is are the same In general I find most people within my church pretty nice. Besides, we don't have any statues of the saints in our church, so I'm sure no one would say something like that to you here

I know irrational folks of all kinds. Not all of them are believers. Actually, most of them believe they know, but the truth is that they don't know what to believe

I think that while it is as impossible to prove that God does not exist as it is to prove that he does, faith doesn't make people stupid any more than atheism makes people brilliant. I know both stupid and clever people from both groups. I also find those believers who think they know everything there is to know about anything just as annoying as those atheists who do the same

[soundofmusic]

Ok, Ok, don't get me started...

I was born in Australia by Italian parents... Except one of my Italian parents has an Indian mother (Sri Lanka-Indian). Spent most of my life being raised by Irish/English adults. My father's grandfather was Spanish and I believe there is an Irish family member somewhere along the line as well. Now... I marry a Cypriot/Greek fellow, (both of us were born here in Australia) who has some family born and raised in Egypt. So at this stage we tell our children that they are Australian... But they are blessed with many different cultural backgrounds. We couldn't be racist if we tried.
Here in Australia, there are so many different cultures, it's amazing. I love to see and hear about their folklores or taste their meals. I am open to many new cultures and the world is adjusting to many different cultures as well. It's all good.

Gracious Maryd, what a fascinating background. Which culture do you feel influenced your value system most? In South Florida, we have many different cultures: at work, school or the grocery store they are indistinguishable; However, in their homes they do not stray too far from their customs. In one home I visited, a woman told me she trusted me, so I could disipline her children if the were fresh. It seemed that everyone who came to the house felt comfortable spanking or yelling at the children.
In another home, a man lived with three women. He had an American wife who worked outside of the home and argued with him about the freedom she wanted to give her children, a woman who kept house and seemed to be out of his favor; and a very young woman, from his own country with his child, who did absolutely nothing and shared his bed.
I am told that America is a "melting pot"; but it actually seems to me to be a pot that always has several pieces of different materials that refuse to melt completely or mix together.

Hehe, Lit Net as part of our identity! I love it. It's true though. I have belonged to other internet forums, even other literature and writing forums, and there is a certain identity to each. But lit net is the best! Let's kick their a$$.

Yes, Lit Net is great because there are so many people with so many interests on the forum: everyone can find his/her place!

I wouldn't make a home out of a church; its peoples are so pure I've been told that the day I enter a church the saints would fall from their pedestals. The peculiarity of this statement is that I've entered a cathedral a couple times and the saints are still standing

They started bolting the saints to the foundation of the church; but just to be on the safe side, I only go for funerals and sit in the back row

[Virgil]

I think that while it is as impossible to prove that God does not exist as it is to prove that he does, faith doesn't make people stupid any more than atheism makes people brilliant. I know both stupid and clever people from both groups. I also find those believers who think they know everything there is to know about anything just as annoying as those atheists who do the same

Hear, hear!!

[Babbalanja]

faith doesn't make people stupid any more than atheism makes people brilliant.

Agreed.

But at least doubt is the beginning of a rational process of inquiry, a fair starting point for inductive reasoning. On the other hand, faith is just certainty for free, the word we call credulity when we want to make it sound like a virtue.

Regards,

Istvan

[Virgil]

Agreed.

But at least doubt is the beginning of a rational process of inquiry, a fair starting point for inductive reasoning. On the other hand, faith is just certainty for free, the word we call credulity when we want to make it sound like a virtue.

Regards,

Istvan

Fair enough, but perhaps you fail to see that those with faith have passed through doubt and reached an understanding. I know almost no one with faith who at some point did not work through their doubt.

[Babbalanja]

Fair enough, but perhaps you fail to see that those with faith have passed through doubt and reached an understanding. I know almost no one with faith who at some point did not work through their doubt.

If people reach an actual understanding, it's through an approach to knowledge that is more than just affirming something until they don't doubt it anymore. If you study hard enough, you can understand something like physics or French. But can you really understand God, the soul, John 3:16, or any mystical-schmistical palaver in the same way?

Regards,

Istvan

[Maximilianus]

(...) Besides, we don't have any statues of the saints in our church, so I'm sure no one would say something like that to you here

What a relief!

I think that while it is as impossible to prove that God does not exist as it is to prove that he does, faith doesn't make people stupid any more than atheism makes people brilliant. I know both stupid and clever people from both groups. I also find those believers who think they know everything there is to know about anything just as annoying as those atheists who do the same

Remember when I said you have the talent to be where you are? Well, this post is proof of that statement

(...)
I am told that America is a "melting pot"; but it actually seems to me to be a pot that always has several pieces of different materials that refuse to melt completely or mix together.

Very interesting perspective, and very true. Since we are talking about identity, I think there is a chance that many people fear the prospect of losing theirs if they mix it with ingredients from the identities of others, and I feel that this may be due to not having it well-affirmed. I mean, how can anyone lose identity when it is well grabbed?

Yes, Lit Net is great because there are so many people with so many interests on the forum: everyone can find his/her place!

Yeah, I have my little corner here, and I'm not giving it away unless I get killed... or banned

They started bolting the saints to the foundation of the church; but just to be on the safe side, I only go for funerals and sit in the back row

I do almost the same, mainly because I don't know the holy canticles by heart, as the holy attendants who sit at the front rows often do Too much shame on me to be sitting among the holy ones

Agreed.

But at least doubt is the beginning of a rational process of inquiry, a fair starting point for inductive reasoning. On the other hand, faith is just certainty for free, the word we call credulity when we want to make it sound like a virtue.

Regards,

Istvan

This makes sense too

[Virgil]

If people reach an actual understanding, it's through an approach to knowledge that is more than just affirming something until they don't doubt it anymore. If you study hard enough, you can understand something like physics or French. But can you really understand God, the soul, John 3:16, or any mystical-schmistical palaver in the same way?

Regards,

Istvan

So what are you saying, that the only possible reasonable outcome is to choose atheism? No there is no way to fully understand God. But there is no way to fully understand physics either. One could have said after Newton that reason had determined the end of physics, but how wrong that was. Anyone that thinks we've come to the end of scientific knowledge is dead wrong and really just relying on as much faith as a believer in God. Your statement about studying hard enough and you'll understand physics is a fallacy.

[Maximilianus]

If people reach an actual understanding, it's through an approach to knowledge that is more than just affirming something until they don't doubt it anymore. If you study hard enough, you can understand something like physics or French. But can you really understand God, the soul, John 3:16, or any mystical-schmistical palaver in the same way?

Regards,

Istvan

So you say that sciences and arts are far more understandable because they are tangible, and therefore you can see the results of such understanding? If this is what you meant, I seem to understand your point. It's quite what I feel.

So what are you saying, that the only possible reasonable outcome is to choose atheism? No there is no way to fully understand God. But there is no way to fully understand physics either. One could have said after Newton that reason had determined the end of physics, but how wrong that was. Anyone that thinks we've come to the end of scientific knowledge is dead wrong and really just relying on as much faith as a believer in God. Your statement about studying hard enough and you'll understand physics is a fallacy.

I appreciate this view of yours too, Virgil. I also believe that the ultimate knowledge is nowhere near to be reached, in any given field.

[Babbalanja]

So what are you saying, that the only possible reasonable outcome is to choose atheism? No there is no way to fully understand God. But there is no way to fully understand physics either. One could have said after Newton that reason had determined the end of physics, but how wrong that was. Anyone that thinks we've come to the end of scientific knowledge is dead wrong and really just relying on as much faith as a believer in God.

{edit}

I never said any of those things.

All I was saying is that there's an approach to knowledge that allows us to say we understand something to a greater or lesser degree because we're actually expanding our knowledge about the subject. And on the other hand there's faith, which allows us to say we understand something when all we're doing is coming to terms with its essential absurdity.

Your statement about studying hard enough and you'll understand physics is a fallacy.

No, it's not. Students understand physics to some extent, physicists to a somewhat greater extent, and geniuses like Einstein and Hawking to a much greater extent. Part of this understanding is realizing how much there is left to discover, and systematizing a plan of inquiry. But all faith does is assume certainty, and do away with doubt. There's no ongoing plan of inquiry, just reinforcement of what we already believe.

Regards,

Istvan

[Virgil]

{edit}
But all faith does is assume certainty, and do away with doubt. There's no ongoing plan of inquiry, just reinforcement of what we already believe.

Those are false statements. You obviously don't understand faith and religion.

[TurquoiseSunset]

Those are false statements. You obviously don't understand faith and religion.

Amen Virgil, amen.