My self-directed anti-racism training brought me first to studying racism itself (a system, distinct from individual prejudices), to Indigenous studies, to worldviews, and then to religion.
I was raised nominally Christian (Protestant) and struggled to come to terms with what I perceived to be huge flaws in it, and other religious and spiritual belief systems I took fairly deep dives into from an early age (I started questioning much of what I had been socialized into around the age of ten) which eventually resulted in my formally converting to Buddhism in my 50's. I continue to struggle with it, too, actually, or certains aspects of it, at least, but at least it tells us not to blindly accept anything we are told regardless of authority or convention. That has been my default setting -- to question everything, including the nature of reality itself, or perhaps more accurately beginning with that, and extending it outwards. Maybe I took too many psychedelic drugs in the process, or maybe just enough? I probably should edit out the last sentence, but then I may end up deleting much or all of my entire comment. (Which may not be a bad thing.)
I envy your logic. My mind works basically in a way I think of as more organic, or intuitive, or impulsive, perhaps. I keep it on a very long leash. A sense of humour helps. I don't know if I am autistic, but apparently I am bright, and my mind does not seem to be wired like that (those?) of most folks I have brushed up against over the past 70 years. I think I basically am grateful for that, God or no god.
Thanks for engaging. I like long comments, so thanks for not deleting parts.
I haven't yet settled on a named spirituality. My in-laws are Hindu, so I have had 30 years now of experience of that philosophy. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, and a critique of some of its practices, but I’ve noticed many similarities.
What I also find interesting is how many of us who question everything are spiritual. In my youth I was led to believe that you either believed in the Christian God or you believed in "science" which was presented as objective truth.
I now understand that while the scientific method can be used by anyone, it involves humans and thus a given body of knowledge is still subjective (Western science isn't neutral). The same with spirituality, as there is so much that the wide variety within humanity has come up with, and the belief in the God of Abraham and all the related and constantly warring denominations is only one path among many.
I was raised nominally Christian (Protestant) and struggled to come to terms with what I perceived to be huge flaws in it, and other religious and spiritual belief systems I took fairly deep dives into from an early age (I started questioning much of what I had been socialized into around the age of ten) which eventually resulted in my formally converting to Buddhism in my 50's. I continue to struggle with it, too, actually, or certains aspects of it, at least, but at least it tells us not to blindly accept anything we are told regardless of authority or convention. That has been my default setting -- to question everything, including the nature of reality itself, or perhaps more accurately beginning with that, and extending it outwards. Maybe I took too many psychedelic drugs in the process, or maybe just enough? I probably should edit out the last sentence, but then I may end up deleting much or all of my entire comment. (Which may not be a bad thing.)
I envy your logic. My mind works basically in a way I think of as more organic, or intuitive, or impulsive, perhaps. I keep it on a very long leash. A sense of humour helps. I don't know if I am autistic, but apparently I am bright, and my mind does not seem to be wired like that (those?) of most folks I have brushed up against over the past 70 years. I think I basically am grateful for that, God or no god.
Thanks for engaging. I like long comments, so thanks for not deleting parts.
I haven't yet settled on a named spirituality. My in-laws are Hindu, so I have had 30 years now of experience of that philosophy. Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, and a critique of some of its practices, but I’ve noticed many similarities.
What I also find interesting is how many of us who question everything are spiritual. In my youth I was led to believe that you either believed in the Christian God or you believed in "science" which was presented as objective truth.
I now understand that while the scientific method can be used by anyone, it involves humans and thus a given body of knowledge is still subjective (Western science isn't neutral). The same with spirituality, as there is so much that the wide variety within humanity has come up with, and the belief in the God of Abraham and all the related and constantly warring denominations is only one path among many.