[MD] Confirming the existence of God?

[Joseph Maurer]

On 1/18/10 9:33 PM, "Mary" <marysonthego at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Ant,
 
[quote]
My apologies if this question has already been asked recently but rather
than confirming the existence of God, how do you know this "feeling" doesn't
instead indicate that you've gone insane, been affected by drugs (legal or
otherwise), been hypnotized through social conditioning, suffered a stroke,
been subject to carbon monoxide poisoning or even some combination of these?
-----
 
Thank you so much!  In my reply to Mark I stuck to a patient rebuttal
explaining the difference between having faith in something you can confirm
if you chose to take the time to do so vs. having faith in something that
can never be confirmed, but I was soooo wanting to jump all over this.
 
I have a problem with telling me you believe something because you "feel" it
when I don't also "feel" it. What are we to make of that? If I had a
direct connection to God I'm sure I would have faith too.  Seems kind of
unfair, though, that only some of us can "feel" it. :(
  
Mary
 
- The most important thing you will ever make is a realization.
 
Hi Ant and Mary,

Imho It is difficult to describe the raison-d¹etre for morality.  A
hierarchy for morality is hard to identify.  Pirsig suggests levels in
evolution become a basis for moral judgments.  How many levels?  He suggests
DQ/SQ is the formula for identifying levels, inorganic, organic, social,
intellectual.

I suggest using the musical octave as a template for Evolution‹Levels in
existence is the arbiter of right action.  The DQ in levels in existence:
Gravity, Instinct (2), Consciousness (4):

       DQ/                          SQ

DO Gravity:              Inorganic

RE Instinct:             Organic (one cell reproduction)

MI Instinct:              Organic (multi-cell reproduction)

  Interval: Can¹t Cross: Evolution would stop without cosmic intervention.

FA Consciousness:  

*Emotion (feeling) is an orphan in DQ only, no definition possible.   SO
undefined is boundless in self-consciousness.  Emotions lays the groundwork
for the definition of SO at the intellectual level.  Undefined consciousness
is DQ at the emotional level.  Why do I feel like I do?  Only at the
intellectual level can Emotion be defined.   Emotion seems to be a natural
movement from an instinctive basis for activity to a self-conscious basis
for activity.  The feeling level in decision-making in an individual is too
complex to be explained by evolution in instinct.

SOL Consciousness: 

Intellect DQ/SQ.  The level of evolution remains undefined in the movement
from the undefined emotions of an individual to a higher defined level,
intellect.  

LA Consciousness:  

Higher Emotion (Consciousness only)   Endless possibilities and only heroes
seem to have the discipline to become conscious in higher emotion. E.G.,
Pirsig! 

TI Consciousness:  

Higher Intellect (Consciousness only) Buddha, Christ, Etc.

Interval: Can¹t Cross, Evolution ends.  Humans have evolved no further.

IMHO it is easier to describe *emotion (feeling) as the first manifestation
of evolution in dq/consciousness rather than the evolution to a Social
order.   Order demands a structure from the intellectual order.

Joe

> Hi Ant,
> 
> [quote]
> My apologies if this question has already been asked recently but rather
> than
> confirming the existence of God, how do you know this "feeling" doesn't
> instead
> indicate that you've gone insane, been affected by drugs (legal or
> otherwise),
> been hypnotized through social conditioning, suffered a stroke, been subject
> to
> carbon monoxide poisoning or even some combination of these?
> -----
> 
> Thank you so much!  In my reply to Mark I stuck to a patient rebuttal
> explaining the difference between having faith in something you can confirm
> if you chose to take the time to do so vs. having faith in something that
> can never be confirmed, but I was soooo wanting to jump all over this.
> 
> I have a problem with telling me you believe something because you "feel" it
> when I don't also "feel" it.  What are we to make of that?  If I had a
> direct connection to God I'm sure I would have faith too.  Seems kind of
> unfair, though, that only some of us can "feel" it. :(
>   
> Mary
> 
> - The most important thing you will ever make is a realization.
> 
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