Who fears the truth,
the humble or the proud?
The unquestioning believer is proud
on behalf of his authority.
Do believers fear the truth?
"Terrorists are not afraid of bombs, they are afraid of questions."
Who is loyal? A believer or a friend?
Your believer, who may only flatter you,
justify everything you are saying,
not because it is right
but because you said it,
or the friend,
who is free to see you exactly as you are, being,
who is free to question you,
if it makes no sense what you say or do?
Who is humble?
One who ask sincerity,
not perfection,
or one who asks perfection,
but not sincerity?
Who is the true friend?
The one who admits the truth
even if it hurts the ego,
(his own or another's),
or who will please the ego
though hurting the truth?
It is criucial to see this.
***
Are believers of any belief system
able to be coherent in a philosophical dialogue
when they would rather flatter and be flattered,
even when they have been wrong?
I have spoken to fanatic and non-fanatic believers,
but whether they were simple devotees,
or justified terrorism recommended by
a so called "Holy book", (the Koran or Bible or another),
(the potential terrorists)
they were not coherent, in a dialogue with me.
In a dialogue with me,
they have asked for loyalty to a belief,
but could not be sincere with me,
to the end in our dialogue.
A true philosopher as a just judge,
asks for sincerity, and truth, not a belief.
A believer as far as my experience,
asks for belief, but will not be sincere.
if you show contradictions in what he believes.
***
I have more faith in the potential of consciousness
in man than the believers I spoke to.
Some believed in some authority
which was supposed to be just and good
but instead of giving wisdom
(what he could do, if omnipotent,)
he sent them to eternal hell.
I find this to be a nonsense story to discipline children
but it makes no sense. And I can explain it:
Only a monster of a teacher would kill his students,
if they did not pass in an exam in a lifetime,
(which is only a moment in eternity).
and torture them for that for the rest of eternity.
Be so absurdly cruel, rather than giving them wisdom,
killing the illusion they have, in a dialogue.
as this one, for example!
- Update-your-god, I say to believer a fairy tale
who believe in christmas man who is a male with a beard.
and who might even not have a true Christmas spirit at all!
Here is even a page I made with that title:
************************************
If I did not trust the potential consciousness
in humans, and even in some animals,
I would not have even started a dialogue with them.
**¨*
(Today I have to try to teach a dum pigeon not to
defecate on the bird bath for all the birds...
What I have done is to leave there just a tyny amount of water,
with his droppings in it. So when he is thisty again,
he will wonder who was the stupid bird who did that,
in his bird bath water...
I have to sacrifice the other birds for awhile, because
they too will not be able to use deink water from there...
I hope it will work!)
***
If I would be among those who hate and prejudice
those who prejudice others for their belief,
(such as Mohammed did in his Koran),
I would believe that the only solution to the conflict of belief,
the only war on terror, was bloody violence, not reason.
But I see that love is greater than hate.
And out of sincerity and love for mankind,
I seek dialogue even with the enemy,
and speak to him about truth, love and justice,
placing that above anyone pretending to be God!.
This is my faith.
The conflict of beliefs dividing people on earth
for millenniums can be cleared up.
I have faith in a spirit of truth, love, justice.
Sometimes I like to call this the Holy Spirit.
But that spirit has not to do with what the Church
has done or said in name of it, if it made no sense
to my own sincere sense
of truth, love, justice.
I have faith in the power of good questions,
to appeal to reason, to what makes sense.
For in myself, making a good question create clarity,
where there was none!
***
Are believers of any belief system able to be coherent,
consequent, able to reason with their beliefs? I ask.
In practice, this is just how it goes:
To understand something, we have to look at it.
This is the first thing.
So we have to look into it our beliefs,
into its contradictions, with humility- abandon all pretense.
We need humble, sincere, fearless awareness.
for self awareness.
Is that possible?
Can you do that as a believer?
be self aware in relation to what we believe?
To the in-consequences in beliefs, not only those of others, but our own?
Can we do that together in a dialogue without fighting?
In a civilized, courteous and honest way??
***
Here is an example from my experience in dialoguing
with believers:
A devotee of Yogananda used to say to me
that criticism, even if true, should be silenced.
She did not like to prove anyone right or wrong.
she said.
She also did not like to be proved wrong.
Even if she was wrong.
On the other hand, she did not mind to 'make believe'
to fake a love or a smile to please someone.
She even advise me I try to do this.
This is compassion, in her eyes.
So, how can we even start to clear any conflict
with whom must seem happy and sweet
even when they do not feel it
and who tries to look away from conflicts
or silence defects ?
The problem of the contradictions
in name of God , for example,
create the most hopeless, desperate blood wars
for milleniums, which I try to show her, talk about it to her,
is not even a problem for her; because
she can even pretend it does not exist!!!
If you criticize devotees like these,
their belief, even if the critic is well founded,
they might blame you as one has blamed me:
that I, who tries to reason, when they do not, (quote):
"live on meaningless, deliberately obscure,
Ego- centered nonsense" (end quote).
Surely this hurts a sense of Justice.
And before you can explain and clear it up,
you are blocked, and out of the discussion.on Facebook!
Similarity, a terrorist believer could even kill you
for saying the truth about his prophet, or belief, if it was not flattering!
In my experience, this conflict of beliefs
is not the real problem to believers.
because it is not clarity they want, but belief!
For believers, the problem is seeing what is, for themselves.
because in a belief system you do not have to see but obey.
You do not have to prove or see right from wrong for themselves,
Someone else says it for you and you just have to repeat this
that mantra, like a parrot.
For believers, like this the problem is self awareness of belief.
The conflict they live in is not. The problem is clearing it up!
This, for me, is putting the head in the sand
and thinking it is a way to self realization!
(PS: I should draw a sticker and put it here telling this!)
***
Why do religious wars exist?
Obviously it is because one may question them.
Because believers like these,
like vain people, only listen to compliments.
about those in whom they believe!
But this is not love for the true self.
Unreasonable believers are proud on behalf
of their unquestionable authorities.
And they will rage at you,
when you show something unflattering in them
even if this is true.
This is the cage they are in. and want to drag you in to.
Jiddu Krishnamurti understood this before I was even born.
and I remain grateful there is intelligence like his, in this world!
***
Confrontations can be inspiring, to a philosopher,
if you do not fear the truth.
Unquestioning believers do not appreciate intelligent confrontations,
for the word for them is submission.
And in their turn, they become the tyrant to others.
Unquestionable authorities cannot dialogue with each other.
if they, like vain people, only listen to compliments !
unquestionable authorities, or beliefs
and their followers have no other way than to make war,
if one may not reason with them.
And they could blame the philosophers, the unbelievers
who can solve this conflict of beliefs
through intelligence alone, ,not authority,
through a civilized, sincere, truth loving dialogue.
***
Believers , terrorists or not,have this in common:
it is disrespect to criticize to say something unflattering, of their Guru,
prophet, or belief, even if it is true.
****
I am not offering a belief system.
only a no-nonsense honesty in a dialogue.
My faith is the self evidence that truth love justice is greater
than untruth, hate, injustice.
A philosopher as a true friend,
does not mind to be confronted:
-If the criticism is right, he will apologize,
and if he was misunderstood
he will explains himself.
But how can he explain himself,
if the other falsely accuses him and blocks him,
and wants no more discussion?
To my friend believers,
with my best wishes to all.
May one day we no longer feel the need to be
each other's believers, or followers,
but mutually understanding,
true friends !
Your friend in love of truth.
van Chapman,
Philosophic Community Project
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