While at the Dog Park this afternoon, I read some of the referenced Articles that
freshstart57 quotes from above. My own take was the that crisp delineation between Science and Religion was reinforced quite expertly by Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman. Linked below...
'Using science to prove God's existence confuses two very different ways of thinking. Science progresses as new hypotheses get tested, questioned, refuted, expanded upon, discarded, and revised.
Religion, on the other hand, is a way to make sense of the world. It is an appreciation of awe and mystery, justice and compassion.
In other words, science is a search for truth, while religion is a search for meaning.' 'Sorry, Science Doesn't Make A Case For God. But That's OK' ~ Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman
Once one accepts that a bearded God has nothing to do with the literal creation of the Universe via Processes that can be explained over time by Science, my view is that it's not possible to be 'wrong' about God. It's 'merely' the ongoing search for meaning; no small quest, to be sure. Further, I think that quest can be very germane to Recovery
if such a Construct appeals to the Person tackling Recovery. It does not matter to me if someone mentally fabricates a HP that keeps them on the straight-and-narrow, or if some Drinker thinks their Dog talked to them and convinced them to quit. The Desired End Result - to use a Business Phrase - of sustained Sobriety is what matters. To use a Pal's phrase, I'm in 'violent agreement' with what
SoberJennie asserts above. Recovery can't be 'wrong'.
Decades of Int'l Travel helped me accept how some Folks have Values, and believe in Processes, that are
very different; right down to the core. A challenge that keeps me continually fascinated is to observe whether Folks can
really accept such fundamental differences, or whether they can't, and just patronize. True acceptance of Recovery differences runs through some Threads here. Other Threads simply
bleed patronizing attitudes.
Back when I was The Head Guy To Troubleshoot Complex Problems & Save Large Int'l Customer Accounts, I used some old methods. Troubleshooting is sometimes reproducing, and understanding, what a problem
is not. This, then, narrows the possibilities to what a complex problem
could be.
I think it's great you started this Thread,
Trach. Via this Thread delving into what the original question you pose
is not, we can perhaps broach the residual 'God aspects' of your question.
I'd like to believe I understood your question. I long ago walked away from the Belly-bumping Model of explaining the Universe via Science
or Religion. Decades ago, I cut over to Rabbi Mitelman's Model; one that moves beyond old tensions, and embraces peaceful coexistence. I think it's a sound idea to not try to explain a Spiritual Epiphany via Biochemical Processes. I think it also sound to not explain Dark Matter by Religion.
We own 3 Lava Lamps at various Houses.-)
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.” ~ Christopher Hitchens.
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