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That's an interesting question
I believe we were designed for spiritual experience, which, in my thinking, is neurological experience - I mean, that's what it's got to come down to. Physiological realities can't be ignored. "Spiritual experiences" happen in your brain - electrochemical stuff. But then, were we designed to chase after power? My opinion - many who enter the clergy enjoy the power it brings - especially clergy in the charismatic or pentecostal movements. If you're one of those pastors, all you gotta say is, "The Lord spoke to me...." I mean, how are you going to argue with that? Same with Moses - he stayed on the mountain 40 days and came back with the Ten Commandments. Hey - do you think 40 days was long enough for him to think up the big 10 and carve them into stone? Then he comes down and says, "God wrote this." See? You can't debate that, and all of this stuff leads to hierarchical rule - a quest for spiritual power.
In my thinking, spiritual enlightenment is meant to be experiential, and personal. But if that's true, the clergy are out of a job.
posted by
MKAndrew
on October 2, 2003 at 11:10 AM
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MKAndrew . . .
How true, and what a shame it is. Seems that whenever humanity gets involved, things get complicated. Were we designed that way on purpose?
posted by
archiew
on October 2, 2003 at 8:52 AM
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That's how it goes - Christianity is the most sectarian religion in the world, and they're all suspicious of each other
posted by
MKAndrew
on October 2, 2003 at 8:50 AM
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