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Re: ash_pradhan - with Yogananda, a central theme was reincarnation
I agree with your comments. However, nothing is absolute & perfect, including science...so at the end of the day, everyone settles to their comfort zone...where we err is in labeling the view different than ours as the only imperfect view, when they all are...peace, enjoyed this healing :) dialogue...thanks..Ash
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 3, 2009 at 11:25 AM
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ash_pradhan - with Yogananda, a central theme was reincarnation
That is a religious belief and nothing more. Chopra on the other hand is quite different in the fact that he is a licensed MD but also central to his themes are a number of religious beliefs. I've not implied that either of these people have "violated" scientific methodology to come to their conclusions. What I am saying is quite different; the observer, persons touting the validity of the works and teachings of these men, quite often blurr the lines between science and their beliefs. Like it or not, self healing (something I happen to give credence to BTW), reincarnation, intelligent design, spiritualism and a belief in God, themes enveloped by one or both of their collective set of teachings, are not scientific principles.
posted by
gomedome
on March 3, 2009 at 7:37 AM
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Re: ash_pradhan - a good place to start for an overview
Very good..but exactly which ones of these do the works of Yogananda & Chopra violate?
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 3, 2009 at 7:10 AM
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ash_pradhan - a good place to start for an overview
HERE The important thing is to try to leave the ghosts, hob goblins and all religious beliefs, characters, icons and mythologies out of the reconciliation between hypothesis and corroboration.
posted by
gomedome
on March 3, 2009 at 6:59 AM
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Re: ash_pradhan - I'm in agreement with ZenMom here
Perhaps you would care to re-educate this life-time scientist as to what exactly is "scientific methodology"!
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 3, 2009 at 6:38 AM
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Zenmom...
criticizing anyone's work before really reading & understanding it is dis-service to the person and to oneself.
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 3, 2009 at 6:35 AM
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ash_pradhan - I'm in agreement with ZenMom here
You are using the word "science" unscientifically, (like fishing is a science). I'm not being critical of people like Deepak Chopra by saying this but it is a stretch to suggest that what people like this do, is predicated upon any form of scientific methodology.
posted by
gomedome
on March 3, 2009 at 6:15 AM
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Soul_Builder101 - tell us, oh purveyor of imaginery insight
How does a country of just over 7 million people control a country of over 300 million people on the other side of the globe?
posted by
gomedome
on March 3, 2009 at 6:06 AM
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Your header and your content seems to be at odds. America is a client of Israel and is controlled by Israel. That is where they hope our our destiny lies. Yet, Americans are having their tea parties!
posted by
Soul_Builder101
on March 2, 2009 at 11:35 PM
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Re: Re: Re: Gomedome & Zenmom...
Deepak Chopra is really considered more of a pseudo-science writer in the United States, similar to Dr. Phil in his field or Judge Judy in hers. They are more "tv personality" than legitimate expert in their fields. They appeal to the masses in this country.
I believe Chopra's speciality is internal medicine (he is board certified in this field). Maybe this qualifies him to speak/write about the "spirit" and "soul"........I think these are organs located close to the liver and spleen...........LOL
posted by
ZenMom
on March 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM
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Re: Re: Gomedome & Zenmom...
Namaste, the subject of "Science of Spirituality" is well-written in the literature...of the several authors, I find Deepak Chopra and Paramahansa Yogananda of great value & interest and have deeply influenced this scientist's thinking...hope you do too, best, Ash
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 2, 2009 at 10:17 AM
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Re: Gomedome & Zenmom...
ash - I understand what you are saying. "spiritual but not religious" would have described me at an earlier time in my life. Seriously, my favorite quote back then was "faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to." Nowadays, that's just plain stupidity.
As I continued to educate myself I realized that the "force" that you (and the earlier me) label "spiritual", the one that "pervades" the universe......is really.....SCIENCE. Science has allowed me to completed remove the words god and divinity from my vocabulary.
And, thank you for suggesting that I am an "intellectual". (I'll go look up the EXACT meaning on dictionary.com now). Really, I am a Mother of six........raised and educated in the Catholic tradition...now an atheist........whom LOVES to read.
Namaste ZM 
posted by
ZenMom
on March 2, 2009 at 10:04 AM
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Gomedome & Zenmom...
I agree with both of your comments for the most part..I am "spiritual but not religious"..we believe that the same spiritual force pervades the universe, it may be referred to as God / soul / spirit / Divinity / cosmic force...we believe that all creation has within it this driving force, to that extent we do not single out anyone, religious or aetheist ( as a matter of fact, many of my aetheist friends are intellectuals, which both of you appear to be, and hold valid views / arguments ), best,
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 2, 2009 at 8:29 AM
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ZenMom - I saw the movie Religulous (sp) a couple of weeks ago
What surprised me about it was how much of its content was discussing many of the same subjects we discuss right here on Blogit. Not so surprisingly, the lame answers given by the faithful, to what are to me nothing more than common sense questions, all seemed to mirror the same lame answers we see here on Blogit continuously.
posted by
gomedome
on March 2, 2009 at 8:00 AM
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Re: ZenMom - I agree with your questions
gd. I've gotten better at seeing the flaws in most arguments. Reading your blog has helped me greatly in this endeavor....so I thank you. (Right now, I'm reading "godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists", by Dan Barker...w/ a foreword by Dawkins.........)
posted by
ZenMom
on March 2, 2009 at 6:11 AM
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ZenMom - I agree with your questions
We must remember that religious folks are at a distinct disadvantage when they attempt to define the motives of those who do not believe in God. Usually they have nothing more than propaganda to work with, mixed with the desire to elevate what they themselves believe above non belief. After a lifetime of being convinced that to simply believe in God somehow makes a person better, the conclusions they arrive at by nothing more than speculation are usually quite comical. I've yet to have one of them simply ask me why I do not buy into their religious constructs, they are more intent on telling my why. It is invariably negative in implication. I either don't have the perception that they do, have mental problems, am inherently evil, or upon occasion a new one gets thrown up . . . . retaliation?
posted by
gomedome
on March 1, 2009 at 9:47 PM
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ash_pradhan - Re: In my opinion, spirituality...
My question is the same as ZenMom's in her comment following yours: How is the belief that we are all souls / spirits a deep & scientific philosophy? It is a notion predicated on religious belief and nothing more. From the perspective of science we are bags of water, a number of chemicals and electro-magnetic energy. The belief that there is more to our being, a spirit or soul that makes us unique from lower animals is not derived from science but moreso from religious dogma. I don't know of anyone who has "relinquished all religions in retaliation" . . . I abandoned the religion I was indoctrinated into because it was premised upon ridiculous and outdated mythologies, which only served to proliferate ludicrous hypocrisies.
posted by
gomedome
on March 1, 2009 at 9:28 PM
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Re: In my opinion, spirituality...
Ash.You have confused me. How is the "belief that we are all souls/spirits" a "scientific" philosophy?
You wrote, "Extreme adherence to any one religious philosophy will be faulty"? Which parts of which religions should one not adhere to? " How does one pick and choose?
Furthermore, "relinquishment of all religions" is not a retaliative act for an atheist. It is a inevitable decision made after understanding exactly what you write....that VARIOUS (although I would say ALL) religions are a result (or originated during) a specific era/society........a society which was at its zenith thousands of years ago when people had NO understanding whatsoever of what caused rain or thunder or what caused the sun to rise and set............
The goal of MODERN education should be not only to "CONTEMPLATE" the conditions under which these religions developed but, using CURRENT scientific information (evolution, astonomy, evolutionary biology, etc., all of which were unavailable when these religions originated), cause one to re-evaluate their original belief system.
Namaste ZM
posted by
ZenMom
on March 1, 2009 at 7:28 PM
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In my opinion, spirituality...
Sprituality, the belief that we are all souls / spirits (which is actually a very simplistic statement of a deep & scientific philosophy) is the driver of everything. Various religions try to embody some aspect of this philosophy in their teachings that are inherently influenced by some mortal being from some era, and hence are naturally influenced by that era & society. Understanding of this fact in itself is enough reason to recognize that extreme adherence to any one particular religious philosophy will be inherently faulty. So is relinquishment of all religions in retaliation. It is true that education gives one enhanced perspectives to be able to contemplate on such complex subjects. But the fundamental spirit remains unaffected in both the educated and the non-educated..it is the realization of that principle that becomes clearer. Myself, as well as several folks in the world, believe that one can reach this stage of true self-realization regardless of one's religion, race, education, nationality or any such external societal influences.
Hope you'll take this in the spirit of a calming perspective from a fellow-blogger, and not an antagonistic commentary, best wishes,
posted by
ash_pradhan
on March 1, 2009 at 3:46 PM
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