MG & JLHPROF: From Whence Come Spiritual Experiences?

[_I have a question]

No, you see, dear bud, that there is a beginning and an end to the first estate and then to the second estate in the spirit world. Two eternities each billions and billions of years in Grahm's numbers I suppose.

I am not grousing about me being rejected and that nobody is fawning over my abundance of true insights. Or about the greatest revelation since the beginning of time, namely, The Apocalrock. Just the rampant God hate and Joseph hate......it looks as ridiculous as Trump hate. He even got blamed for those racist cheerleaders from Weber High. Such is hate.

The very definition of the term “eternity” is “infinite or unending time”. So there is no beginning, nor end, to an eternity and as such there can’t be two of them. There can be two very long periods of time, each with beginnings and ends, but those are therefore not “eternities”.

[_Gadianton]

I see. So you're only really saying that it's taken two periods of several billion years to psyche ourselves into dislike of Joseph Smith and Trump, two otherwise majorly controversial figures? This is the best explanation available?

[_grindael]

You can't polish a turd. That's what all this crazy speculation about multiple "eternities" is. A turd. Goes hand in hand with the APOCALCRAP.

[_Maksutov]

This started out such an interesting thread. I've been gone and now the point of the thread is gone too.

[_I have a question]

This started out such an interesting thread. I've been gone and now the point of the thread is gone too.

I reckon the point of the thread has been more than adequately demonstrated across the 14 pages of interactions. It was a very interesting thread and one which can be referenced each and every time someone relies upon The Spirit in terms of defending a religious position.

[_mentalgymnast]

This started out such an interesting thread. I've been gone and now the point of the thread is gone too.

Par for the course.

I agree with you, however, it was an interesting thread.

Regards,
MG

[_mentalgymnast]

This started out such an interesting thread. I've been gone and now the point of the thread is gone too.

I reckon the point of the thread has been more than adequately demonstrated across the 14 pages of interactions. It was a very interesting thread and one which can be referenced each and every time someone relies upon The Spirit in terms of defending a religious position.

I wouldn't use "The Spirit" as the final say all/end all in regards to whether or not a testimony is or isn't valid and/or based upon what may be absolute capital T truth. Like I said upthread, in the end, faith and belief in the restoration becomes a personal matter/choice based upon what one feels are the available evidences that point this way or that.

OTOH, folks such as zerinus that have had what they believe to be an experience that defies counter evidence...more power to them. I have no qualm with those that go that direction. The problem is though, that you then have to put zerinus, Nightlion, and the Snufferites...oh, and the folks down in Manti that believe they have the truth...and others too numerous to mention, in with the mix.

So I'm not one to place all the eggs in one basket. Even though I've personally had experiences that I would enter/throw into the 'numinous' realm of human experience. As have others here on this board.

Regards,
MG

[_Themis]

Like I said upthread, in the end, faith and belief in the restoration becomes a personal matter/choice based upon what one feels are the available evidences that point this way or that.

How is this faith a good thing, or good trait, when it is the same faith Scientologists have, or other people who have faith in the claims of frauds?

[_Lemmie]

I wouldn't use "The Spirit" as the final say all/end all in regards to whether or not a testimony is or isn't valid and/or based upon what may be absolute capital T truth.
....So I'm not one to place all the eggs in one basket.

[bolding added]

?? less than half an hour before the above post:

At the end of the day, grindael, it's like President HInckley said:

“The evidence for [the Book of Mormon’s] truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. … Those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel.”
https://www.LDS.org/liahona/2010/03/sea ... h?lang=eng

[bolding added]
from thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47363

I reckon the point of the thread has been more than adequately demonstrated across the 14 pages of interactions. It was a very interesting thread and one which can be referenced each and every time someone relies upon The Spirit in terms of defending a religious position.

Agreed. See mentalgymnast's contradiction of himself already.

[_DrW]

*SNIP*
See mentalgymnast's contradiction of himself already.

Many religionists, including folks on this board now and in the past, seem in many ways to be 'hard wired' for religious belief. As exemplified routinely by MG, DCP and others, no matter how illogical, self-contradictory, internally-inconsistent, or unethical the position - if it is perceived as being in tune with their religion, they just cannot seem to help themselves.

Regardless of what one believes about human evolution, it's safe to say most would conclude that the human brain evolved (or was created, if you must) to be receptive to religious belief - be the object of such belief Thor, Xenu, Allah, Jehovah, Elohim, or any of the other hundreds (or thousands) of gods that humankind has invented for itself.

How the brain evolved to be susceptible to belief in imaginary magical beings, what structures are involved, and how these brain structures function (or malfunction) to accommodate religiosity is something that is now fairly well understood. However, because of a bias of the general public toward religious belief, the information is not as widely disseminated as it probably should be.

Nonetheless, Mormon religionists might benefit from an awareness of at least some of what is going on in their brains when they bear testimony as to their 'sure knowledge' of the truthfulness of a gospel comprised of a mishmash of 19th century ideas and beliefs, and founded by a 19th conman, polygamist, sexual predator and fraudster. Time for a new thread.