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I realized I may not have directly addressed your comment, and I definitely didn't address your last question. In reverse order, I do believe God is the one se

I realized I may not have directly addressed your comment, and I definitely didn't address your last question. In reverse order, I do believe God is the one setting me free. God, in my view, is at least (and maybe more) a cultural spirit we have inherited. Much of the condition I've been born and raised into was not my choice, God included. I believe I am recognizing and embracing that which is a part of me, and a part of the Christian West in general, at least. Something I've ignored or resisted for most of my life. With respect to the specific claims of the reality of the legends and metaphors, I try act as if God is real and Christ was resurrected, sure. But I'm not burdened by the question of the nature of the god of Job, for example. It's clear to me that that story is about dealing with tragedy, when it feels like God and Satan are conspiring against you.

janlin1999 8y ago
Thanks for your comments. It would certainly be hard for me to share as openly as you have here. I understand from your comments that you have turned to some concept of God (cultural inheritance) in order to find meaning in your life. Different people find meaning in different ideas, people, projects, etc. I don't mean to belabor the point, but I think you have invested meaning in a set of writings that explicitly say that they are meaningless (or worse than harmless) unless certain key parts are historically true, and you explicitly deny the historicity of those parts. As I have understood your situation, it's a little like a cancer patient being presented with several different options, all with varying probabilities of success and none with any guarantee. After much research and deliberation, the patient knowingly chooses the placebo option. There are obviously some benefits to the placebo option; it just seems that most people in that situation wouldn't choose that option. If you're interested in talking more synchronously, I can be reached via contact information in my profile.

janlin1999 8y ago

Thanks for your comments. It would certainly be hard for me to share as openly as you have here. I understand from your comments that you have turned to some concept of God (cultural inheritance) in order to find meaning in your life. Different people find meaning in different ideas, people, projects, etc. I don't mean to belabor the point, but I think you have invested meaning in a set of writings that explicitly say that they are meaningless (or worse than harmless) unless certain key parts are historically true, and you explicitly deny the historicity of those parts. As I have understood your situation, it's a little like a cancer patient being presented with several different options, all with varying probabilities of success and none with any guarantee. After much research and deliberation, the patient knowingly chooses the placebo option. There are obviously some benefits to the placebo option; it just seems that most people in that situation wouldn't choose that option. If you're interested in talking more synchronously, I can be reached via contact information in my profile.