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From: rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Comments (3.2) - Many religions, common themes, different schemes
Message-ID: <585@pyuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Apr-84 14:23:48 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxn.585
Posted: Wed Apr 18 14:23:48 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Apr-84 04:26:34 EST
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Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
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[CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ARTICLE; RE: RULES TO LIVE BY]

Back to the previous picture.  This whole notion sort of implies that, even
if god exists and is omnipotent, it has created a world of rules that perhaps
even it cannot diverge from (or perhaps it was created as a part of the system
of rules in the universe... if at all).  I don't just mean "physical laws"
when I say rules (as Einstein once asked, "Did God have a choice in how he
created the universe?"), because our "universe" may be but one of many
random possibilities with differing physical laws in a "many worlds"
scenario.  I mean specifically the physical and biochemical laws that
govern our existence; rules that, if we choose to ignore them, will result
in possible harm to us.  Like not eating poisonous substances.  But saying
in a book "Thou shalt not eat this" or "Thou shalt not engage in the
following sexual practices..." is as bad as saying "Thou shalt not eat
saccharin" without giving a reason.  If people are coerced into doing things
rather than making a decision based on knowledge, then they are failing
to use the most powerful gift they have (that "god" gave them?????)----their
reasoning capability.

One last comment on my Zen statement.  In case someone was ready to jump up
and say "Aha!  Rosen discards one non-rational belief for another!", let me
say this.  There is a rational basis for believing that "not seeking" is
more conducive to finding/achieving goals than "seeking".  "Seeking" and
"searching" modes often prevent one from looking objectively at what is
out there, since you are searching for a particular thing and may not see
other things that may be better suited to what you need than what you were
"looking for".  Also, being in "seek" mode not only changes your perception,
but may result in changes in you that affect the way others perceive you,
which may affect the "search" process.  This is especially applicable to
scientific inquiry, problem solving, creativity (my best songs are the ones
I wasn't *trying* to write), and certain topics that have cropped upin
net.singles recently.

I know little or nothing about Zen, 'Tao, Buddhism, etc. so don't listen to
anything I say.  I've said far too much uselessness already...
-- 
"So, it was all a dream!" --Mr. Pither
"No, dear, this is the dream; you're still in the cell." --his mother
				Rich Rosen    pyuxn!rlr