Go for it! I always need testing. Who knows, maybe I can uncover another flaw. Then I’d say thank you. When they are hidden they are a social nuisance.:-)

Can I, at least, take a shot at it? I’m pretty good as pissing people off.

I can only wish that mwesten would read this!

Thank you Dan, I agree reason needs to be balanced with feeling to be, well………. balanced! Without feeling it can descend into elitism. I know, that’s been my story. I’ve had to dig myself out of that pit.

I love the analogy of the garden of flowers.

It’s the use of reason and the science of gardens that causes the garden to happen. But why is a garden created? It’s to enjoy the intuitional feeling and perception of beauty.

Does a person who is enjoying a sunset always busy his noisy mind with atmospheric science? No, it’s the quiet mind completely devoid of reason that is empty enough to be filled with feeling perception.

I think these two are the wings of the same bird.

These two: reason and feeling are two distinct ways of seeing. After all, the reason and science of the garden is in fact honoring the perception of beauty which is feeling; in the heart. Reason is in the mind.

Both are needed in my view. Some religionists are imbalanced and live through emotion rejecting reason. Some materialists are stuck in their heads and treat the feeling nature like a mental problem or a flaw in reasoning.

Thank you Dan. I’m looking forward to Ron’s back and forth also.

I believe the topic of the show will be Spirituality After Scientology. Ron and I will share with each other what we have learned. I love that guy, he is still a seeker of spiritual truth.

Who says that “reason” is the be all and end all?
I really enjoyed your post. Ron Miscavige suggested I look it up.
I’ll look forward to your appearance on his podcast this weekend.

All very possible, Skyler. Whatever works, you know? No one got hurt. No animals were harmed 🙂

You made an argument. I countered it. That’s all.
I never once denied you your truth.
I never once denied even the possibility.
The conversation was solely about reasoning.
And the difference between objective and subjective.
Now you are resorting to ad hominem and appeals to emotion.
There is no need to make this personal.
It’s okay that we disagree. 🕊️

Last comment from me –

First thank you for the dialog. It’s a great subject and an ancient debate. You and I won’t solve it here. Better minds than ours have had this debate.

Intellectual elitism, the hallmark of being a Scientologist, once was characterized by blind faith.
After the colossal betrayal some still have intellectual elitism but it is now translated into blind doubt. It’s the same mindset. You are that (you have evaluated my ability to think clearly, and I am returning the favor)

Must be true, must not be true. I’ve always been a fan of balance.

Thanks for the exchange Mr. J 😉

You are welcome to comment anytime on any of my posts. And I will respond to you as authentically as I can.
I’m not interested in agreement. I am interested in clarity.

You and I have different world views. I do not need to change yours or point out how inferior they are to my rarified talents of reason.

When emotion dominates religion it becomes fanaticism. When reason dominates philosophy it becomes arrogance.

We need a balance of reason and feeling.

Your imbalance of reason completely missed that this story was about the death of my mother. Your alienation from feeling barred your perception of it as the dominant story. Your need to be perceived as the champion of reason clouded your reason with arrogance.

I’m sharing an observation. A dispassionate observation.

It is reasonable for me to do so.

I hope you can achieve a balance MrJ.

Aqua,

It seems to me the best thing about her result of those novinas and the pregnancies is that your friend became firmly convinced in the value of her Catholic religion and if someone had tried to indoctrinate her into the scam, they wouldn’t have had a chance.

I believe she wore the result like a suit of armor – protection against hubbard’s scam and no matter what anyone’s opinion of other religions and specifically, the Catholic religion, I think it served your friend very well. It made her invulnerable to hubbard’s scam.

So, on that limited basis, I say, “Hat’s off to that priest”.