Hazrate’ Insaan and the Image of God

I donot agree with anything which you have written.The concept of god in itself is a creation of man.However it is very difficult to make people understand this because they take shelter behind Faith,Supremeness of God,Ability of ordinary mortals to question god`s existence & other such excuses. The problem is that you can discuss or argue with only those who are not totally blinded by faith & neglect all the evidence to the contrary.

Zahra, #135

Fascinating article. Thanks for the link.

PM

zahra reply# 135

Excellent referrence,

It has also been observed that the psychideleic drugs also stimulate the same areas of the brain as mentioned in the article,and hence reproduce the same religious experiances over and over again.This is the same method of religious practiced over thousands of years in many religions,``Hashishiens`` are well known,mystics,etc.

This research also leads you to think that the claims of most of the religions that they are the true ones really has no basis otherwise why would a follower of a false God have the same religious experiances as the true one does.

The other point of view which could support the presence of God is that may be this is a dimention inherent in all human brains through which any one can reach God? Since this inherent property is common to all therefore could be exploited as others properties have been .The experiance common to all can be interpreted differently based on ones experiance and therefore could lead to a difference and confusion.

One thing which is clearly commoning out from the researhes going on in the field of spirituality is that the thousands of years of hatred based on religion is really an ethnical issue and not a spiritual one.

salman

A very Interesting Study!

Religion And The Brain

In the new field of ``neurotheology,`` scientists seek the biological basis of spirituality. Is God all in our heads?

By Sharon Begley - NEWSWEEK

May 7 issue — One Sunday morning in March, 19 years ago, as Dr. James Austin waited for a train in London, he glanced away from the tracks toward the river Thames. The neurologist—who was spending a sabbatical year in England—saw nothing out of the ordinary: the grimy Underground station, a few dingy buildings, some pale gray sky. He was thinking, a bit absent-mindedly, about the Zen Buddhist retreat he was headed toward. And then Austin suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment unlike anything he had ever experienced. His sense of individual existence, of separateness from the physical world around him, evaporated like morning mist in a bright dawn. He saw things ``as they really are,`` he recalls. The sense of ``I, me, mine`` disappeared. ``Time was not present,`` he says. ``I had a sense of eternity. My old yearnings, loathings, fear of death and insinuations of selfhood vanished. I had been graced by a comprehension of the ultimate nature of things.`` ... continued [The rest of the article can be found on Newsweek`s website]

P.S. Pl. forgive the error in spelling your nick.

re. AeishA #128:

``Religion is faith in not having predictable outcome as in psychological reaction.Dude ,untill unless you believe that your best of deeds may or may not be accepted by god ,that your sins may be forgiven by mercifull god,you havent figured ANYTHING.``

Well, ok, but I`ve figured out this from your post: Your really a closet Calvinist pretending to be a Muslim. :-)

Aeisha, when/if you feel like discussing/questioning/debating instead of preaching/name-calling, I`d be happy to exchange ideas with you -- that is, if you, in your metaphysical perfection haven`t ``figured it all out`` already. :-)

stay cool.. I`m not debauching your kids or anything like that.

PM

re. Godot #127

Thanks for the explanation. I agree.

rgds

Aiesha -

On a completely diff note but not to take anything away from the lively sparring - i thought i had come across all the interesting sp`s for Ayesha, Aisha, Aiyesha, Aiysha, Aesha, Esha, mine - Aicha,... and then came upon yours. i see this list still has room for growth. but how do yuo put up with people butchering the sp??

aicha

AeishA reply 128

There is no compulsion in religion,this is the very basic teaching of the Holy Quran,and you are the so called follower of it.The faith flows from God and there is time to it and only God knows it,as described by the Holy Quran,and you are the so called follower of it.Do you think that you can give faith to a faithless,even the prophet was corrected on this issue.Read Quran and may be you can be a better muslim and hence a better humanbeing also.

I am absolutely sure that if you were born a catholic you would have been as sure as you sound now and you would have been cursing all the muslims to Hell fire.

This is your inheritance speaking not your faith.So when you have discovered your true faith come and join the discussion.I am not interested in your inheritance because I love my own.

salman

Aiesha reply#128

Why is it that the entity of belief/Faith is associated with ignorance? Why is it that the most ignorant are among the most faithfull?

Why is it that you need Metaphysics to keep you straight?

Are the issues related to metaphysics really true? Who is the one who is most sure as to the nature and the truth of the metaphysical issues?

Isn`t the instinct related to the perception of your reality around would open the truth to you.And why would`nt a Diety be aware that this would not happen because even though the instinct is inherant but the specie He created is so dumb that it would still not be able to grasp it and hence would need ignorant,metaphysical issues to explain it.

And if the God does not need you to be straight,then why chase the issue,you are not needed in the first place.The entity of ones ability to do good is inherant in all the species and you don`t need a Diety to tell you matters of your conduct.It is a learned behaviour.That is why you see a varity of opinions and conducts.

And if you think that if God would not disclose the right path for you then humanity would have perished,then probably you have not studied the humanity well.

Human history is full of the insanity,inspite of it humanity or the life have survived.

Dudet probably you are the one who would need to grow a lot.American or non-american as long as you are growing in the right direction it really does`nt matter.

Ignorance can be a blessing as elders say(you can understand as to why ),but the history has shown that it is a curse on the humanity.

In order to be a true human you will have to let go of your Ego first and then your ignorance.

salman

Re: PM, #126

I consider the need for belief natural and innate. It is a defense mechanism, a cushion, against seen and unseen tragedies and disasters that effect humans emotionally.

This belief is conditioned by the environment, at a much higher level than the need for it.

As for belief in the creation story, miracles and camels as ``natural need`` -- well, they are stories to support the belief ``system.``

re. Godot`s post addressed to Sameer (#125)

``You are talking about the behavior of human beings in the name of God and religion. I am talking about the psychological need for such belief. We are talking about two different things. ``

Godot, is the `psychological need` to believe in ``a`` God, falana number of prophets and their camels, the creation story and any number of miracles a `natural` need or is it something conditioned? Are we as humans born with a psychological need for a belief in an afterlife, and a reward system to keep us honest here on earth?

rgds,

PM

Re: Sameer, #120

You are talking about the behavior of human beings in the name of God and religion. I am talking about the psychological need for such belief. We are talking about two different things.

Hameed #119

Thanks for your highly enlightened input.

re. Sameer #120

Well said!

rgds,

PM

Qadeer #115

As far as creationism or special creation is concerned, this is almost certain that evolution is the way.

On the matter of reverse time, I got the idea from a Islamic site trying not only to reconcile religion with current facts but boasting about the authenticity of religion on that basis.

The Akhira will happen, when during reverse time man will arise from dead and in that arisen state will migrate to as yet unknown dimension called Akhira leading to heaven and hell.

You can try science section of Islamicity. (As my understanding of these concepts are limited, I might have misunderstood)

Regards.