The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #157619   Message #3721535
Posted By: Joe Offer
06-Jul-15 - 08:28 PM
Thread Name: We cannot have an opinion
Subject: RE: We cannot have an opinion
It seems to me, that "discussions" that consist solely of unsupported opinions, don't go very far. There has to be some sort of rational basis to a discussion - otherwise, the discussion just won't work.

There are those above who state that religious belief falls into this category of "unsupported opinion," but I would beg to differ. Religious belief is most often built upon some sort of shared tradition, mythology, or experience - so belief can be meaningful to those who accept or respect that shared foundation. There are some in this forum who assert that the foundations of religion are false, and therefore religious belief must be false or meaningless. I don't think so. I don't believe Egyptian mythology, but I find it very interesting. Not only that, but it gives rich information about the history and culture of a people. It generated a lot of wonderful things, things that should be revered and appreciated - not rejected as false. And even if Egyptian mythology is regarded as an invalid premise, it was the foundation of a lot of deep and valuable thought.

So, I'd be careful about discounting beliefs or traditions that you reject. Even false premises can produce much that is of great value.

Go to Karnak, and you'll see what I mean. It's a little dangerous there these days, which is a shame. Guess I was lucky to get there in a window of relative safety in 2012. Take a look at my photos and get a feeling for what I'm trying to say. Even though all those edifices were built upon what many moderns consider to be a "false premise," there's something very deep and intriguing to explore there.

-Joe-