He would be the first to tell you that "magic" is illusion. It involves skillful distraction, a distinctive "patter," and a lot of practice. It gives the APPEARANCE of doing "impossible" things. But the "appearance" is just that - deception.
When I joined the Mormon church, I wanted very much to believe. I tried. I prayed. I read scriptures (but not much; I have a low boredom threshold.) But despite the sincerest intentions, I came up empty-handed.
After leaving the Mormons, I gave religion one more try, returning to the Protestant church I was raised in. While this has apparently worked for others, it did not work for me.
Once I realized that Mormonism was just an illusion, that cured me of religion, period. Maybe it's like that nostalgic sadness you feel when you learn the truth about Santa.
Yeah, religion with its music, special atmosphere, incantations,and promises creates an "otherworldly" escape where we can drop our worldly worries, throw on the cloak of faith, and find ourselves believing in the make-believe joyful world that is painted for us.
I looked for this magic. I wanted and needed this magic because I desperately sought to escape the emotional abuse I was living in. I trusted for a time that it was real because as a youth I was naive, gullible, and trusting, especially of the kind and peaceful treatment I received at church.
Magic ropes people in, but when you see the deception you no longer believe in that magic. The religious magic deception and lies hit me hard because I was hurled from believing that mormonism was THE key to eternal and earthly happiness to knowing that it was nothing but a HUGE lie by others to make money and gain power.
Yet again, grown-ups could not be trusted.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2017 04:34PM by presleynfactsrock.
I notice that most religions use repetition of words and thought as self hypnosis. Singing, praying, chanting in the temple. Constant thought reinforcement such as re-reading scriptures.
Do the rest of us have a hole in our lives that needs filling with this stuff? I don't see it.
Look at Buddhism. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama,(a.k.a. the Buddha, or the Enlightened One,) a 6th century prince, philosopher, and religious teacher. He taught about the nature of life and the nature of reality. He found peace in his own life and tried to help others do likewise. Nothing magical about that basic premise. If you have ever done deep breathing, or tried to still your active mind, or felt a deep appreciation for the peace found in the natural world, you have some idea of what the Buddhists strive for.
The Taoists likewise tried to explain "how things work." They closely observed nature in terms of forming their philosophy. They noticed that a leaf that travels down a stream can get hopelessly stuck on the rocks, or it can adapt to the flow of the water in terms of continuing its movement. People are the same. They can get hopelessly stuck if they insist that there is only one correct way to do things. Or, they can adapt to changing conditions in order to move forward with their lives. I find Taoist philosophy to be both shrewd and practical. Nothing magical about that.
Now *people* often do tend to have a magical streak, and this has often infused various philosophies and religions. But there are religions that started out in an earnest attempt to understand the nature of reality and to help people adapt, be productive, and be happy.
"The purpose of life is to be happy." The Dalai Lama
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2017 07:16PM by summer.
summer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > He > taught about the nature of life and the nature of > reality. He found peace in his own life and tried > to help others do likewise. Nothing magical about > that basic premise.
summer, you make some good points. However, when you consider that what the Buddha considered the "nature of life and the nature of reality" included reincarnation, karma, etc. wouldn't you agree that it has what we could call "magic" in it?
I'd change that to, "he taught about what he imagined the nature of life and the nature of reality were." And his imagination included 'magical' aspects. :)