Originally posted by twhiteheadDasa has declared that he has stopped posting 'with immediate effect' or words to that effect [did anyone else read it?]. However, the thread on which he said it has been deleted, along with the post by poker87 that cued Dasa's farewell up.
There aren't enough philosophy posters to make it worth while. Besides, unless you can ban dasa from the philosophy forum it wouldn't achieve what is most likely your real reason for splitting it.
Originally posted by FMFI saw it, but then rather bizarrely the thread has been removed.
Dasa has declared that he has stopped posting 'with immediate effect' or words to that effect [did anyone else read it?]. However, the thread on which he said it has been deleted, along with the post by poker87 that cued Dasa's farewell up.
Originally posted by twhiteheadyeah me too, but if there was a philosophy forum it would be an excellent and entertaining learning curve for us beginners and hopefully not every discussion would get hijacked by the fundaMENTALISTS and their arch enemies, i.e everybody else.
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My experience with philosophy is that when the people who know what they are talking about start posting its too deep for me and I get lost.
Originally posted by kevcvs57If you start a philosophy thread, politely ask people to stay on topic, and specify what you want to discuss, it usually works out. I think the thing is to get some threads started and if, and when, they disintegrate into atheist/ fundamentalist battles, then we could propose a new forum.
yeah me too, but if there was a philosophy forum it would be an excellent and entertaining learning curve for us beginners and hopefully not every discussion would get hijacked by the fundaMENTALISTS and their arch enemies, i.e everybody else.
There used to be a lot more philosophy threads here with some excellent philosophy posters. However, they covered most of the main questions then left.
Originally posted by twhiteheadTheres a better chance of getting new ones if the forum was dedicated to philosophy and ring fenced in some way to minimize the faith vs facts arguments that just disappear up their own backsides and nobody is any the wiser. would that have to be generated by site administrators?
If you start a philosophy thread, politely ask people to stay on topic, and specify what you want to discuss, it usually works out. I think the thing is to get some threads started and if, and when, they disintegrate into atheist/ fundamentalist battles, then we could propose a new forum.
There used to be a lot more philosophy threads here with some excellent philosophy posters. However, they covered most of the main questions then left.
Originally posted by kevcvs57Start a thread and lets find out. I for one, promise to try to stay on topic. Of course many of the philosophy topics are related to religion or theology or spirituality.
Theres a better chance of getting new ones if the forum was dedicated to philosophy and ring fenced in some way to minimize the faith vs facts arguments that just disappear up their own backsides and nobody is any the wiser. would that have to be generated by site administrators?
Normally when a thread is on topic and good and something comes up that is on a tangent then we often start another thread to discuss that.
Many years ago, the Spirituality Forum was split off from Debates, in an effort to keep debate on every subject from being derailed by religionists—it was interesting that one of the most outspoken opponents of the split was an atheist (Doctor Scribbles) who thought it was an attempt to discriminate against those who brought their religious beliefs to the table.
With the Debates/Spirituality split, the Spirituality Forum also became the de facto philosophy forum, though some religionists have occasionally complained. However, I think it is impossible to talk about such things as theology and morality without philosophical underpinning (e.g., metaphysics and ethics, as well as epistemology); and a logical contradiction does not become less a contradiction because it is couched in religious language. I also do not take a narrow of view of the word “spirituality”, and fail to see why expressions of the “human spirit” ought to be out of bounds.
Then there are those traditions about which people argue whether to call them religions or philosophies, such as Zen Buddhism or Taoism (an argument that I have little interest in). Bbarr once argued that any attempt to understand “the ineffable Real” could be considered part of “spirituality”.
I think the great religious/philosophical divide is dualism versus nondualism, often expressed in terms of exclusivist formalism versus a non-exclusivism that can embrace various forms. Does my nondualism, or the fact that I view much religious language as metaphorical, symbolic, or aesthetic—along with my ability to find meaning therein, and to express myself sometimes in Zen koans, sometimes in Sufi poetry, sometimes in Christic symbolism, sometimes in neo-Hasidic kabbalah, sometimes in deductive inferences, etc., etc. (no matter how well or badly I do any of that!)—which of those things excludes me from “spirituality”? According to whose definition? Whose “orthodoxy”?
I think I would be opposed to the split. On the other hand, I participate so little here these days, that my opinion should probably be discounted.
___________________________________________
The following is especially for LemonJello, who will remember—
The great religions
are the ships,
poets the life boats.
Every sane person I know
has jumped overboard.
That is good for business,
isn’t it, Hafiz?
—The Sufi poet Hafiz (translated by Daniel Ladinsky)
So, is Hafiz being spiritual or philosophical?
Now I’m going to go and listen to some more roots reggae…
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Originally posted by FMFLol those two a like Laurel and Hardy
Dasa has declared that he has stopped posting 'with immediate effect' or words to that effect [did anyone else read it?]. However, the thread on which he said it has been deleted, along with the post by poker87 that cued Dasa's farewell up.
Originally posted by robbie carrobieIn your mind there are only two outcomes, either you are forum or againum.
i say its a great idea, the secular liberalists with their aesthetic agenda get to
pontificate their limited knowledge, the spiritually inclined get to explore unlimited
possibilities because we have not limited our search for truth to merely material causes.
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- 6788
Originally posted by karoly aczelI've decided my opinion, based on further observation and comments from responders to this thread. The Spirituality forum has no significant volume of usage that is outside a handful of general topics. It is even the case that new threads on topics that nominally differ from this handful, will, within a few posts, gravitate to one of them.
How about creating a christianity forum and a spirituality forum?
There do not appear to be any significant number of people who want a philosophy forum or who want this forum to be split into two. I have a feeling that if the Spirituality forum were split, most of us would follow along into the forum that continued the topics that dominate it now.
So I will pipe down on the idea of a split.
Originally posted by JS357I think it's a horrible idea. The forums have been Balkanized enough as it is. I remember when it used to be just one forum.
What do you think about splitting this forum into a Religion forum and a Philosophy forum? I could go into it, but would rather see your reactions.
Originally posted by JS357Yes,I agree. I just like to point out how some christians like to keep going on about the same things and really have no interest into getting into the spirit of other religions, ideas, etc.
I've decided my opinion, based on further observation and comments from responders to this thread. The Spirituality forum has no significant volume of usage that is outside a handful of general topics. It is even the case that new threads on topics that nominally differ from this handful, will, within a few posts, gravitate to one of them.
There do not app ...[text shortened]... that continued the topics that dominate it now.
So I will pipe down on the idea of a split.
Yes, no split. Keep it "spirituality". As vistesd reasoned, and his thoughts are always well-read by me at least 🙂, there should be no split.
He is one of the more well-balanced, perservering,yet detached posters whose posts are always of some value.