How to make truth exist inside the mind?

[cho_pilo]

That’s the question with most people…

Any thoughts?

 

[St_Francis]

Fake it til yo make it.

I have found that for myself, I have a tendency to base my actions on my feelings–I feel energetic, I’ll work outside; I feel sleepy, I won’t study now.

But my feelings will not lead me in the direction I want to go. I have to use my will: the part of me that puts my rationally-made decisions into action. I think: it’s the right time to garden, tomorrow afternoon it will rain, therefore tomorrow in the morning I will go out and garden. In the morning… I didn’t sleep well, I’m tired, I don’t feeeeel like gardening–well, it’s my will that gets me out there.

So, I believe in God, I believe in the Catholic Faith. I need to act on that because my mind believes and has decided in that direction. It is only my feelings which make me feel like I don’t believe, because my feelings want to be entertained, they want to be excited, they want to see immediate results and they seriously do not want to work!

So the only way to move forward and assimilate the Faith into my entire being is to decide with my mind, implement with my will, and ignore my feelings. I have to leave my friends early on Saturday night so I can go to Mass, I have to make the Sign of the Cross and say grace before a meal in a restaurant or cafeteria, I have to prayer morning and evening prayers and a Rosary every day,…

Thanks for asking this question–answering been a good reminder to me

 

[empther]

This is the branch of philosophy called epistemiology, and maybe half of all philosophy books are about it.

To get to the truth associate with the best thinkers.
Aquinas if the most respected of all philosopher for a billion Catholics and many others.
Other philosophers, like Kant, Spinoza and others are remembered mostly for historical reasons rather than the public’s bellief that these guys got it right.

Off anybody’s list of best thinkers are the atheists. Ever hear of an atheist’s book taught in college? Well, Karl Marx, maybe.

 

[prodigalson2011]

That’s the question with most people…

Any thoughts?

Absolute truth is something to transcendent to be fully contained by the human mind. But we have been given sufficient gifts to discern it. Like bats, we can’t really see it, but we can bounce ideas off of it to try to locate it. I’ll use my own story as an example.

I’ll begin with my return to Christianity in general. As a bat throws out sounds and waits to see from whence the vibrations, I “threw out the sound” of several events in my life which were beyond the explanatory power of science. This led me to accept, again, the reality which I had long since begun denying: that of a supernatural order.

Once I accepted this, I began an honest assessment of different spiritual systems, either absorbing or, if I was already familiar, reevaluating their tenets and implications for the world.

Bouncing my experience of the world against Hinduism, for example, returned no sound. That is to say, my knowledge of Hinduism and the human condition did not resonate. Reincarnation, for example, does not hold up because it does not make sense. With no memories of past lives, the very purpose of reincarnation is defeated. Add to this that the pantheon numbers in the millions, and there are just as many variations in worship and devotion, and in many cases, in the mythology of individual gods. Perhaps the most telling “silence” of all, and this holds for Buddhism, too, is the stress upon the contemplative component involved. The necessarily intellectual nature of both religions makes them, in practice, somewhat elitist, as a keen mind is required to truly progress in either system. To me it seems like a spiritual Darwinism: only the strong in spirit survive. Sounds like like the polar opposite of the teachings of another popular spiritual teacher, does it not? And, in fact, it stands in stark contrast, not only to the theoretical teaching to which I refer, but in the real world of my experience where I have known many wise, spiritual, yet simple people throughout my life. Clearly, to my rational “sonar”, there was nothing to bounce off of in Hinduism or Buddhism. In fact, I had experimented with them both as a younger man and acquired nothing from them, other than those temporary elevated states produced by meditation.

Islam, to me, has a history that speaks for itself. Dark chapters of history aside, Christianity has been an overwhelming force for the human good and has always progressed and grown ever deeper and more loving. Islam, sorry to be disrespectful, has not been so generous to the world or its adherents. So you could say that, while it might generate echoes (with its similar teaching of monotheism), the echoes sound as a warning to stay away. I could go into the theology and “scripture” of Islam as well, but we’ll leave that alone for now.

Finally, Christianity. Even without real sight, the path of echoes leading to Christianity is so well “lit” that one can almost see it with one’s eyes closed. Affirming God, it then affirms His love for his creation, especially that part of it which is aware of Him. It then goes on to affirm that He loved these creatures so much, He came to them on their own terms: in flesh and blood. If I were God and I loved my creation, that’s what I would do!
The teachings of Christ are without rival. He teaches a love beyond human measure. Also, as I’m sure you realized immediately, Christ is that teacher to whom I referred earlier. His teachings are accessible and useful to every man and woman alive. As a popular saying goes, all other religions are man reaching up towards God; Christianity is God reaching down to man. This is the only logical way for God and man to be united, if one has accepted that possibility. Man is finite, flawed and wicked. God is eternal, perfect and Holy. Just as an infant cannot lift himself into his mother’s arms, so must God lift us up into his.

Finally, Catholicism. Once the spiritual sonar has zoned in on Christ, the obvious question is “Who is following him properly? Is anyone?” This was a question I struggled with for some months. I read many different arguments in favor of many different denominations and theologies. More importantly, I read history. Bouncing, now, the sound of Christ off of the pages of history and theology led, inevitably, to the Catholic Church. I compared Catholic moral teachings, undeniably the most well formed and defended of all moral theology, to the world around me, and much to my surprise, it all rang true! I followed the echoes of history to the beginning of Christianity and was delighted to find the Catholic Church waiting there for me.

So, there is the story of my ongoing journey towards truth. And, on that note, I think I’ll leave you with a thought that has become an axiom of my own spiritual life: In this life, truth is a journey whose destination lies on the other side.

Best of luck to you in yours.

prodigalson2011

 

[jochoa]

That’s the question with most people…

Any thoughts?

Find the solution to the following:
Given ALL the following:
-You, as a thinking, feeling, acting, living being exist in solitude (Hint: It is best to think of yourself existing as a single-celled being, similar to how you first came to be).
-There is nothing else in existence.
-The only method to create something, living or non-living, is to first think of it.
-You want to experience limitless happiness without ever losing peace.
How do you make that happen? I have yet to figure out the means to gracefully state the solution, however, here is a good starting question: What are some requirements to make that happen?

 

[damscott]

I think it’s easy. Jesus taught us how. He said: “I am the Truth …”; “Ask and you shall receive …” So, ask Him to enter your mind; i.e., Invite Him (Truth) into your mind. In doing so, you commit to believe in Him … forever. Remaining so commited, you can continue to receive ever more truth by virtue of your sustained belief. One such wonderful truth is, that there is no limit to the Truth that you can learn through Him beyond death, in eternity.

Of course, with free will, before you die, you can also reject Him (Truth) at any time, as did Judas; et al. But, once one is with Him in heaven, I wouldn’t think that one would ever reject Him. But, apparently, Lucifer and many other angels rejected God; as the story goes. I don’t understand why. It seems irrational to me. The usual explanations; jealousy, pride, greed, lust for power; etc., just don’t seem congruent with the biblical stories about the nature of the angels. I wonder whether any other heavenly beings have, or could have, defected since then? Granted, I am not very well versed in these subtle matters, as any true scholar might tell.

May God forgive me if I lead anyone astray. It is certainy not my intention.

Damscott