Coming full circle
 

Two years ago I solved all my dilemmas when I came to the elegant realization that some people are capable of letting their pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the universe end with a question while others needed to end things with an answer. One group of people became agnostic while the other attached itself to whatever belief sat at the apex of their reality.

I used to think that I was okay with leaving things open. I remember applauding Bill Maher when he said that we should be mature enough to accept the unknowns in life.

Now I’ve come to a point in my life where the pendulum swung the other way and I am looking for answers yet again. I know this contradicts my previous philosophical views. I don’t care. It feel comfortable with my new journey. Steve Pavlina said that one must experience both perspectives in order to make a judgment. At the age of 26 I am finally dabbing with the other side of faith. I want The Answer. I want something to believe in.

- Mantus

Funny how at the end of the day you want to make a judgment, which is an answer. So you want to get to an answer and not a question.

The way I see it, questions are the spaces in between answers on an endless ladder. To get to the next question, you need to get to the next "answer-rung." Problem is, the ladder isn't straight and intersects with a billion other ladders. And sometimes when you think you're climbing up one ladder, you're climbing down another one.

To me, the people who do lots of climbing tend to be wiser than the ones who stay put.

Which came first...the chicken or the egg?

Interesting, Mantus. I used to be very much an "answers" person, and went at it hammers and tongs when I was an evangelical (age 14-22 or so). That process, however, led me to become more of a "question" person (I'm 27 now), and I had no recourse but to follow those questions away from my faith. I see no end to that process at the moment... it's hard to imagine me becoming a person of faith again, after all that brought me to this point. But I would like to know more about how you came around to seeking "answers" again... please say more.

I've always been a question person, and while that may not lead to more answers, it increases the mystery. In an offbeat sort of way it makes it mystical.
I believe that the universe loves me, inasmuchas it can, and that it's the most perfect one available so far...too much science fiction, you know!

ok. You're looking for an answer.

What's the question?

This seems like a variation of the saying that as one travels down a road without coming closer to a destination, one comes to understand that the journey is the destination.

Your initial premise is too simple for me...I like aberkok's metaphor better. For me, at least, it's one I can relate to. I think you're right that some folks need to end with an answer (even where there obviously is another "ladder rung" or twelve leading away from it). It's the other part of your statement I'm less certain about. I'm at a "question" point, but I'm not satisfied with that, and I haven't ended there. It is more a case of endlessly going through the "question to answer to question again" cycle, where I have no reason to know that I'll reach a final answer to a final question.

Very good metaphor, aberkok. And the answer to your question is "yes".

Aberkok-a perfect analogy.
I use the choice=paths, kind of the same thing in that each question and subsequent 'answer' leads us to another choice...a continuous journey that more ofttimes than not, leads us along where we may never have chosen to go, but the results of that step reward us unexpectedly.

Mantus: Finding the answer to having something to believe in will come from within. Faith is not always based on logic nor is it based on tangibles.

I've gone through the swings of that pendulum several times myself. What I've found to be important is that you use the insight gleaned from the polar end each time you start to swing back. I've come to a point where I am okay with ending in a question, but it's important to me to keep looking for answers. Essentially, I feel that there is ultimate truth, but it's near impossible for any one to come to that truth within our relatively short life times and with our limited capacities. However, I feel it would be nihilistic to just admit that I don't get it and use that as an excuse to give up. The pursuit of ultimate truth, like life itself, is a journey and that is what matters; that you keep moving.

I guess, to me, I started to swing away from the religious world view I was handed but I found the extreme opposite unfulfilling. By way of swinging in out of various different religious views I still rest certain that I will almost certainly never understand the reality of the divine within this lifetime, but I am equally certain that my pursuit is meaningful and brings me closer to that understanding thus the ideal, in my opinion, is not on the extreme sways of the metaphorical pendulum, but the position of rest in the middle. However, I can probably only hope to achieve smaller and smaller oscillations.

If I had An Answer, my life would be boring as hell. What would be the point of living in a divinely inspired world where my only option was the Word of God(s).

But if I've always got a question, I've always got something to learn, something to strive for, and more importantly - something to live for.

Part of my satisfaction in being an atheist comes from the comfort that there are always questions. Absolute truth on most of the BIG questions of life probably won't be answered. Some people would rather delude themselves with religion and provide a set of answers.

I suppose that's just an other aspect of the existential fear of being human. The fear of the unknown and unknowable (the big one being what happens when I die). Religion provides BIG answers to the BIG questions.

Of course, the other point of view is that the point of asking questions is coming to an answer. With respect to the big questions of life, the answer might be tentative and incomplete, but that doesn't make it less of an answer.

The comfort I get from Agnostic Atheism is that it seems rather strange to decide on one imperfect solution to live my life by, denying any and all contention in an effort to preserve my original belief.

My science education has taught me that one answer is never right, and that even after years of modification, research and experimentation, it's still not entirely right. It'd be silly for me to be so convicted to a position that could easily be shown fallacious or incorrect in the future.

I'm better served to say that I don't know, and accept all possible answers.

I actually got to the point of contemplating suicide during 6th grade, I was so desperate to answer the question of God and the thereafter. Then I realized I was going to die one day no matter what, so why hurry? Now I just try to do right moment to moment. If there is a God and he made me right, I'll be ok. If there isn't one I still had as good a life as I possibly could.

You're right JinnKai (though I think I'd probably disagree with you about the details) -- no one all inclusive answer is going to be enough. Scripture, which I obviously take pretty seriously, is intended to answer a small set of very important questions, but there are other questions it's not intended to answer. And even with the idea "Scripture is the best source for understanding God" as a premise, it takes even the most dedicated Christians more than a lifetime to come to anything even resembling an understanding of the divine.

But, to say that our knowledge is limited and fallible is not to say that we can't recognize a good theory when we see it. If you'll excuse me, I'll use evolution as an answer. As far as I can tell, evolution isn't a perfect theory, and is still being developed by scientists. (Consider the debate regarding punctuated equilibria.) But that doesn't mean we should be agnostic about evolution, rather that we should understand that our knowledge of evolution is limited.

"...it takes even the most dedicated Christians more than a lifetime"...
This is accomplished, how?
I need some Leann Chinn's!

42
 

I am most certainly one seeking answers. It isn't the answer itself that attracts me but the pursuit and journey to it. I also enjoyed the metaphor of ladders in life, as I often perceive life ans a journey with paths and intersections. There wont be a single "ism" "ic" or "ain" that describes me because I am still looking for what I believe in.

I don't believe in any sort of loving, all-powerful, and merciful God, but I don't deny the possibility of intelligent design---I want to find out more about it. When I look up into the night and see all those stars I get a sensation that is beyond my capability to describe. It isn't rational and I certainly will not remain objective about it. Some say that that is God's way of telling me He is there, but it felt more like being connected and home, not empowering love.

There are many questions now and probably few answers later on. That doesn't stop me from seeking them out. Along each path awaits new people, ideas and understanding.

[I hope this is what I am supposed to be discussing here]