Some thoughts on Religion and Philosophy...
The Secret of a Balanced Life is Reverence and Mirth in Equal Proportions
I heard that phrase on a TV show about pagan religions, and I tend to think it's the truth. This temple is mostly the Reverence side of things, whilst The Church of Our Guy David Duchovny is what I started for the Mirth side of things. I tend not to take myself too seriously, but everything I do has a serious point. Even down to the background graphics, which look cool but also have a lot of meaning if you think about them.
Basically, I believe that you've never really learnt something until you've discovered it for yourself, and that it doesn't really matter where you start off. If you get to that discovery, that piece of Truth, it makes no difference if your starting point was Plato or Pratchett.
I am really more likely to start off towards an idea by quoting Pratchett than Plato, since I have every Discworld novel (some signed) and all my philosophy books are out of the library.
I believe that every form of belief finds some part of the Truth, and even the silliest looking ones can lead to great realisations. Many different inspirations lead to the same codes of behaviour all over the world.
So why not be inspired to right conduct by adoration of David Duchovny? Or by listening to Minbari philosophy on Babylon 5, which is another thing I'm reasonably serious about and keep meaning to write up some day. So, eventually I mean to write essays on The Living Universe and our purpose in her ( with reference to Babylon 5 episodes), Reflections and Shadows, and Why Babylon 5 is Better than Deep Space Nine. All of them are philosophy.
Right now my efforts are concentrated on Highlander fanfic, which if you read it you will see is often shaped by my religious beliefs. Things like there's no fate but what we make, and what we do is only our own responsibility. I get so mad at Duncan MacLeod over that thing with the demon because whatever the demon did to trick him it was Duncan that swung the sword and therefore Duncan's responsibility, but what is the only time in his life he doesn't take responsibility for something? You guessed it.
Below is a list of the little things I have written up already. I've never studied philosophy, just read my way through the local library, so I don't reference famous people to 'prove' my point. I think if I'm right then the ideas show themselves to be right no matter what started me thinking about them.
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