Abracadaba, etc., I deactivate my acct for personal reasons quite often, but I understand a bit more and could have replaced religion with spiritual because that is what I meant, but that was not the question. I guess one could question whether religion is spiritual. For me religion is closer to spiritual than philosophical. But I guess that is everyone's decision. I don't read the bible, but I believe in it and I don't go to church, but I believe in God and I believe that most people that go to church are seeking a spiritual path of sort, but that may not be the case either.

Abra;

I think Di was merely citing an example of religion rather than trying to define it.

Di - just curious about your list as pertaining to Philosophy. I did not notice "reflection". Would that not play a part as well? Just curious.

?

klc wrote:
"i can wash my hair 'religiously' the use of the word doesnt help define god...does it?"

That's true. I'll bet a lot of people aren't even aware that the term can be used without any reference to spirituality or god or anything like that.

Anything we do with conviction or with profound regularity we do "religiously". So by that definition we all go to the bathroom religiously.

Even atheists I might add.

Unless of course they are suffering from irregularity.

klc wrote:

"i can wash my hair 'religiously' the use of the word doesnt help define god...does it? "

No, but then metaphorically you have used the word correctly.
For the word religion pertains to the idea of doctrine, laws, rules, morals that one adheres to with conviction simply because the nature of their 'community' with like minded people, dictate those actions. So one who attends a church regularly can be said 'to attend religiously' - thus your are religious about washing your hair.

In a strage way, THAT does help define God. From that statement we know that those who choose 'a religion' versus simply a belief, are limited by the nature of the very doctrine they feel convinced they must follow.

In many ways that is in direcect conflict with the freedom that must be required to pursue the more phyilosophical questions in life.

Eljay, you asked about the word reflection.

As we've seen in so many recent posts, semantics plays an important part in these discussions. So I'll answer your question through my interpretation of the word.

The reflection in the mirror, is NOT me, it is simply an illusion that's created from a shiney surface with the right lighting.

I can't reflect on something in the future, I can only reflect on the past. That past is a mirror, my memory is the light, so what am I seeing?

I've been fortunate to have friends who have been in my life since we babies, and some since we were in grade shcool. It's natural, when we're together, to "reflect" on past events. I've found the most amazing thing. What is reflected through the mirror of the past, with the light of only my memory, is totally tunnel vision.

But when I consider all the perspectives in any event, by sharing the 'relections'as others recall them, I can make correlation between experience and the philisophical. But I can't do this through self reflection alone.

I guess what I'm saying is that philosophy, is not one sided, therefore self reflection doesn't make for sound philosophy. Like my face in the mirror does not reflect "me", my perception of personal events can't possibly reflect all points of view.

So where would you put reflection? What does it mean to you?

Di;

The original list you wrote that I refered to was this:

"Without restraint,guilt or fear, I wonder, I think, I ponder, I theorize, I create, I question and in those moments, I'm free, and from the desire to 'know' I'm pushed to continue to understand even more. This is the gift I've claimed from living this life. In that gift is the miricle we were all born to receive."

I just wondered if "reflection" was a part of this list. I suppose "ponder" might incorporate the idea - but it just seemed to me, that it was sort of the only thing "missing". Not that it needed to be there. Nothing more than a mere suggestion.

Oh, thanks Eljay - I guess I was over "zealous" I was just explaining why it wasn't as I didn't understand why you thought it was important.