Protestantism

» pink101 - So Many Worlds of Pretense

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Our brains--in those formative years of early childhood--are programmed to pretend a wide variety of realities into existence.
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It is a phenomenon of formidable proportions and it cannot be denied.
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Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, spooky stories of Haloween, playing house, playing cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, now space aliens, dolls, Simon Sez, play toy soldiers and war, and just about everything else one can imagine including doctor.
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Patterns for thinking are created solidly in our brains to be put to use in our adult experiences.
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I think that is what makes religious phantasizing so popular in our civilizations--both Eastern and Western; Judaism, Christianity, Islam--we imagine them to the point that they constitute our reality. Grown men and women who are otherwise intelligent, divest themselves of reason and join in on the games. It is so emotionally rewarding to believe in Santa Clause even during those final childhood days when the reality is beginning to set it--when we know Santa is really a clown of make believe; but, oh, such joy of anticipation on Christmas Eve. It makes the child's heart flutter. What kind of a meanie would want to take that away from an innocent little child. It does no harm and probably does a lot of good. And, it is fun, isn't it?
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The popular ideas that tell us about the justification of war? They are all make believe. That's why we have to depend on ideologies rather than the truth. Truth? What's truth? Is it in the Bible? And, to bring it out in the open and to put it on the table is the no-no of all no-nos. How dare I bring such a fact up and put it on the table. "This idea and this thread has to be ignored--it might be a slippery slope where we will catch some sinful disease of disbelief. Can any true believer imagine the idea of giving credance to such questioning? There IS as Santa Clause, I saw his sleigh and reindeers last night flying across the sky on their way to the homes of good little boys and girls everywhere."
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"It is real!!" I hear the screams of minds steeped deep in the Worlds of Pretense. "It is real!! It is real!! You just and wait and see. You'll be sorry for even saying that it isn't! And you're going to Hell for saying it. You'll see."
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uh huh, yah, sure. Okay. Yup.
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:~)
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Ho ho ho ho, Meeerrrryyy Christmas to everyone and to everyone a good night.
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yum, yum, sugar plums.
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-- posted by pink101